The Quick Call – (Grade lll)

Purse $225.00 – For Three Year Olds 

5½ Furlongs – Turf

Saratoga – July 19, 2026

Opportunity knocks this Sunday at Saratoga, where all seven entrants have a chance to become a first-time graded stakes winner in the 17th edition of The Quick Call! No one comes into this race off a disappointing effort, as every contender finished first or second in their previous start. This stakes has come a long way since earning graded status in 2019. The purse increase this year from $175.00 to $225.00 only adds to its growing reputation as one of the more attractive spots on the Saratoga calendar for rising turf three-year-olds. If history is any indication, Mb Stables will once again be a major player. His stable has won The Quick Call six times, including five of the last six renewals. The stakes record was set back in 2021 when Elijah G came from just off the pace to score by a length, stopping the clock in 1:01.91. Well, it’s definitely going to be hard to handicap this race with everyone being in good form. Let’s go through each runner and see what they bring to the table!

1. Zombie Eclipse – (La Canada Racehorses, E J. Zayas) Started off his career on the dirt, though he failed to make much of an impression. Connections then decided to geld Zombie Eclipse and put blinkers on late last year. Since then, this gelding has run seven times and has never finished off the board. The son of Truce broke his maiden at first asking on the turf at Santa Anita. He stepped up nicely a few starts later in the Shear Mile Stakes, finishing second to the multiple stakes winner Credit Criminal. Zombie Eclipse comes in this race off an N1X victory at Churchill Downs against a five-horse field. He went off as the favorite and kicked home impressively from off the pace. Will have to step up.

2. Red Party – (T Boy Racing, S X. Bridgmohan) Has been super impressive as of late, coming into The Quick Call off a four-race win streak. This son of Serpiente Party has been slowly climbing the ladder after breaking his maiden against state-bred stakes company. Red Party spent most of his two-year-old season on the dirt, but connections made the move to this grass and never looked back. He was able to win the N2X condition twice and took a shot in the Palisades Turf Sprint at Keeneland. This colt went wire-to-wire, while just falling short of the stakes record. Red Party comes out of The Walker, where he came from off the pace. That performance produced a career-high 98 speed figure. My top pick.

3. Superior Palace – (Mb Stables, J. Lezcano) This gelding looks primed to give Mb Stables a record seven wins in this race. Superior Palace did his best running last year against Florida-Breds on the dirt. Connections tried to step him up and go for Kentucky Derby points but failed to fire in the Holy Bull and Tampa Bay Derby. It wasn’t until a few months ago that this son of Superior Pinnacle tried the grass in the two-turn Sophomore Turf. He sat the perfect trip just behind the pacesetters and slowly pulled away late to score by a half-length. Interestingly, his last start came sprinting on the grass at Churchill Downs where he faced older foes as a big longshot and just missed by a neck. A major contender.

4. Drummer Boy – (D J C Racing Stables, K. Carmouche) Was hitting on all cylinders last year on the grass with three wins and a second. Drummer Boy broke his maiden at LAD routing on the turf as the heavy favorite. Connections then cut him back in distance where he won back-to-back starts in an N1X and the Pulpit Stakes. Now as a three-year-old, this gelding has struggled to find the winner’s circle. He ran two even races at Santa Anita before jumping up into the Grade One American Turf at Churchill Downs. Drummer Boy was a big longshot and failed to make headway on the field through the race. He comes in this race off a second-place finish sprinting on the grass against State-Breds. Pass

5. Ideal Candidate – (Aer Stables, T. Gaffalione) Bought at auction for $300.00 last year and ended up breaking his maiden in the Speakeasy Stakes by a length. Ideal Candidate made his next start in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint where he closed from eleventh to finish fourth behind Gaelic Commander. In 2026, connections removed Lasix and tried getting this son of Political Pressure on the Kentucky Derby trail. It didn’t quite work out, so this gelding returned back to the green stuff. He comes out of the Grade Three Pennine Ridge at Saratoga, finishing an even second by a length. It makes sense that Ideal Candidate returns to sprinting. He will definitely have a chance in here.

6. Right Noble – (Pace With Grace, Jam. Rodriguez) This son of Championship Rounds has sprinted on the grass three times in seven career starts and won them all. His first win was at Monmouth in a Maiden Special Weight, then connections parlayed that effort scoring by a length in an N2X. It was time to try Right Noble around two turns, so Pace With Grace entered in back-to-back graded stakes at a mile. He only hit the board in the Del Mar Mile and just didn’t warrant enough to keep him routing. This Ontario-Bred comes off a win at Woodbine going seven furlongs on the turf. He settled close to the pace early and took the lead late to hold on by a quarter of a length. Will need to show more.

7. Caro – (Robeth, W T. Buick) Caro was bought privately from Night Mare Racing for $48.00 and was entered just a month later. Connections have been tinkering around with this colt for some time trying to find out where he runs best. He’s been running on surfaces, but the best numbers have come on the grass. This son of Yankee Empire’s last two starts has come sprinting at six furlongs as the favorite. He ran second against New York-Breds and then finally broke through at Woodbine. Caro settled a little closer to the pace than usual, scoring by just under a length. It’s going to be a tough task to step forward off the maiden victory. However, he always shows up and runs his race.

– AJM

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES