The Sanford (Grade 3)- $175.000 Purse
SAR- For Two Year Olds
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 13, 2024
Everyone loves racing their two-year-olds, and on Saturday at SAR, we will get a chance to see a group of them who’s trainers feel have what it takes to be graded horses. Some will prove to be exactly that, and some we will never hear from again at this level. The gate is full with twelve horses that will contest the Grade 3 Sanford and this race has seen some highly successful past winners. It’s also seen a couple from last year’s race that have been deactivated already. The winner of the 2023 race was Free Roundhouse, for La Canada Racehorses, a horse that would not win again after the Sanford victory. No one in that field went on to run in any TC race, and only one of those horses ran in the BC Juvenile. The best of the bunch proved to be better on the grass, as Off Break, who ran sixth in the Sanford, went on to not only participate, but win the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint. While we can hope for bigger and better for these horses, this race may be nothing more than a Grade 3 in July for a $175.000 purse, and there is nothing wrong with that. Let’s meet the field:
1- Without Warning (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Geroux)- Looking very good so far by doing everything that his trainer has asked of him. Won on debut in SA in April, then came here to run in the $150.000 Tremont and took home the win there as well while starting from the opposite end of the starting gate. This is a natural spot for him to end up after that win, so we will see if he can keep up his great start.
2- Risecock (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J Rosario)- After failing to break his maiden in a conventional manner, Risecock was sent to the $120.000 Royal Palm Juvenile in mid-May. He got the win there, which comes just when horses are starting to run on the turf, so it probably helped that he had already made two starts before that. Now, after an aggressive beginning to his career, Risecock has had some rest and heads back to the dirt.
3- Summer Madness (Fractious, ridden by F Prat)- After breaking his maiden in his second start last month, Summer Madness hopes to live up to his name and turn it on when the temperature is up there. And it’s been like that lately here in upstate NY, so Summer Madness should be ready to bring the heat.
4- Cherokee War Dance (Riggins Racing, ridden by F Pennington)- Entered into the $250.000 KY Juvenile after running second on debut, and that race did not go well for him. Four weeks later, and sporting a shadow roll for the first time, he went wire to wire in the slop against LA-breds to break his maiden. There’s a 45% chance of rain here on Saturday, so in regard to the Sanford, Riggins won’t be worried if that rain does make things wet.
5- Rock Salt (Red Fox Farms, ridden by T McCarthy)- Another horse that is 1-for-2 early on his career. Rock Salt debuted at PRX as soon as he possibly could, and once that was over, he went up to AQU and looked much better when he broke his maiden against a field of NY-Breds. He looks to take another step forward here, and if he does, it will be the trainer’s first graded win.
6- Decal (Williams9, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Won on debut in early April, but that was not enough to impress his prior trainer, Team 7 Illusions, as he was sold less than a week later. Decal then won in his Williams9 debut, capturing the TUP Open Spring Futurity, but then did not show much when up against several of these in the Tremont last month. He’ll get another chance to make an impression against them now.
7- Maymun (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Ran here last month in the Tremont as well, and had a solid finish, running third only missing by a length as he made his move late in the stretch. He’s 1-for-3 in his career thus far, and perhaps just a little more room to run in this race can make a big difference for him.
8- Swaps (Fractious, ridden by P Lopez)- We don’t have much to look at in regard to Swaps, but what is there is appealing. In his only start, Swaps took care of business impressively in the mud at GP with a wire to wire, three length victory. Unfortunately, the fact that it was only a three-horse field may put a damper on how impressive that really was. What we will know is how good he is once this race is done.
9- Comanche Smoke (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Gets the nod of Mb Stables to run here in the Sanford, and seems to be one of the top contenders based on his experience. After winning on debut at SA, Comanche Smoke was sent to the $250.000 KY Juvenile that he nearly won but missed the head bob at the wire to be second. That’s the same spot he finished in last month in the Tremont, and here he will get a chance to get some revenge on Without Warning.
10- Serenity Now (Winning Link Stables, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Began his career with a couple of near misses, the second of which was a heartbreaker at CD. He would be gelded a week after that race and would run as a gelding for the first-time last month at CD, where he broke his maiden. Fresh off that, and a strong work a couple weeks ago, Serenity Now has what it takes to get the win here.
11- Whatever Will Be (Asgar, ridden by D Davis)- After running third against NM-Breds at SUN in early April, Whatever Will Be got the job done three weeks later in similar conditions. Showing promise, Whatever Will Be was then entered into the $150.000 Mountain Top Futurity that he also won. This makes him 2-for-3 early in his career, but he has never been out of New Mexico up to this point and has certainly earned this chance.
12- Meet The Chief (Locked And Loaded, ridden by L Dettori)- Three weeks ago, Meet The Chief made his debut at CD and wasted no time getting his first win. It’s a good example of a horse not necessarily needing that first race as he beat some pretty good horses in that one. The colt was up to the challenge there, and he can be up to the challenge here as well as moves right into stake company. Should he win, it would be the first graded win for his trainer.
Prediction: 1-10-11-3
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
