SAINT LIAM (Saint Ballado) will have to carry the highweight of 122 pounds as
he goes for his third Grade 1 win against seven rivals in Saturday’s
$750,000 Whitney H. (G1) at Saratoga. Back in the hands of trainer Richard Dutrow, the five-year-old bay was entered in the Stephen Foster H. (G1) last out
for conditioner Bobby Frankel, taking that 1 1/8-mile event by 2 3/4 lengths.
That followed a slightly disappointing sixth-place finish in the Santa Anita H.
(G1), but he did start the year off right by taking the Donn H. (G1) in easy
fashion. Saint Liam will have Edgar Prado back in the saddle.
COMMENTATOR (Distorted Humor) will be stretching out here for only the second
time in his seven-race career. From those seven races, the Nick Zito trainee has
won six events, with his only loss coming while trying the nine-furlong Hal’s
Hope H. (G3) two back. He captured his last one, a seven-furlong optional
claimer, by an easy 16 1/2 lengths and will run coupled on Saturday with SIR
SHACKLETON (Miswaki), who enters the Whitney in search of his first win since scoring in
the Richter Scale Breeders’ Cup Sprint Championship H. (G2) in mid-March.
Also entered are LIMEHOUSE (Grand Slam), winner of the Brooklyn H. (G2),
and recent Suburban H. (G1) third-place finisher POLLARD’S VISION (Carson
City). They’ll race uncoupled for leading trainer Todd Pletcher.
Sir Shackleton drew the rail post under Javier Castellano and will have to
tote 115 pounds. He’ll be followed in the post parade by Saint Liam; WIGGINS
(Cartwright), Mark Guidry, 112; Commentator (Distorted Humor), Gary Stevens,
115; SWINGFORTHEFENCES (Boston Harbor), Eibar Coa, 113; EUROSILVER (Unbridled’s
Song), Robby Albarado, 114; Limehouse, John Velazquez, 117; and Pollard’s
Vision, Jerry Bailey, 117.
In the race before the Whitney, 10 sophomore fillies will line up in the
$250,000 Test S. (G1) going seven furlongs. ACEY DEUCEY (Abaginone) has steadily
made her way up the ranks and finally reached the top on July 9 when taking the
Prioress S. (G1) by a half-length. The John Morrison charge was sent off at 13-1
in that one, but she had given notice that she shouldn’t be ignored with a win in the Comely S.
(G2) in mid-April.
IN THE GOLD (Golden Missile) is still looking for that elusive Grade 1 win,
though she’s been close in her past two. The Beaumont S. (G2) queen ran a good
second in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) before trying the Acorn S. (G1), where she
finished third by 1 1/2 lengths. She’s making her first start here off that
latter race from early June and will get a two-pound weight break from the 122-pound
highweight, Acey Deucey.
The complete field for the Test, including riders and weights, is LEAVE ME
ALONE (Bold Badgett), Kent Desormeaux, 118; POMMES FRITES (Dynaformer), Cornelio
Velasquez, 116; In the Gold, Stevens; MADDALENA (Good and Tough), Velazquez,
118; Acey Deucey, Diane Nelson; ASPEN TREE (Holy Bull), Castellano, 116; SENSE
OF STYLE (Thunder Gulch), Prado, 120; LADY PEGASUS (Fusaichi Pegasus), Ramon
Dominguez, 116; FLYING GLITTER (Glitterman), Albarado, 116; and HIDE AND CHIC
(Seeking the Gold), Bailey, 116.