Saratoga Special

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Thursday’s $150,000 Saratoga Special S. (G2) looks extremely contentious.
Only two of the nine juveniles made their last start in New York, with
youngsters from California, Florida. Kentucky and Canada in the line-up, and
we’ll take a stab with a Del Mar invader from the stable of recent Hall of Fame
inductee Bob Baffert.

TINY WOODS (Roman Ruler) displayed outstanding quickness in his career bow,
registering BRIS 97 E1 and 105 E2 Pace ratings while setting early splits in :21
4/5 and :45 1/5, and held determinedly over the Polytrack to post a 93 BRIS
Speed figure, which is a big number for a two-year-old debuter at Del Mar. From
the immediate family of Toccet (Awesome Again), winner of the 2002 editions of
the Champagne S. (G1) and Hollywood Futurity (G1), Tiny Woods has trained
forwardly since his last start, posting a six-furlong bullet work at Del Mar
prior to a pair of sharp five-furlong breezes at Saratoga, and Mike Smith will
be along to ride the promising dark bay. We’ll take the outside speed.

THISKYHASNOLIMIT (Sky Mesa) is stuck on the rail in the 6 1/2-furlong event,
an unfavorable draw out of the chute at the Spa, but he looks like a serious
threat if he breaks well from the inside. A seven-length maiden scorer over a
sloppy track at Churchill last time, the Steve Asmussen-trained colt could catch
a track with some moisture in it on Thursday, and he hails from the immediate
family of champion Bernardini (A.P. Indy), a nine-length winner of the 2006 Jim
Dandy S. (G2) over a sloppy oval at Saratoga. The dark bay opened his racing
career with a second to the unbeaten Backtalk (Smarty Jones), who went on to
post wins in the Sanford S. (G2) and Bashford Manor (G3), and displayed
excellent speed in both career starts. Shaun Bridgmohan will stick with Thiskyhasnolimit, who looks capable of being a prominent forward presence
throughout.

D’ FUNNYBONE (D’wildcat) could be a major player in his first start for
Richard Dutrow, but we won’t take a short price on the likely favorite. The
chestnut has impressed us in both starts, earning a 97 BRIS Speed rating for an
easy debut win over a sloppy track at Calder and a 95 for a narrow runner-up
effort in the Frank Gomez Memorial S. last out, and the Florida-bred was
flattered when the Gomez winner, Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil), captured the Dr.
Fager division of the Florida Stallion S. series in his next start. D’ Funnybone has the BRIS numbers to challenge for it all in his New York
debut, and the
stalker figures to receive a good trip just off the early speed under Edgar
Prado.

FLATTER THAN ME (Flatter) will make his first start since recording a
commendable second in the Bashford Manor, and the Merrill Scherer pupil tuned up
for his return off the freshening with a five-furlong bullet move (:58 2/5) at
Saratoga on Friday. The dark bay has run well over off tracks in two of his
three outings, and he’ll keep Robby Albarado in the saddle. Flatter Than Me will
likely be up close from the start and looms as a legitimate win contender.

CHINA (Tale of the Cat) was last seen recording an outstanding debut score at
Keeneland, winning a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight event over the
Polytrack by 6 3/4 lengths, but this will be difficult spot in which to return.
Trainer Todd Pletcher has cross-entered the promising colt to an allowance race
on Friday, which makes us wonder whether he’ll scratch him if the track comes up
wet, and we’d like the speedy colt’s chances better at the six-furlongs distance
of the aforementioned allowance. We can’t
dismiss his chances and wouldn’t discourage any one from using him, but we’ll
let China beat us off the near four-month break.

FEARLESS COWBOY (El Corredor) is another one to consider for at least part.
Winner of the Colin S. last out, the formerly Woodbine-based colt is eligible to
move forward in his first start for Kiaran McLaughlin, but he’s never run on
dirt and figures to be seriously tested for class. We’ll give him a race. ZIP
QUIK (City Zip) invades from California for Pat Biancone, who has had plenty of
success with Southern California shippers at the Spa in the past, and the bay
colt will pick up the services of Julien Leparoux while getting first-time
Lasix. The late runner exits a decent second to a filly in the Hollywood
Juvenile Championship (G3) and could get plenty of pace to run at here, but
we’re inclined to just watch.

ACTIVITY REPORT (Bernstein) showed speed before fading in the Sanford last
time, and we can’t envision him sustaining his early run in this spot.
INSIGHTFUL (E Dubai) exits a solid score in an off-the-turf maiden special
weight for Barclay Tagg, but his Speed ratings look a little low.