Fred M. Allor’s homebred Five Iron continued the domination of front runners
on the Saratoga turf in Sunday’s Grade 3, $150,000
Saranac
Stakes. A Woodbine invader coming off victories in the Victoria Park and
Toronto Cup, the Brian Lynch trainee notched his third straight victory while
snapping the winning streak of 2-1 favorite Notacatbutallama.
Five Iron broke from the rail and scrambled right to the lead. Under new
rider Luis Saez, the 5-1 fifth choice rattled off honest fractions of :22 4/5,
:46 3/5 and 1:10 4/5 on a Mellon course listed as good. Joha, Frac Daddy and
Front formed a posse in pursuit, but Notacatbutallama was content to settle
farther back in fifth.
Rounding the far turn, Notacatbutallama commenced his trademark rally and
emerged as the only threat to the free-wheeling Five Iron. Although the favorite
tried to reel in the pacesetter, Notacatbutallama changed leads a couple of
times in the stretch, as if not entirely in love with the going.
Five Iron, who zipped a mile in 1:35 2/5, still had plenty in reserve in the
final furlong. Pulling 2 1/2 lengths clear of Notacatbutallama, he negotiated 1
1/8 miles in 1:48 1/5 and rewarded his supporters with a $12.80 win mutuel.
“He worked so well coming into the race,” Lynch noted. “I knew if he could
get the lead and get left alone, he’d be very dangerous. He’s a very determined
horse.
“I’ve never had a horse prick his ears when he makes the lead like that and
run into the bridle like he does,” the trainer added. “He’s a fun horse, and as
he’s gotten older, he’s found his niche and become effective at it.”
“The trainer told me the horse has a lot of speed and to try to take the
lead,” Saez said. “The lead came easy to my horse so I let him run. Coming for
home, I still had a lot of horse. When I saw Notacatbutallama coming, I knew we
could hold him off. He gave me everything he had to win this race.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher commented that Notacatbutallama ran his typical race.
“I thought he ran well, like he always does,” Pletcher said. “He tried hard.
The winner set solid fractions on a turf course that’s not that firm and just
kept going. I think we were second best today.”
Notacatbutallama had 2 1/2 lengths to spare over Joha. The mildly closing
Tattenham got up for fourth, another 5 1/2 lengths back, followed by Front,
Favor Factor and a tailed-off Frac Daddy, who gave way badly on the short
turnaround from his August 24 allowance win. The three main-track-only entrants
— Micromanage, Battier and Saint Vigeur — did not get to run.
Five Iron advanced his scorecard to 11-4-2-1, $381,060. The Sharp Humor colt
opened his career with a four-length wire job on Woodbine’s Polytrack last
summer. Runner-up in the Swynford and fourth in the Grey, Five Iron next tried
the dirt at Churchill Downs, but was sixth in the Iroquois and fourth in the
allowance won impressively by Gulfport.
After a sixth to War Dancer in an April 10 Keeneland allowance in his turf
and sophomore debut, Five Iron returned to Woodbine’s Polytrack. He missed by a
half-length to Dan the Tin Man in the April 21 Woodstock, but was beaten five
lengths by Up with the Birds when third in the May 26 Marine. Five Iron regained
the winning thread with a front-running coup in the June 16 Victoria Park, and
repeated the feat when switched to turf in the July 27 Toronto Cup.
The Kentucky-bred was offered as a yearling at Keeneland January, where Allor
was listed as the purchaser for $17,000. The aptly-named chestnut is out of the
Thunder Gulch mare Tee Off, making him a half-brother to Grade 2-placed Back
Spin and non-black-type stakes scorer Lake Sawyer.
Tee Off is herself a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 victress Tactile. They
were both produced by Grade 1 winner Only Queens and hail from the family of
Grade 2 heroine Last Song, Grade 3 queen Brushing Gloom and Grade 2-placed
multiple stakes scorer Clash By Night.
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