Crucially avoiding trouble that affected several rivals into the first turn and setting a comfortable pace thereafter, Fighting Seabee had plenty left in the stretch to fend off five rivals in the $150,000 With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga on Wednesday.
Making his second start after a career-opening, two-length score at Ellis Park on July 6, the Summer Front colt proved one length best over Field Pass. Andesite was 1 1/2 lengths farther back in third, while 6-5 favorite Our Country was fourth after stumbling at the start.
“We got lucky,” jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said. “No one else really went and our horse put us in a nice spot going on the backside and from the second turn home, we were confident that he would go on and he did.”
Owned by Walking L Thoroughbreds and trained by Kenny McPeek, Fighting Seabee paid $12.60 after covering 1 1/16 miles on a firm inner turf in 1:43.34.
“We’ve had our luck with our horses breaking their maidens at Ellis earlier in the season,” McPeek said. “Of course, this horse was ready before this meet started. He won down there going two turns and we wanted to keep him at two turns.
“He’s been a horse that’s been really easy. We’ve been around enough young horses over the years that the good one’s standout. He’s never been outworked in the mornings and up to now in the afternoon as well. It’s a good position to be in and hopefully he takes us to the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Turf [G1]).”
Bred in Kentucky by Gestut Zur Kuste A G, Fighting Seabee was a $105,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling. He’s the first foal produced by the unraced Broke N Dixie, by Broken Vow.
