A wire-to-wire winner of the June 19 Sir Cat S. at Belmont Park, Jack and Noah looks like the one to catch in Friday’s $100,000 Quick Call Stakes (G3) at Saratoga. The Mark Casse-trained colt tops a field of eight 3-year-olds, including a main-track only contestant, in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint, and John Velazquez retains the mount on the French-bred son of Bated Breath.
The race honors Saratoga specialist Quick Call, who nine times over four seasons (1987-90) at the Spa.
Jack and Noah notched his second stakes victory last out, and the gray will face a couple of familiar foes with Turned Aside and Old Chestnut, the respective second- and third-place finishers in the Sir Cat, also returning.
Turned Aside is eligible to move forward after making the first start of his sophomore season for Linda Rice, and Jose Lezcano will be up. Juvenile stakes victor Old Chestnut will look to rally for Casse and Junior Alvarado.
Rice also has Power Up Paynter, a sharp allowance scorer over New York-bred rivals two back. Other contenders include multiple stakes winner Fore Left, who will switch back to turf for Doug O’Neill after an unplaced effort in the Belmont Stakes (G1); and the Jack Sisterson-trained duo of stakes hero Flap Jack and last-out maiden winner High Cruise.
