Valentine Candy enters Friday’s $200,000 Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga with five career wins, four of which have been stakes. With 10 starts, he’s run nearly as much as his four opponents have combined.
Despite those lofty credentials, the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam for three-year-olds might depend less on experience and more on potential. In addition to the progressive form of some of his rivals, two factors working against Valentine Candy are that all of his stakes wins occurred at one track (Oaklawn) and that his last two runs over the Saratoga strip, albeit both in Grade 1 company, were decidedly subpar.
Jefferson Street figures to be a force in the Amsterdam. The Godolphin homebred was a track-and-distance winner of an entry-level allowance at Saratoga on June 7, for which he earned a 101 Brisnet Speed rating. He had also eclipsed the century mark in breaking his maiden at Keeneland in April, earning a 105 Brisnet rating.
Juddmonte homebred Pure Force is also treating the Amsterdam as a second-level allowance equivalent. The Brad Cox trainee comfortably won his first two outings during the Churchill spring meets and looks well spotted for his stakes debut.
The small field is rounded out by the first-level allowance-eligible World Record and Donegal Momentum, but neither should be taken lightly.
World Record was a blowout maiden winner at Churchill two back and followed up with a third-place run in the Maxfield S. over the same track. Donegal Momentum, meanwhile, earned a 99 Brisnet rating by taking his debut by open lengths at Aqueduct, but was caught late second last out when trying to stretch his speed over a mile.
