A couple of Grade 1 turf stakes took place at Saratoga on Sunday after being delayed because of rain. Even with the precautions, one took place during a rain shower and both were held over damp grass labeled good.
First up was the $500,000 Fourstardave H. (G1), postponed by one day. Held at one mile over the inner turf course, the Fourstardave awarded a “Win and You’re In” berth to the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Del Mar, a prize claimed in resounding fashion by Carl Spackler.
Making his Grade 1 debut, the four-year-old son of Lope de Vega proved much the best under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, tracking slow splits of :24.76, :49.24, and 1:13.58 before blazing his final two furlongs in approximately :11.46 and :11.51 to win by 3 1/2 lengths over More Than Looks, Ottoman Fleet, Strong Quality, Major Dude, and Money Supply.
Owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and trained by Chad Brown, Carl Spackler entered the Fourstardave off a triumph in the Kelso (G3) at Saratoga. He’s won four of his five starts at Saratoga, all in graded stakes.
“The more I looked at his numbers going into the race, it sort of looked like there were a lot of them together, but this sure looked like the horse that was sitting on the big number,” said Brown. “He was capable of it; he had flirted with running a monster number before. He wins. I had a feeling today, and then with just a little bit of cut in the ground, I think he’s even just a little bit better. Or sometimes with soft turf races, it is that the other horses can’t handle it is the issue, which really makes the ones that can stand out. I really felt today would be his day and it was.”
Brown indicated that Carl Spackler would likely run once more before heading to the Breeders’ Cup.
“I think it would benefit him to run again,” said Brown. “He hasn’t run that much. I think he is over that bounce he probably had from Churchill (where he won the Opening Verse S. to start 2024). It was his career-best number and looking back he clearly reacted off it when I ran him Belmont week up here (resulting in a fifth-place finish in the Poker (G3) at Saratoga).
“I have the horse in a good rhythm now to sort of do what I want with him. You go to a race like the Breeders’ Cup Mile — I’ve had some success in that race — you really got to go in there ready. I don’t know if a long layoff would be the right thing, so I will look for a race for him.”
The Sunday action concluded with the Saratoga Derby (G1), a 1 3/16-mile outer-turf contest for three-year-olds originally carded on each of the last two Saturdays and postponed twice. Following the scratches of First World War and Trikari, the race went off with six starters, including 11-10 favorite and Belmont Derby (G1) third-place finisher Legend of Time.
Early pace fractions of :23.83, :48.30, and 1:12.98 were set by longshot Izzy d’Oro, and when that runner gave way, Legend of Time swept to the front. But Carson’s Run had the last laugh, closing from dead last under jockey Dylan Davis to catch the favorite by three-quarters of a length in 1:55.81. Deterministic finished third, followed by Royal Majesty, Izzy d’Oro, and Fulmineo.
Winner of the Summer (G1) at Woodbine as a juvenile, Carson’s Run started 2024 with a subpar fifth-place finish in the Woodhaven S. at Aqueduct, but bounced back to take Monmouth Park’s Tale of the Cat S. prior to the Saratoga Derby.
“Great race, very good ride from Dylan. He knows the horse very well; he has been working him many, many times the last two months,” said Christophe Clement, who trains Carson’s Run on behalf of winning owners West Point Thoroughbreds and Steve Bouchey.
“He is a little bit peculiar. He had a very funny start at Aqueduct in the spring, so we have been working on it. Very good ride — he was trailing the field, but they were going plenty fast enough. Obviously, he loved the ground, and he finished well. When he is right, he has a spectacular turn of foot like he showed today.”
Winning the Saratoga Derby awarded Carson’s Run an automatic berth to compete in the Oct. 26 Cox Plate (G1) at Moonee Valley in Australia. It remains to be seen if Carson’s Run will accept the invitation, though Davis is ready for the journey if needed.
“I’ll go anywhere he goes,” said Davis. “He’s an incredible horse and I know him very well, and he’s capable of anything.”
