Godolphin have so many of the leading older turf males in the country that intramural clashes at the top level are virtually unavoidable. Saturday’s $750,000 Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga will be one such race, as Measured Time and Silver Knott figure to dominate the 1 1/2-mile event.
Already a multiple Group/Grade 1 winner this season, Measured Time is perhaps the classier of the two sporting the Godolphin blue. He made a strong impression in his U.S. debut, the June 8 Manhattan (G1) at Saratoga, leading most of the way and beating globetrotting stablemate Nations Pride, the subsequent winner of the Arlington Million (G1), by two lengths.
Measured Time has raced only once over 1 1/2 miles, finishing second in a minor stakes over an all-weather surface at Kempton in England last November. In contrast, Silver Knott has excelled over this and similar distances since the start of the season. He enters the Sword Dancer on a three-race win streak, encompassing the Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland, the Man o’ War (G2) at Aqueduct, and the Bowling Green (G2) earlier in the Saratoga meet.
“We thought he deserved to have another crack at Grade 1 company,” trainer Charlie Appleby said of Silver Knott. “He’s in there if by any chance that Measured Time doesn’t happen to see the trip out, he’s guaranteed to.”
The winner of the Sword Dancer will receive an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Del Mar in November.
Grade 1 veteran Far Bridge was only 2 1/4 lengths adrift of Measured Time in the Manhattan but enters off a poor effort in the United Nations (G2), where he was the favorite. Grand Sonata was a surprise second in the United Nations, beaten a nose by Get Smokin, while the win-shy Soldier Rising is generally a good bet to finish in the money somewhere at this level.
The $500,000 Ballerina H. (G1) lost a touch of luster when the connections of Sweet Azteca chose to keep the filly at Del Mar this weekend for the Rancho Bernardo (G3). That leaves division heavyweight Vahva as the horse to beat the seven-furlong dash, which is also a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the Filly and Mare Sprint (G1).
After narrowly dropping her season debut to the late-rallying Alva Starr in the Madison (G1), Vahva has roared back with consecutive scores in the Derby City Distaff (G1) and Chicago (G3), both at Churchill Downs. Vahva has yet to win at Saratoga, having gone 0-for-2 over the track in her maiden days.
Other contenders include the speedy Grade 1 veteran Society, who was in need of a race when a tiring third in the June 22 Chicago that was her first start since November, and the multiple graded winner Scylla, who cuts back in distance after running second to Adare Manor in the Clement L. Hirsch (G1) at Del Mar.
