After full brother Fierceness prevailed in an epic Travers (G1) at Saratoga last weekend, Mentee will try to add to the family’s trophy cabinet in Monday’s $300,000 Hopeful (G1). The feature race on the Spa’s traditional Labor Day finale has attracted a contentious field of nine juveniles, including three of the meet’s most dynamic debut winners: 8-5 morning-line favorite Ferocious, Chancer McPatrick, and Incentive Pay.
Like Fierceness, Mentee is a Repole Stable homebred trained by Todd Pletcher. Unlike his champion brother, who made a scintillating premiere here on 2023 Travers weekend, Mentee came to hand early enough to start on June 15 at Aqueduct. The son of City of Light and Nonna Bella showed high speed to open up in the five-furlong dash before his lead evaporated. But he held on by a nose in :56.97, a track record.
Mentee was entered in the July 13 Sanford (G3), only to come down with a fever that forced him to scratch. The bay then began to develop laminitis, owner/breeder Mike Repole revealed to Thoroughbred Daily News, but recovered well after receiving medical treatment. Mentee has since posted three works that suggest he’s ready to return.
“He’s come back with three very good breezes,” Pletcher said, “so hopefully missing that time hasn’t compromised him. It certainly seems like it hasn’t.”
A bigger question is the step up to seven furlongs, given the dazzling pace he set on debut. Mentee’s pedigree is a plus.
“You would certainly think so,” Pletcher said. “And given the way he’s been breezing, it gives us confidence he’ll handle some added distance.”
John Velazquez will be back aboard as Mentee, a 5-1 chance on the morning line, breaks from post 7.
The Gustavo Delgado-trained Ferocious crushed his six-furlong maiden in the style of a colt with no distance qualms. The $1.3 million OBS March juvenile inhaled the leaders and drew off by 7 3/4 lengths, earning an eye-catching 99 Brisnet Speed rating. That effort came in the mud, and Ferocious will likely have the opportunity to back it up on a fast track in the Hopeful. The Flatter colt has drawn inside again, this time in post 2, with a returning Javier Castellano.
The trainer’s son and assistant, Gustavo Delgado Jr., commented on Ferocious’ expensive sales price.
“Ray Charles would tell you he looked pretty good at the sale,” Delgado quipped. “Everybody, not just us, liked this horse, and that’s why we had to pay that price for our clients. Apart from that, he did have one of the best, if not the best, breeze for that sale. His physique, his conformation, and family all suggested he was a really nice horse. He’s got a classy way about him, and when he walks, he’s very elegant.”
Chad Brown trains the other two impressive winners from off the pace, Chancer McPatrick and Incentive Pay. Both are by exciting freshman sires. Flanagan Racing’s Chancer McPatrick is a son of McKinzie, while Klaravich Stables’ Incentive Pay is by Volatile.
Chancer McPatrick, a $725,000 purchase at OBS April, unleashed a terrific last-to-first rally to win a 6 1/2-furlong maiden going away. Brown was especially pleased because the colt wasn’t supposed to be that far behind early.
“Based on his morning works, I expected him to be a midpack type of horse if he broke well,” Brown said. “But then he got shuffled back and found himself in a very challenging position early. I was quite impressed with the way he overcame it. Flavien (Prat) went to plan B and was very patient, and the horse really came through. It’s his talent that really prevailed.”
Incentive Pay, a $315,000 Keeneland September yearling, belied his inexperience when driving up the rail to score by 2 1/2 lengths in a six-furlong maiden.
“I was quite impressed with him that he was able to come up the rail and run like a horse that has done it before,” Brown said. “I know he’s really got to come forward on his figures — there are some fast horses in this race — but he ran early in the meet, and I feel I only had the horse 80% fit. I’d never breezed him past a half-mile and I think there’s a lot of room for improvement there. He’s really done well (since).”
The Brown duo drew outside, with the 5-2 Chancer McPatrick in post 8 and the 8-1 Incentive Pay in post 9. Both keep their respective jockeys, Prat and Joel Rosario.
Dallas Stewart is also double-handed with Tough Catch and Smoken Wicked. Tough Catch, by leading freshman sire Complexity, wired his 5 1/2-furlong debut at the Spa. Louisiana-bred Smoken Wicked has placed in a pair of stakes, finishing second in the Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs and third in the Saratoga Special (G2).
Pletcher and Stewart’s mentor, the legendary D. Wayne Lukas, sends out Innovator in search of a ninth Hopeful win. Although still a maiden after three starts, the $900,000 Keeneland September yearling has turned in solid efforts at the Spa when runner-up to Tough Catch and again to well-regarded Sandman. That latter race came over seven furlongs, making Innovator the lone entrant with experience over the distance. From the first crop of 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) champion and Horse of the Year Authentic, he has a license to improve.
Studlydoright, the only stakes winner in the field, upset the June 6 Tremont S. Last seen rallying belatedly for second in the Sanford, the Nyquist colt figures to get a better setup for his late kick here. The competition, however, is also getting deeper for the John Robb pupil.
Rounding out the field is ambitiously placed Mr. Mendelslew, who makes his first career start. The Carlos Mancilla trainee has drawn the rail as a 50-1 shot.
Two races earlier, turf sprinters will dash 5 1/2 furlongs in the $150,000 Harvey Pack S. Multiple Grade 2 hero Arzak, runner-up to record-setting Cogburn in the course-and-distance Jaipur (G1) two back, squares off against divisional stalwart Big Invasion, Spa aficionado Souper Quest, last-out Select S. upsetter Smithwick’s Spice, and off-the-turf Troy (G3) winner Surveillance.
