After acing his graded stakes debut Aug. 8 with a 23-1 upset of the $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. IIT) at Saratoga Race Course, Tim O'Donohue's Wallyanna looks to continue that success Sept. 1 at the upstate New York oval in the $300,000 Saranac (gr. IIIT).
The 123-pound highweight in a field of 10 that includes two main track only entrants—Life in Shambles and Lunar Rover—Wallyanna will break from the outside post 10 under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. He gave trainer Michael Pino his first win at Saratoga with the Hall of Fame victory, secured via a powerful late burst in the 1 1/16-mile turf event.
The 1 1/8-mile Saranac will be the farthest Wallyanna has ever gone, but given his running style the added ground does not appear to be a concern for the 3-year-old son of Langfuhr .
Among those stepping up to challenge will be St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds' Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) winner Ring Weekend, runner-up in the July 18 Sir Cat Stakes at a mile on the inner turf last time out for trainer Graham Motion. Also in the field is 2013 With Anticipation (gr. IIT) winner Bashart, fifth in the Hall of Fame in his most recent start.
Jonathan Sheppard and Todd Pletcher both send in runners on three-race win streaks. Sheppard has Augustin Stable's Beyond Smart, winner of the July 26 Crowd Pleaser Handicap going 1 1/16 miles on the lawn at Parx Racing. Pletcher will saddle Glencrest Farm and JSM Equine's Storm off an Aug. 9 allowance win going the Saranac distance.
Cabo Cat, winner of the June 28 Manila Stakes at Belmont Park, completes the field along with allowance winners Smooth Daddy and Predicting.
Saratoga Race Course, Monday, September 01, 2014, Race 9Entries: Saranac S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Ring Weekend (KY) John R. Velazquez 117 H. Graham Motion - 2 2Life in Shambles (KY) Joel Rosario 116 Christophe Clement - 3 3Predicting (PA) Dylan Davis 117 Jena M. Antonucci - 4 4Cabo Cat (KY) Rajiv Maragh 121 Mark A. Hennig - 5 5Storm (NY) Javier Castellano 117 Todd A. Pletcher - 6 6Beyond Smart (PA) Rosie Napravnik 119 Jonathan E. Sheppard - 7 7Smooth Daddy (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 117 Thomas Albertrani - 8 8Bashart (KY) Luis Saez 119 Michael R. Matz - 9 9Lunar Rover (KY) Shaun Bridgmohan 116 H. James Bond - 10 10Wallyanna (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 123 Michael V. Pino -
