Master of Disaster Heads Saratoga Special Field

Master of Disaster, a very impressive maiden winner, heads a field of seven Thursday at Saratoga in the grade II Saratoga Special.

It is obvious just from his auction history that Master of Disaster has improved with age. The son of Dance Master sold for $12,000 as a weanling, $63,000 as a yearling, and $600,000 earlier this year as a 2-year-old. He is owned by Puglisi Stable and Steve Klesaris and trained by Klesaris.

May 10 at Delaware Park, Master of Disaster made his much anticipated debut. Sent off at 2-5, he rocketed away from the gate and bounded through fractions of :22.85 and :45.90 before finishing the 4 1/2 furlongs in :51.86. The winning margin? Try 13 1/4 lengths.

Ramon Dominguez rode Master of Disaster in his maiden win but Jerry Bailey will be aboard Thursday.

Though at Charles Town, Hold on Tight won by exact same margin in his debut, though it was at 6 1/2 furlongs. He ran the distance in 1:21.79. Hold on Tight, by Luftikus, was bred and is owned and trained by John Casey. Edgar Prado will ride.

Master of Disaster should vie for favoritism with Henny Hughes, who is two-for-two. The son of Hennessy broke his maiden June 17 at Monmouth and then won Belmont's Tremont Stakes July 4 by a whopping 15 lengths. Gary Stevens has the call for trainer Patrick Biancone.

Henny Hughes is owned by Martin Cherry and Gulf Coast Farms.

The field in post order:
Short Circuit, 117 pounds, Cornelio Velazquez
Stormatic, 117, Ramon Dominguez
Hold on Tight, 117, Edgar Prado
Henny Hughes, 1212, Gary Stevens
Master of Disaster, 117, Jerry Bailey
Union Course, 117, Richard Migliore
Parkhimonbroadway, 117, Pablo Fragoso