Seven colts are scheduled to head postward Wednesday in the grade II Saratoga Special. Lunar Bounty, who is undefeated in two starts, is the 2-1 morning line favorite. Due to his lifetime earnings, he is also the only member of the field carrying 122 pounds. He and six others will duel over the $150,000 purse through 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt.
In his last start, Lunar Bounty won the July 8 Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs. His most recent workout was at Saratoga on Aug. 7 when he went five furlongs in 1:02 3/5. Since then, four other Special runners have prepped during training hours at Saratoga, all with faster times. Second choice, according to the morning line, is Overbrook Farm homebred Jump Start, who won his only start by 2 1/4 lengths. Both he and Heavyweight Champ, third to Buster's Daydream and Seeking the Money in the July 26 Sanford, had the fastest five-furlong breezes of the Special contenders. On Aug. 9 they both went in 1:00 2/5 at Saratoga. None of the Special starters are by sires currently ranking in the top 10 as sires of 2-year-olds. The closest connection is that of Heavyweight Champ, whose sire Two Punch, is also the sire of Smoke Glacken. That stallion currently ranks fourth among sires of 2-year-olds (through Aug. 12).
The entrants for the Saratoga Special, the eighth race on Wednesday, from the rail out:
1. Deputy Connor (Shaun Bridgmohan, 115), 20-1
2. Heavyweight Champ (Richard Migliore, 115), 7-2
3. Booklet (John Velazquez, 117), 8-1
4. Peekskill (Robbie Davis), 15-1
5. Lunar Bounty (Frank Lovato Jr., 122), 2-1
6. Jump Start (Pat Day, 115), 5-2
7. Seeking the Money (Edgar Prado, 115), 7-2
