A field of 11 juveniles are set to contest a wide-open edition of the 1 1/16-mile $150,000 With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 30, the ninth race on the program.
Leading the field of 2-year-old males in experience is Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Earth, a stakes-placed son of Claiborne Farm's Orb . The Todd Pletcher-trained colt was the first winner for his sire when he took a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park in his debut June 11, chasing down the frontrunner to win by a neck.
Earth then finished third as the favorite in Monmouth Park's 5 1/2-furlong Tyro Stakes, racing three wide on the turn and fading to finish nine lengths behind the winner. Pletcher said his runner struggled that day over the turf, which was rated as good.
"We ran Earth over at Monmouth and he seemed to struggle. He lost his action a little on the turn when the turf seemed to slip away from him, but he came back with a good work (at Saratoga) and we think the stretch out should help him," Pletcher said.
The colt will line up in post 4 with jockey Javier Castellano aboard.
Pletcher will also saddle Donegal Racing's Seabhac, who finished second by a half-length to fellow With Anticipation entrant Trumpi. In that Aug. 5 maiden race, also going 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon turf course, the Scat Daddy colt closed from seventh to get up for second in his debut.
"We've been pretty high on him all summer. We thought he ran well in his debut and just missed, so we wanted to take a shot in a stakes," Pletcher said of the runner who will break from the outside post 11 Wednesday.
Trumpi, trained by William Mott, defeated Seabhac on debut in front-running fashion under jockey Junior Alvarado, who returns to ride. Owned by Peter Vegso, the son of Majestic Warrior is out of the stakes-winning Dynaformer mare Happiness is. He breaks from post 10.
Entering off an impressive maiden score over the course is R and H Stable's Evaluator. In an Aug. 9 maiden race, the New York-bred Overanalyze colt brushed the gate on the break, was away slow, and raced in last in the field of 10 for most of the race before circling the field to win by four lengths going away.
Joel Rosario will again ride the Michael Dilger-trained colt who will break from post 9.
Others with wins over the course are Stonestreet Stables and Kacy Fogden's Machtree and West Point Thoroughbreds' Untamed Domain.
Saratoga Race Course, Wednesday, August 30, 2017, Race 9Entries: With Anticipation S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Morrison (NY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Joe Sharp 20/1 2 2Nauti Buoy (FL) Kendrick Carmouche 120 Erin C. McClellan 20/1 3 3Catholic Boy (KY) Manuel Franco 120 Jonathan Thomas 15/1 4 4Earth (KY) Javier Castellano 120 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1 5 5Fort Wise Treaty (KY) Florent Geroux 120 Brad H. Cox 20/1 6 6Irish Territory (IRE) Jose Lezcano 116 William I. Mott 15/1 7 7Machtree (KY) Luis Saez 120 Mark E. Casse 9/2 8 8Untamed Domain (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 H. Graham Motion 6/1 9 9Evaluator (NY) Joel Rosario 120 Michael Dilger 8/1 10 10Trumpi (FL) Junior Alvarado 120 William I. Mott 7/2 11 11Seabhac (KY) John R. Velazquez 116 Todd A. Pletcher 4/1
