From the Spa: August 5 Midlantic-breds in Saratoga stakes

I Spent It wins the 2014 Saratoga Special. Photo by NYRA/Adam Coglianese.

by Joseph Aiello

“From the Spa” returns to keep you up-to-date on horses bred in the mid-Atlantic racing in Saratoga stakes.

Sunday, August 5th has two stakes races on the Saratoga card, including the $100,000 Alydar Stakes for four year olds and upward. Run at a mile and an eighth on the dirt, the Alydar features five entries; two trained by Chad Brown, another two trained by Todd Pletcher, and the last by Barclay Tagg. Tagg happens to train the inside runner Realm, a dark brown five year old gelding bred in Virginia. With morning line odds of 10-1, Realm is the longest shot in the small field, but nonetheless boasts a win in his last try and a first race maiden victory at the Spa three years ago. Let’s take a deeper look at our Mid-Atlantic entry.

Realm is owned by Eric Dattner, Barclay Tagg, and Harry Astarita who paid $75,000 for him as a yearling after he was bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm. With career earnings of almost $300,000, he has rewarded his owners and continues to run well and improve, coming in the money in three of his four starts this year. By Haynesfield – Shawnee Country, by Chief’s Crown, Realm has finally found a jockey in Junior Alvarado who has ridden him in his last two and has changed his running style to a more front end approach. This might have been exactly the change he needed, running a close third and winning in his two tries with Alvarado. While Realm’s career has not always ended in victories, he continues to be consistent and might just be ready for a breakthrough with his new connections.