From the Spa: August 8 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.

Wednesday, August 8th has one stakes race on the Saratoga card, the $100,000 Quick Call Stakes for three year olds. The Quick Call is a five and one half furlong sprint on the turf and has a large group of thirteen entries including one main-track only. Of these thirteen, two are Mid-Atlantic breds, one in Maryland and the other in New Jersey. While the Maryland bred, Dirty,  has morning line odds of 5-1, the New Jersey bred, Like What I See is sitting at 20-1. Despite the range of difference between them, both these three year olds will be looking for their first win at the Spa. Here’s a look at each entry.

Dirty is a three year old colt by Maclean’s Music – Martini, by Yes It’s True who was bred by Barak Farm. As a two year old, Dirty was purchased by owner Tom O’Grady for $120,000, who has had Jeremiah Engelhart as the trainer since the colt’s first race last September at Saratoga. Coming off back to back wins, this brown colt will get the services of Jose Ortiz back in the irons from his start at Belmont in May, a one and one half length victory in which he never trailed. With such strong performances, particularly this year, it is no wonder why Dirty is one of the top contenders in this year’s Quick Call.

The other entry, breaking directly to the outside of Dirty, is Like What I See, a three year old gelding owned by Golden Goose Enterprise LLC and Andrew Kligman and bred by Hal Snowden Jr. While this brown gelding might be overlooked due to his morning line odds, he does have a stakes win to his name, something most others in this race, including Dirty, cannot say. Ridden by John Velazquez for trainer Gregory Sacco, Like What I See is three weeks removed from a near win in the My Frenchman Stakes at Monmouth Park, his first turf try where he broke sixth by five and a half lengths, only to finish second by one an a half. At 63-1 in that race, it is clear that this gelding by Bold Warrior – After the Applause, by Lost Soldier has been somewhat forgotten, but might finally be rounding into form and ready to surprise.