From the Spa: August 1 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
Saturday, August 1st is an unusual, albeit loaded, Saratoga card with five stakes including three Grade I races. The Grade I Personal Ensign and H. Allen Jerkins are typically run on Traver’s day, but with the altered schedule, they share the stage with the Grade I Whitney, which will feature some of the top older dirt thoroughbreds in the country. The Whitney starts in the ninth race, beginning a late pick four which ends in the twelfth with the $200,000 Caress Stakes for fillies and mares four years old and upward. While the four graded stakes do not carry any Midlantic bred entries, the ungraded Caress closes out the day with two Pennsylvania breds and a Maryland bred who will look to take down the evenly-matched ten horse field in this five and one half furlong sprint on the turf.
Sweet Bye and Bye is a five year old mare bred in Pennsylvania by her owner, Joseph M. Imbesi. By Sky Mesa – Twiggles, by Maria’s Mon, this first time Anthony Durrow trainee returns to the Spa after two years when she won a seven furlong allowance sprint on the dirt. Since that race, Sweet Bye and Bye has switched primarily to the turf, faring well against graded company and consistently finishing in the mix. While she hasn’t raced since January, her recent bullet work over the Saratoga training track shows that she is primed to run well at her solid morning line odds of 6/1. Sweet Bye and Bye will pick up the services of Tyler Gaffalione in the irons and breaks from post three.
Breaking to the outside of Sweet Bye and Bye from the four post is Introduced, a four year old filly bred in Maryland by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds, LLC. Introduced comes off of two wins in two starts this year at five and a half furlongs, a distance which she has grown accustomed to finishing in the money. In seven career starts at five and a half furlongs on the turf, Introduced has hit the board six times to help bring her career earnings to over $200,000. Despite this success, a stakes win on the turf still eludes her, and picking up a win against this group will be difficult. Having a strong jockey trainer combo of Manny Franco and Jorge Duarte Jr. should give this chestnut filly by El Padrino – Stuttgart, by Cherokee Run her best chance to find the winner’s circle, and add to her spotless 2020 record. Introduced is owned by Colts Neck Stables LLC and has morning line odds of 10/1.
Jakarta is a five year old mare bred by Arrowhead Farm, Inc. in Pennsylvania, and was moved to the Michael Maker barn at the end of 2019 before making her first career start on the turf. No matter what surface she runs on, Jakarta always shows early speed, and routinely breaks in front of the field looking to go wire to wire. This speed should prove beneficial amongst a group that tends to sit off of leaders or close from far back, and gives her some upset potential at morning line odds of 10/1. Jakarta will keep jockey Luis Saez in the irons who will ride her on the turf after guiding her to a fourth place finish in the Grade III Vagrancy Handicap on the dirt at Belmont in late June. With a slight cutback in distance, surface change, and likely control of the pace, Jakarta should give her owners Three Diamonds Farm and her connections a good chance to steal the closing race at the Spa. Jakarta will break from the five post and is by Bustin Stones – T J’s Stormy Wit, by Stormello.
