For the final day of the 2024 Saratoga meet, our Midlantic breds take one last aim at some of the most prestigious stakes racing in the country for the summer. Featuring the Harvey Pack Stakes and the 120th running of the Grade I Hopeful Stakes, the Monday card is shaping up to be a good one to put a bow on over two months of racing. With three Midlantic entries in these stakes, we take one last look at these runners as they hopefully prepare for big things ahead in their racing careers.

Starting in the eighth race is the Harvey Pack Stakes for four year olds and up. Run at five and a half furlongs on the turf, it holds a well-stocked group of nine, including two of our Midlantic bred runners. While both enter with middling odds, recent performances at the distance prove that they can compete here against a classier bunch and some of the top Saratoga turf trainers this meet.

From the inside post is Smithwick’s Spice, an eight year old gelding by Frost Giant – Spicy McHaggis, by Good and Tough trained by Douglas Nunn. A consistent turf runner throughout his career with fourteen of nineteen finishes in the money, this sprinter recently won a stakes at Monmouth with a front-running score. Typically running his best on the lead, Smithwick’s Spice has shown a strong early turn of foot this year, and should be amongst the leaders from the jump in this contest. Interestingly, Nunn hasn’t worked his gelding since May where he clocked a sharp forty-six and four fifths work at Monmouth going half a mile, but he is in top form with no layoffs since that conditioning. Turning around from just two weeks ago, Smithwick’s Spice keeps jockey Jorge Luis Gonzalez who will ride for the first time at Saratoga in his career. Despite the new scenery, this jockey trainer combination is still formidable here, and with a quick break and early control, a third straight win for Smithwick’s Spice could be a possibility here. Owned by Robert Matthies, Smithwick’s Spice was bred in New Jersey by New Spice Stable LLC and begins at morning line odds of 12/1.

At the slightly shorter odds of 6/1, the John Terranova trained Our Shot will break from the outside nine post and is once again piloted by Luis Saez. Last time out at Saratoga, this gelding by Kantharos – Fleetheart, by Northern Afleet closed from off the pace in an optional claiming race, only to come up short by a nose. Unlike Smithwick’s Spice, Our Shot tends to rate, gaining nearly seven furlongs from first calling most recently, with plenty of early pace to close into. With a few who are geared towards setting quick fractions, there should be an ideal set up for this five year old who is searching his first trip to the winner’s circle in over a year. Fortunately, however, he seems to run his best at Saratoga, with all three of his starts over this turf course resulting in top three finishes. Our Shot ran in the Harvey Pack a year ago only losing by a neck, and should be sitting on a big performance after a few near misses since that try. With good late timing by Luis Saez, this Pennsylvania bred should be one to watch at the wire especially if the others leave quickly. Our Shot is part owned by John Terranova with Gatsas Stables and Steven Schoenfeld, and was bred by Dr. S. Mark Rayburg Inc.

Finally, the Grade I Hopeful Stakes goes off as the tenth of twelve races on Monday’s card as the last stakes race of the meet. Typically a precursor to the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile among other races down the line, the Hopeful acts as the first opportunity for these precocious two year olds to race at seven furlongs in their young careers. Of the nine impressive entries in this year’s field, only one has picked up a stakes win already in Studlydoright. A Maryland bred runner by Nyquist – Peach of a Gal, by Curlin, this colt wowed in his victory in the Tremont Stakes at Saratoga over Belmont weekend, closing from five lengths off the lead at the top of the stretch to win by a comfortable one and three quarters. In his next effort in the Grade III Sanford, regular jockey Xavier Perez left this John Robb trained runner a tad too far off the lead, making his usual late charge but coming up a length short. With the pace-setter Mentee scratching out of the Sanford, Studlydoright didn’t get an ideal set up as the leader Mo Plex was able to set modest fractions at six furlongs to take them gate to wire. With Mentee back in the Hopeful, there should be a target for this deep closer who shouldn’t have any issues adding another furlong here. While this is a difficult spot, a win in the Hopeful for our last Midlantic bred of the meet would be as big as any for this promising colt owned by David R. Hughes. Bred by Glenagus Farm LLC, Studlydoright will break from the six post at the long morning line odds of 12/1.

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