Saratoga Race Course saw the first championship quality stakes race of the meet on Sunday when the Todd Pletcher trained Nest returned off a nine-month layoff to score a dominant win over her main rival Clariere in a small four horse field. The four-year-old daughter of Curlin showed her affinity for the Spa surface by galloping along behind a longshot pacesetter and then assuming command a half mile from the wire. Nest held off the late rally of the erstwhile Clariere with relative ease and sent a message that she is set to stake claim to champion older filly or mare for 2023. Those chanting “Nest is Best” as the filly entered the winner’s circle have already crowned her a champion.
This week the focus turns to top caliber three-year-old colts on Saturday as the mile and one eighth Jim Dandy Stakes is expected to feature Forte and Angel of Empire both of whom impacted this year’s three year old picture. The race is named after the winner of the 1930 Travers – Jim Dandy - who pulled off one of the most famous upsets in racing history. The longest shot in a small field of four, Jim Dandy defeated Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox and multiple Saratoga winner Whichone. Taking advantage of a sloppy track that he relished and a speed duel between the two favorites, Jim Dandy bounded up along the rail to an astonishing winning margin of 8 lengths at odds of 100-1. Legend has it that the win was such a windfall for the bookmakers and so devastating a loss for the betting public that many fans left immediately for the train station to return south to New York City. Attempting to save the remainder of the race meet the suddenly flush bookmakers sent people to intercept the dejected fans before they boarded the train. With promises of free meals and free drinks all night at local establishments many bettors did return to town to drown their sorrows. The phrase heard for many years of “that was a Jim Dandy of a night!” paid homage to the Travers winner and the circumstances that ensued. The gambit of the bet takers was successful as once Monday rolled around the New York City bettors had forgotten their losses and faced a fresh week of betting challenges.
The Jim Dandy acts as a prep for the meet’s marquee race the Travers which brings us to Kentucky Derby winner – Mage – which arrived in Saratoga to prepare for the Travers. Fresh off a very good second place effort in last week’s Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, Mage will try to add the Travers to his Kentucky Derby in in an effort to win three-year-old of the year honors.
Last week’s racing saw jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. take a commanding lead in the standings at least in part due to his brother Jose Ortiz missing two days after being injured in a frightening spill at the wire in Friday’s first race. Favorites continued to dominate the racing as weather once again resulted in a day of small fields as races moved from the grass to the main track on Friday. In the trainer standings Linda Rice trained runners continue to assert themselves with wins or in the money finishes each day.
