For the 106th time, the Sanford Stakes (G3) for 2-year-olds will be run July 16 at Saratoga Race Course.
It's a race dripping with history. Secretariat won it. So did Affirmed. It's the only race the mighty Man o' War lost in 21 career starts when he got beat by the aptly named Upset in 1919.
In more recent times, the Sanford's narrative has been written by Todd Pletcher. The Hall of Fame trainer has won the race a record eight times, the most recent coming last year when Wit found the winner's circle.
Pletcher will be well represented in the six-furlong Sanford, which carries a purse of $175,000. Spendthrift Farm's Major Dude, a $550,000 purchase at The Saratoga Sale at Fasig-Tipton, and Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte , who went for $110,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, will come out of Pletcher's barn in his bid for a ninth Sanford.
"He's the best," Rudy Rodriguez, trainer of Sanford rival Valenzan Day (Khozan ), said about Pletcher. "He has been the best for many years."
"The trainer always gets nervous," Jeremiah Englehart, who has Puttheblameonme in the Sanford, said with a laugh. "I wonder if Todd gets nervous going for his ninth Sanford. Hopefully, I can prevent him from getting his ninth."
Major Dude will start from post 2 with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez aboard. Velazquez has his own Sanford résumé as he has won it a record seven times. He rode Major Dude, a son of Bolt d'Oro —Mary Rita, by Distorted Humor, to a 3 3/4-length win when he broke his maiden first out over five furlongs at Monmouth Park June 18.
Forte breaks from post 4 and will have Irad Ortiz Jr. up. Forte dominated his debut by 7 3/4 lengths going five furlongs at Belmont Park on May 27.
"I thought both horses ran very professional first time out," Pletcher said. "They weren't your typical blast away from the gate, go to the front, and win first time out. They kind of sat behind some horses, got a little bit of an education, got a bit of dirt in their face, and finished up well."
Nine of the 12 Sanford entries are coming into the race after breaking their first start.
Valenzan Day, owned by Celeritas Racing and Rodriguez, the trainer, is the only horse in the race with stakes experience. The son of Khozan finished third in the Tremont at Belmont June 9 after a troubled trip.
"He broke good, but he got shuffled back to last," Rodriguez said. "He got experience in that race and never gave up. I think he will step up (Saturday). He will have to step up big time because it's a tough race."
Others in the field include Michael McLoughlin's Curly Jack (Good Magic ), a four-length winner at Churchill Downs at 5 1/2 furlongs on June 2, Mo Strike (Uncle Mo), and Mr. Amore Stable's Andiamo a Firenze (Speightstown). His half brother Firenze Fire won the Sanford in 2017 on his way to earning more than $2.7 million.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, July 16, 2022, Race 10Entries: Sanford S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Boppy O (FL) Dylan Davis 120 Mark E. Casse 15/1 2 2Major Dude (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Todd A. Pletcher 10/1 3 3Great Navigator (NJ) Jairo Rendon 120 Eddie Owens, Jr 12/1 4 4Forte (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Todd A. Pletcher 5/2 5 5Curly Jack (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Thomas M. Amoss 6/1 6 6Mo Strike (KY) Florent Geroux 120 Brad H. Cox 8/1 7 7Prove Right (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 James K. Chapman 30/1 8 8I'm Wide Awake (NY) Flavien Prat 120 Anthony W. Dutrow 20/1 9 9Andiamo a Firenze (NY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Kelly J. Breen 7/2 10 10Roman Giant (KY) Jose Lezcano 120 Steven M. Asmussen 20/1 11 11Puttheblameonme (PA) Shaun Bridgmohan 120 Jeremiah C. Englehart 30/1 12 12Valenzan Day (FL) Joel Rosario 120 Rudy R. Rodriguez 6/1
