There will be a fervent hope for sunshine July 25 when the $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) is contested at Saratoga Race Course.
Of the eight 3-year-olds entered in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint stakes, seven raced on an off track last time out, and only one of them finished better than fifth.
Reflective of that ominous stat is Juddmonte's Garamond.
Trained by Chad Brown, he had two wins in his first three career starts and was third in the mile Gotham Stakes (G3) going into the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park, where he was the 3-5 favorite. But, racing on a sloppy track for the first time, he flopped and finished sixth and last.
"That was not an ideal situation for him," Brown said about the homebred son of Uncle Mo. "It was a wet track, and he was racing farther than he ever had. It was his only poor performance, so I am confident he can carry his speed on a dry track. He's won at 6 1/2 furlongs but that was in a maiden race. He's built like a sprinter and his female line (out of the Tapit mare Blue Watch) has speed all the way down the page."
Like most of the Amsterdam starters, a strong effort Friday will make Garamond a top candidate for the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) Aug. 23 at the Spa.
CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's Gunmetal is coming off a 10th in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) on a muddy track at the Spa after picking up two wins and a third in his first three career starts for trainer Brad Cox.
"He was very impressive in his first race, and in his second start (the Swale Stakes), he probably sat too close to a fast pace (and finished third)," Cox said. "His third race was really good at Keeneland, so we zeroed in on the Woody Stephens last time. He ran OK there, it just wasn't the result we were looking for."
Mark Fletcher Taylor, trainer Rohan Crichton, and Daniel Walters' Macho Music set the pace in the Woody Stephens but faltered in the final furlong and finished seventh.
That loss came after the son of Maclean's Music was a front-running, 13-1 winner of the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G1) on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs.
The Florida-bred also won the seven-furlong Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore Stakes earlier this year at Tampa Bay Downs.
That lone entrant coming off a sharp try on a wet track is Fernando Aguayo's Mati Gol. The son of Win Win Win posted a 3 1/2-length win in the Carry Back Stakes on a sloppy track at Gulfstream Park. The Florida-bred is trained by Victor Barboza Jr.
LRE Racing's T Kraft was fifth for trainer Bill Mott in the Woody Stephens in his first start since he captured the March 15 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.
There is a 75% chance of thunderstorms Friday afternoon in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Saratoga Race Course, Friday, July 25, 2025, Race 9Entries: Amsterdam S. Presented by Albany Med Health System (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Macho Music (FL) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Rohan Crichton 2/1 2 2Garamond (KY) Flavien Prat 120 Chad C. Brown 7/2 3 3Smoken Wicked (LA) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 120 Dallas Stewart 6/1 4 4T Kraft (KY) Jose Lezcano 122 William I. Mott 8/1 5 5Gate to Wire (KY) Dylan Davis 122 Todd A. Pletcher 5/1 6 6Gunmetal (KY) Luis Saez 120 Brad H. Cox 9/2 7 7Mati Gol (FL) Junior Alvarado 122 Victor Barboza, Jr. 15/1 8 8Uncaged (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 120 Todd A. Pletcher 15/1
