Bring Theband Home Carries Strong Momentum Into Troy

After nearly breaking Cogburn's course record in his last outing, Bring Theband Home rolls into the Aug. 3 $300,000 Troy Stakes (G2T) on a wave of momentum for owner/breeder Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mark Casse. The 5 1/2-furlong Troy will be the Into Mischief gelding's second attempt at graded stakes company. He was a well-beaten eighth in last year's Nearctic Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine over a turf course rated good. The 5-year-old turned in a scintillating show on Fourth of July weekend at Saratoga Race Course in the Harvey Pack Stakes, taking the field gate to wire through demanding early fractions and stopping the clock in :59.90 for 5 1/2 furlongs. Bring Theband Home garnered a whopping 124 Equibase Speed Figure in the Troy, the highest speed figure earned by any North American racehorse this year. "He does like Saratoga," Casse said. "He's doing good. I kind of don't know where that last performance came from, but I'll take it. He always trains like, and we always thought he was, a special horse. He's disappointed me on a few occasions, but his last race was phenomenal." Bring Theband Home has been made the 3-5 morning-line favorite in the field of seven. Breaking from the 3 hole with Javier Castellano back in the irons, it seems likely Bring Theband Home will again try to lead the field around the Saratoga oval, with the only other speed breaking to his outside. That speed should come from Senbei, a hard-knocking New York-bred from the barn of Miguel Clement. Senbei, owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Darlene Bilinski, has yet to win over the Saratoga turf but enters the Troy off a front-running score in the Ashley T. Cole Stakes against state-bred company at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Candy Ride (ARG) gelding, however, doesn't need the lead to win, as he showed when taking last year's Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct. Senbei has frequently competed against Troy rival Alogon, finishing both ahead and behind that contender in several events. Alogon, a winner of the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship Stakes over Senbei last fall, has returned with two respectable efforts as a 6-year-old for trainer Edward Allard. The son of California Chrome closed to be third in the Elusive Quality Stakes to begin his season and then ran to a grade 1 showing in the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) on Belmont Stakes day at Aqueduct. He was nosed out by My Boy Prince for runner-up honors behind star filly Ag Bullet, notching a 103 ESF in the process. Let My People Go, a sharp last-out allowance optional claiming race winner at Churchill Downs for trainer Joe Sharp, Twenty Six Black, Determined Kingdom, and Our Shot round out the field. Tom Fool Stakes (G3) victor Full Moon Madness is entered as main track only.