Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown eyes back-to-back victories in the Aug. 28 With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course when he saddles Klaravich Stables' Capital Partner, an impressive debut winner at the Spa Aug. 2.
Last year, Brown sent out Zulu Kingdom to score the first of what would become four graded stakes wins, extending through the summer of his 3-year-old season. Like that eventual grade 1-winning colt, whose triumphs have come courtesy of his signature late kick, Capital Partner demonstrated a similar powerful turn of foot when scoring first time out in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight. Despite a troubled start, the son of Kingman circled the field from eighth to run down the well-regarded British Invasion.
Flavien Prat is back aboard the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $175,000 grass feature for 2-year-olds.
Not to be discounted in the With Anticipation, a race he won six times from 2008-18, is trainer Todd Pletcher. The Hall of Famer is represented by Repole Stable's Final Score. A $600,000 yearling buy at Fasig-Tipton's 2024 The Saratoga Sale, the Not This Time colt cruised to a front-running, second-out victory Aug. 10 at the Spa.
The runner-up from that race, Heeere's Johnny, attempts to break his maiden in the With Anticipation for trainer Ray Handal.
Undoubtedly, a lot of eyes will fall on the blue-blooded Dr. Agne, who makes his turf debut in the With Anticipation. The son of Into Mischief and champion turf mare Lady Eli graduated at first asking in an off-the-turf seven-furlong Spa maiden special weight July 11.
“If we won on debut, this was where we were going to run him,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said. “He’s been training well, so we’ll see. This will be good to get him on the turf and around two turns.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., currently one win over his brother Jose on top of the Saratoga jockey standings as of Aug. 25, sticks aboard Dr. Agne after having ridden Final Score in that one's maiden victory. Kendrick Carmouche gains the ride on Final Score.
Also of note in Thursday's field is the Miguel Clement-trained Caroline St. Beat, a 2 1/4-length debut winner going 1 1/16 miles on the turf against state-bred opposition Aug. 15. Clement's stable has been on a tear the whole summer Saratoga meet, winning with nearly 24% of his starters heading into racing Aug. 26.
"He was an impressive New York-bred winner," Clement said of the son of Tiz the Law. "He won well. He idled a bit in the stretch, but he was a class above."
Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, August 28, 2025, Race 7Entries: With Anticipation S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Final Score (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 122 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1 2 2Heeere's Johnny (KY) Javier Castellano 118 Raymond Handal 10/1 3 3Capital Partner (GB) Flavien Prat 122 Chad C. Brown 5/2 4 4Caroline St. Beat (NY) Manuel Franco 122 Miguel Clement 9/2 5 5Dr. Agne (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Cherie DeVaux 7/2 6 6One More Freud (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 Michael J. Maker 6/1 7 7Gloves Off (KY) Junior Alvarado 122 Eoin G. Harty 6/1 8 8Strategic Risk (FL) Dylan Davis 122 Mark E. Casse 10/1
