February 9, 2024
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
Championship Hangover
Although it’s only been two races since West Saratoga’s breakthrough Iroquois (G3) win, the 3-year-old is in the midst of a pretty nasty championship hangover.
His next opportunity to drink the proverbial Gatorade of victory and cure his misfortunes comes this Saturday in the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.
Entering the 1 1/16-mile contest at 8-1, West Saratoga’s most recent finishes of second (Pasco Stakes) and fifth (Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, Grade 1) appear fine on the surface. Looking deeper, however, reveals that the colt landed 10-plus lengths behind the winner in both affairs.
That said, West Saratoga is still a quality competitor (2-4-0 in 8 starts) and is more than capable of bucking a disappointing stretch.
Isn’t the third time supposed to be the charm?
Lather, Rinse, Repeat
Last Sunday’s stakes studded Santa Anita card was postponed and rescheduled for this Saturday due to inclement weather. Its main event, the $150,000 San Marcos (G3T) for 4-year-olds and up, features an intriguing mix of challengers, namely Missed the Cut.
The 5-year-old Irad Ortiz Jr. mount rebounded from a dreadful last-place finish (12th) in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Classic to rise to the second position in the San Gabriel (G2T) on Boxing Day.
Outside of the Breeders’ Cup debacle, Missed the Cut has performed admirably at Santa Anita in four career starts, going 1-2-0 with a Tokyo City Cup (G3) triumph. The Kentucky-bred enters the San Marcos at 2-1.
The Las Virgenes (G3) and Paolo Verdes (G3) will also take place on Saturday. Both are $100,000 events.
Familiar Territory
Another target of last weekend’s torrential downpours, the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby, is being made up this Saturday at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, California.
The 1 1/8-mile dash presents a strong bounceback opportunity for 4-year-old contender Endlessly. Trained by Michael McCarthy (not the one still inexplicably coaching the Dallas Cowboys), the Kentucky-bred colt was a perfect 3-0-0 before a halting eighth in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).
The jump-up in competition proved too much for Endlessly, who rode in on the heels of victories in both the Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3T) and Zuma Beach (G3T).
Coming back down to a familiar level could be just what the doctor ordered.
Lay the Foundation
Things are trending up for 3-year-old filly Life Talk, who is set to make her 2024 debut in this Saturday’s $150,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
The Todd Pletcher pupil has had little trouble adjusting to the graded ranks since joining last October. In her first taste of high stakes action, Life Talk finished third in the Frizette (G1) at Belmont. The Kentucky-bred followed that up with a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), before dropping down to win the Demoiselle (G2) by 3 ¾ lengths.
Now running at the listed tier, the ascending Life Talk finds herself in a prime position to get off on the right foot in what should be a breakout 2024 campaign.
Miracle Maker
Ontario-bred Canadiansweetheart is no stranger to pulling off a miracle on the big stage, and the 4-year-old filly has another chance to flip the script against salty competition in this Sunday’s $125,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Facing off against eight rivals, the Renico Lafond charge will try to conjure up another Sweet Briar Too-like effort that saw her win the $150,000 contest in dramatic fashion at 36-1. Canadiansweetheart rallied from third at the stretch to best Talk to a Later by less than a length.
Albeit against lesser competition, the Edwin Gonzalez mount was victorious in her only other endeavor at Gulfstream. Like the Ladies’ Turf Sprint, it also happened to be at five furlongs.
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