Carl Spackler Dominant In Saranac

He might need to give that gopher a head start.

'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega [Ire}) continued his dominance over the New York turf and picked up his second straight graded stakes win Friday at the Spa, taking the GIII Saranac S. under Tyler Gaffalione for e Five Racing. Victorious just three weeks back with a come-from-behind effort in the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. Aug. 11, the Chad Brown trainee was bet like the class of the field, going off at 1-5 while facing just four rivals.

Much closer to the front in his third try over the 1 1/16-mile distance, Carl Spackler stayed right up outside of Taking Candy (Twirling Candy) to pace the group through a moderate opening quarter in :23.58. The favorite allowed his rival to go on with it up the backstretch but was never out of range as the top pair opened up a clear advantage over the remaining three entries. Restrained while racing several paths off the rail, he stayed patient under Gaffalione as the field began to group up into the far turn. Head to head with Taking Candy past the quarter pole, Carl Spackler always seemed to have the measure of his rival and, once set down for the run into the final eighth, cruised right on past and opened up. Gafflione took one look behind and rode hands and heels to the wire for the easiest of wins. Taking Candy held on for second ahead of Lost Ark (Violence), the half-brother to champion 3-year-old filly Nest (Curlin).

“Once we had a target, I felt pretty good,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “I thought we would be on the lead actually, but Tyler [Gaffalione] knows this horse so well and, with all his horses, he comes well prepared. These short fields with a short price can be tricky sometimes, and I just said, 'Look, ride it loose and if you go to the lead, which I expect, fine. If someone really wants to go, it's even better,' because with a target, it worked out perfect.”

“He was traveling well within himself,” added Gaffalione. “I just wanted to try and get him to shut off. We have bigger things down the road, so didn't want to do too much today.”

Pedigree Note:

Carl Spackler is one of 116 stakes winner and 65 group/graded winners worldwide for his prolific sire. His dam Zindaya, herself a graded-stakes winner for Chad Brown in America, has produced several well-received offspring in Europe including a pair of Tattersalls October Yearling Book 1 entries in Tribal Warrior (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) who brought 280,000gns and her 2021 Frankel filly for 450,000gns, both by the Godolphin operation. Zindaya is a half-sister to GISW Western Aristocrat (Mr. Greeley). She reported a full-sister to Carl Spackler last year who is set to sell with Ballylinch Stud as lot 213 during Book 1 of this year's October sale, was not bred for 2023, and visited Uncle Mo for 2024.

The pretty face #2 Carl Spackler takes the G3 Saranac S. at Saratoga! 🏆

The 3-year-old colt is trained by Chad Brown, owned by @e5Racing and ridden by @Tyler_Gaff!

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/OM94chhWej

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 1, 2023

Friday, Saratoga
SARANAC S.-GIII, $169,750, Saratoga, 9-1, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.23, gd.
1–CARL SPACKLER (IRE), 124, c, 3, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
                1st Dam: Zindaya (GSW, $567,240),
                                  by More Than Ready
                2nd Dam: Aristocratic Lady, by Kris S.
                3rd Dam: American Dynasty, by Quiet American
'TDN Rising Star.' (350,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-e Five
Racing Thoroughbreds; B-Fifth Avenue Bloodstock (IRE);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $96,250. Lifetime Record:
5-3-1-0, $432,250. Werk Nick Rating: C+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Taking Candy, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Taking Aim, by
Trappe Shot. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($155,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $400,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Lael
Stables; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $35,000.
3–Lost Ark, 118, c, 3, Violence–Marion Ravenwood, by A.P.
Indy. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($275,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-Harrell Ventures, LLC; B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $21,000.
Margins: 3HF, 3/4, HF. Odds: 0.25, 6.70, 6.60.
Also Ran: Mendelssohns March, Yacowlef (Ire). Scratched: Activist Investing (GB), Freedom Trail, Gilmore.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.