By Mike Kane
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Tenacious Leader (Not This Time) served up a sample of his grit Saturday in what turned into a decisive maiden special weight victory at Saratoga Race Course.
The Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable colt turned in a textbook performance under leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. and finished 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Clock Tower (Not This Time) in the $100,000 one-mile race on the main track. Race 7 on the program was originally scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course, but the New York Racing Association (NYRA) moved all the races off the grass following a rainy couple of days provided by the remnants of Hurricane Debby.
Tenacious Leader completed the eight furlongs in 1:37.93 and paid $5.20 as the 8-5 favorite.
Spendthrift and Mike Repole joined forces in the purchase of Tenacious Leader for $375,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.
“We pretty routinely, will buy yearlings at sale,” said Ned Toffey, the Spendthrift general manager. “We've been looking for opportunities. One of the things that we do, that over the last few years, is a little bit newer, is that we do a lot of partnering, particularly on colts.”
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Toffey said the farm has done a lot of business standing stallions with Repole through the years.
“We sort of approached each other about the idea of going partners on some colts,” Toffey said. “Every year at the sales, we kind of get together and compare notes. For us, the goal is to get a horse into the stud barn when we buy colts. A horse with the sire power and the pedigree that this horse has got; it's always a long shot, but you hope that they can do enough to make it to the stud barn. So far, so good with this colt.”
Half of the original 10 horses in the race were scratched when the race was moved to the dirt, but two others drew in. Starting from the middle of the field of seven, Tenacious Leader and Ortiz were toward the inside in the first turn, but went a bit wider, though never far from the lead, on the backstretch while Clock Tower was turning in fractions of :24.02, :47.91 and 1:12.49. In the second turn, Tenacious Leader took over, was in front at the top of the stretch and extended his advantage in the run through the stretch.
In his career debut at 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt on July 13, Tenacious Leader was well back early and made up a bit of ground, but still finished 13-3/4 lengths behind Tough Catch (Complexity). A two-turn turf race was the plan for the second start, but the wet weather got in the way. No matter for the Tenacious Leader team.
“We knew he needed distance,” Repole said. “The first race was five furlongs. It was nice to give him a start, and then we were going to run him dirt or turf. He's trained well on the turf, and he's trained well on the dirt. Then coming off, I think, let's be honest, it was an advantage, especially having a start. But when you look at the time 1:37, it's a very good time for a 2-year-old going one mile. Very happy with that one.”
Toffey said it's too early to tell what will be Tenacious Leader's best surface.
“This game, it's such a great game because, even guys like Todd Pletcher just never really know for sure,” he said. “Todd's always very honest, that he'll tell you which way he's leaning. I think people felt like he would run well, and he needed the first race to sort of figure some things out. We were leaning towards turf, but are kind of glad how things have worked out the way they did. He certainly handled himself really well today on the dirt. That's the first preference, because there's more commercial appeal for breeders for a dirt horse. Hopefully that can carry on.”
#7 Tenacious Leader stretches out to 1 1/16-miles and pulls clear in R7 at Saratoga! 🏆
The 2YO colt was piloted by @iradortiz for trainer Todd Pletcher and owners @spendthriftfarm and @RepoleStable! pic.twitter.com/pJcW2ltHmS
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 10, 2024
7th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-10, 2yo, 1m (off turf), 1:37.93, ft, 4 3/4 lengths.
TENACIOUS LEADER (c, 2, Not This Time–Diamonds and Rust, by Curlin) debuted on the Saratoga main track going 5 ½ furlongs July 13 finishing a well-beaten fifth. Meant for the turf here but rained off, the 8-5 favorite also got the stretch out to one mile and showed good early speed while just behind pacesetter Clock Tower (Not This Time). That pair drew well clear of the rest of the field and continued to duel into the turn before Tenacious Leader finally got the jump on his rival with an outside move inside the eighth pole, clearing off late to win by 4 3/4 lengths.
Diamonds and Rust, purchased with the winner in utero at KEENOV for $150,000, is a half to MGSW/GISP War Story (Northern Afleet) and GSW/MGISP Land Over Sea (Bellamy Road). She produced a yearling City of Light filly and foaled another filly by Epicenter this year before visiting Maclean's Music. Sales History: $375,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $59,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC and Repole Stable; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
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