By Alan Carasso
A small, but very select field of five 3-year-old colts is set to face the starter in Friday's $200,000 GII Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga, a contest in which an argument could be made for each of the entrants.
Godolphin's Jefferson Street (Street Sense) broke his maiden by nine lengths as a 1-4 mortal at Keeneland in April and after stubbing his toe when third to next-out Maxfield Stakes hero Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) in the race immediately following the GI Kentucky Derby May 4, defeated older allowance foes by some eight lengths over this course and 6 1/2-furlong distance June 7, good for a field-best 102 Beyer.
“I thought he ran very well. He ran very good,” said Mott of Jefferson Street, who is bred on the successful cross over Bernardini. “He's maintained everything pretty well, I just hope he runs as well as he did last time. They get stronger as they go along, and he's slowly worked his way to that.”
His off-pace running style could suit him well in a field that looks to contain plenty of early types. 'TDN Rising Star' World Record (Gun Runner) flaunted his speed to graduate by an eased-down 6 1/4 lengths going seven furlongs in Louisville May 27, but he was outrun early in the Maxfield and ended up a clear third. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset puts the blinkers on the $410,000 Keeneland November purchase.
Donegal Momentum (Uncle Mo) broke his maiden with consummate ease first time out to earn his 'Rising Star' at Aqueduct May 16 and looked like he got a bit lost out in front in a one-mile allowance against older rivals June 27 and was run down close home. The cutback in trip can aid his cause here.
With 10 career starts under his belt, Valentine Candy (Justify) is easily the most experienced of Friday's runners, and he's shown a fair bit of talent to boot, with a pair of black-type scores at two at Oaklawn Park and a victory over subsequent GIII Chick Lang Stakes winner Frost Free (Frosted) in the Bachelor Stakes in Hot Springs Apr. 27. The Heiligbrodt runner exits an even fourth to recent Jersey Shore Stakes hero Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in the GI Woody Stephens Stakes June 8.
Juddmonte Farms' Pure Force (Constitution) is perfect in two starts to date, an easy debut success on Derby Day followed by a five-length allowance tally June 19 in which he enjoyed a soft time of things on the engine. The 9-2 longest shot on the board is not completely out of this, but will need to improve by several lengths on his figures.
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