by Bill Finley & J. N. Campbell
Seize the Grey (Arrogate) didn't show a thing in his debut, a July 1 maiden special weight race at Ellis Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Wayne Lukas and a $300,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale as a yearling, he beat just one horse and lost by 17 1/4 lengths.
So it was no surprise when he was sent off at 16-1, a price that looked about right considering the competition he was set to face in Saturday's seventh race at Saratoga, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race. The race included, among others, Dornoch (Good Magic), a full-brother to this year's GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), and Lambo (Uncle Mo), who cost $950,000 at the OBS March sale and was second in his debut for Steve Asmussen.
But a very different Seize the Grey showed up Saturday.
Ridden by five-pound apprentice Jaime Torres, who picked up his first ever Saratoga win Friday, the grey colt led every step of the way to win by by 1 3/4 lengths over Dornoch. Lambo, who pressed the early pace, faded in the stretch and finished fifth.
Seize the Grey showed no speed in his debut in which he was ridden by Luis Saez.
“He didn't break too well last time and he might not have liked the pressure of being around other horses,” said Lukas after picking up his first winner of the meet. “Today, he just took off and he looked very professional.”
Lukas added that he thought the five-pound apprentice allowance might come in handy.
“I thought if he could get him away the five pounds we were getting because he is an apprentice would really help us,” he said. “It might have helped us a little bit in those last 50 yards.”
Said Torres: “As soon as they opened the gate he was determined to go to the lead. I just helped him a little bit. Then I tried to get him to relax. On the turn, I was thinking 'let's go, let's get it.'”
Seize the Grey is owned by MyRacehorse.
“The photographer loves me after this one,” said Lukas, who turns 88 in September. “He'll be able to sell about 400 pictures off of this one. I am really happy for all the people who own him.”
Run over a sloppy, sealed track, Seize the Grey covered the distance in 1:17.95 and paid $34.80. The colt was bred in Kentucky by Jamm, Ltd.
7th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 7-29, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:17.95, sy, 1 3/4 lengths.
SEIZE THE GREY (c, 2, Arrogate–Smart Shopping {SP}, by Smart Strike) debuted a well-beaten eighth July 1 at Ellis Park before heading to New York. Bet down to 16-1 at the windows, the gray colt took up a position in the lead along the rail up the backstretch, held four competitors at bay around the far turn and digging down deep past the eighth pole, the D.W. Lukas trainee splashed home by 1 3/4 length over Dornoch (Good Magic) who was second. Out of an extended female family which includes GISW and MGSW Miss Shop (Deputy Minister) and MGSW Tin Type Gal (Tapit), GISW Power Broker (Pulpit) and SW Fierce Boots (Tiznow) are both half-siblings to the winner's dam. Smart Shopping is responsible for a yearling filly by Justify and she was bred to Life Is Good for next year. Sales History: $300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $57,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-MyRacehorse; B-Jamm, Ltd. (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas.
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