By Joe Bianca
A good-looking crew of seven 2-year-old males will face off in the GI Hopeful S. on Saratoga's closing day card, including an already validated 'TDN Rising Star', two other stakes winners and a promising debut victor from the meet's leading trainer.
There will likely be a tussle for favoritism in this well-matched group, but the morning line nod goes to Joseph W. Sutton's Bitumen (Mineshaft). A $280,000 OBSMAR buy, the dark bay was extremely impressive in his June 30 debut, breaking a bit slowly, dueling for the lead inside and exploding away in the stretch to a 6 3/4-length Rising Star-earning victory. He quickly legitimized that distinction with an off-the-pace score in the GIII Sanford S. here July 23, showing both his quality and versatility.
“He got an education because he was in behind and took so much dirt, which showed how much class he has,” Kenneally told the NYRA notes team. “It was a great foundation to help him go forward.”
Being by champion router Mineshaft out of a half to MGISW router Quality Road (Elusive Quality), Bitumen augers to benefit from the added furlong in this spot. The Eddie Kenneally trainee completed his Hopeful preparation by blazing a best-of-50 bullet half-mile over the local main in :48 3/5 Aug. 29.
“He worked super,” said Kenneally. “He's trained along nicely here all summer and hasn't missed a beat since the Sanford.”
John C. Oxley's Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) is the other graded stakes winner in the field, having backed up a debut victory in the Churchill slop May 4 with an impressive tally in the GIII Bashford Manor S. under the Twin Spires July 2. The $475,000 KEESEP purchase put in a dazzling closing kick that night to run down heavily favored 'TDN Rising Star' Recruiting Ready (Algorithms) in a race where no other closers made an impact and it was nine lengths back to the third-place finisher. Classic Empire earned an 87 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort, tops in this field, and will go out for the same connections as Pretty City Dancer (Tapit), who dead-heated for the win in the Saturday's GI Spinaway S.
Chad Brown, who has wrapped up his first Saratoga training title, will be represented by good-looking maiden winner Practical Joke (Into Mischief). Bought by Klaravich Stables and Bill Lawrence for $240,000 at Keeneland September, the bay rallied from seventh in his debut to blow away the competition by five lengths.
“He'd been training awesome, but you never know at Saratoga,” Brown said. “He's done well since then and I think he'll appreciate the added distance. There's always some concern running only one time and going into a Grade I; it's always a tall order. However, we think he deserves a chance.”
Runaway Lute (Midnight Lute) has yet to be tested in two starts against New York-bred company, crushing a maiden group by 12 lengths in his debut May 28 at Belmont and romping by 8 3/4 lengths there in the Rockville Centre S. despite breaking slowly July 16.
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