Saratoga Picks | Saratoga Special Stakes 2024

Aaron previews the 2024 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course & gives his top win pick from this key race for 2-year-olds.

Will the Dale Romans-trained Keep It Easy back up his impressive maiden win against a field of improving juveniles?

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The press release:

St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Thoroughbreds’ Keep It Easy was strong in his last effort and will up the difficulty in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course. 

The Saratoga Special is slated as Race 8, and the Troy as Race 9, on Saturday’s 12-race program that is headlined by the Grade 1, $500,000 FanDuel Fourstardave [Race 10]. The card also features the Listed $150,000 Galway [Race 12], plus the rescheduled Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational [Race 6]. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Trained by Dale Romans, the Hard Spun dark bay graduated at second asking when drawing off to win a six-furlong sprint by four lengths last-out on June 27 at Churchill Downs. The winning effort earned a career and field-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure, improving greatly upon a 46 earned on debut for a seventh sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at the same site on June 6. 

“I think this is a good spot. He is a good horse,” said Romans. “Physically, he is a big, strong, pretty horse. He was a pretty horse at the yearling sale when we bought him. He just continues to get better. He is a good workhorse and a good horse all around.” 

Keep It Easy returned to the work tab on July 20 with a half-mile bullet in 47.85 seconds over the Spa main track, fastest-of-77 workers at the distance. He has since worked twice more, including a breeze over the same course and distance in 49.96 on Sunday.

“He worked this morning and worked very well,” Romans said. “He’s had three good works up here and is ready to go. Today was his third work and it went very well.”  

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. William L. Pape, Keep It Easy, out of the stakes-winning English Channel mare Boxwood, was a $435,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. 

Junior Alvarado has the call from the outermost post 9.

Stepping up in class after a maiden score is the story for a good portion of the nine-horse field, including Harrell Ventures’ Showcase, who did indeed showcase his potential in a 7 1/2-length debut romp traveling 5 1/2 furlongs on July 6 at Belmont at the Big A. 

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Uncle Mo gray stalked the pace under Irad Ortiz, Jr. before drawing off with ease, earning a 58 Beyer in victory.

“He trained very well and it was a very professional debut. We were hopeful,” said Pletcher. “He kind of came in advertised as being pretty forward, and he’s been very professional – relaxed, but professional at the same time.”

Showcase, a $300,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of graded stakes-placed Violence mare Buy Sell Hold, a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Volatile. 

Ortiz, Jr. will be back aboard from post 2. 

Hall of Famer Mark Casse will be represented by K E M Racing Stable’s debut-victor Global Legend. The Global Campaign dark bay graduated by three comfortable lengths sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs versus fellow Florida-breds on sloppy and sealed footing in June at Gulfstream Park. 

“He looks like a sprinter, but I wouldn’t say he won’t go around two turns at some point. But right now, these sprint races are right up his alley,” said Shane Tripp, assistant trainer to Casse. “He’s so athletic and does it right within himself. He gets across this track like you want one to.”

Out of the winning Henny Hughes mare Im a Dixie Diva, Global Legend was an $80,000 purchase at the 2023 OBS Winter Mixed Sale. His second dam is graded stakes-placed Im a Dixie Girl, who produced multiple Grade 1-winner Mor Spirit. 

Dylan Davis is up for the first time from post 3.

Three Chimneys Farm’s homebred Touchy [post 5, Joel Rosario, blinkers OFF] enters from a runner-up finish when making an ambitious first outing in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Tremont on June 6 here. Trained by Wesley Ward, the Nyquist bay showed the way before being overtaken by the victorious Studlydoright, who won by 1 3/4 lengths and subsequently finished second in the local Grade 3 Sanford. 

Out of the winning Malibu Moon mare Touch the Moon, Touchy is a half-brother to graded stakes-winner Royal Approval. 

Valene Farms’ Louisiana-bred Smoken Wicked [post 1, Tyler Gaffalione] is also stakes-placed, finishing second last-out in the six-furlong Listed Bashford Manor on June 30 at Churchill Downs. The Bobby’s Wicked One chestnut was making his first start for trainer Dallas Stewart after a debut score for conditioner Sturges Ducoing in a state-bred sprint on June 1 at Evangeline Downs.

In the Bashford Manor, Smoken Wicked was reluctant to load and clipped heels coming to the five-sixteenths, dropping to 10th-of-12 before coming on again with a seven-wide rally to get up for second. He has since worked four times over the Oklahoma dirt training track, including a bullet five-eighths in 1:00.25 on July 20, fastest-of-10 at the distance. 

“It was very good. He’s a nice horse who has trained very well here, so we are looking forward to the Special,” said Stewart.

Lea Farms’ Noble Force [post 7, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] was an eye-catching 9 1/2-length winner going five furlongs on June 21 at Monmouth Park. Trained by Jorge Delgado, the Cairo Prince gray sported blinkers for the big debut victory that earned a 50 Beyer. 

Noble Force, a $110,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the winning Proud Citizen mare Guess What. His second dam is multiple Grade 1-placed Biofuel, Canada’s 2010 Horse of the Year.

Rounding out the Saratoga field are:

• First-out maiden winner First Resort [post 4, Flavien Prat], a Godolphin Kentucky homebred for trainer Eoin Harty
• Maiden winner Good Directions [post 8, Manny Franco] for conditioner Kevin Rice
• Fourth-out maiden claiming winner Ace It [post 6, Luis Saez] for conditioner James Chapman