Saratoga Picks | Vanderbilt Handicap 2024

Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Jerold Zaro’s graded stakes-winner Baby Yoda seeks to rocket to the top of the male sprint division in Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Vanderbilt is slated as Race 6 on Saturday’s 12-race card, which co-features the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun in Race 10. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

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Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Baby Yoda has rounded back into form in his past two outings, most recently with his first graded stakes triumph in the Grade 2 True North presented by F.W. Webb on June 8 here.

The prominent effort saw him and regular pilot Eric Cancel stalk the pace set by Gun It through fractions of 21.94 seconds and 44.04 before assuming command with ease in the turn and drawing off strongly down the stretch to win by six lengths in a sharp final time of 1:14.62. He was awarded a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance, his highest since a cosmic 114 earned for a 6 1/2-furlong allowance romp in September 2021 here at Saratoga.

Baby Yoda boasts a stellar 6-4-0-1 record at Saratoga, including back-to-back allowance scores in 2021 that included his aforementioned 114 Beyer performance.

Adam Wachtel of Wachtel Stable said it was special to watch Baby Yoda dazzle a sold-out crowd of 50,000 in the True North on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

“It looks like it’s going to be a tough race, but this is his favorite track, and to win on a day like that with the whole world watching and my partners and family there, it was really a lot of fun,” Wachtel said. “He’s had some big performances at Saratoga, so it’s a special place for him and for all of us. It’s my favorite track to win a race at, so it was great.”

Baby Yoda has breezed routinely over Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track, and posted a half-mile in 47.63 seconds on July 8. He has enjoyed a marked return to his best form as of late with back-to-back wins in the True North and a seven-furlong optional claiming tilt in May at Belmont at the Big A, his first win in 18 months.

“That’s why Bill is in the Hall of Fame,” Wachtel said of the way Mott has given a new hope to the talented sprinter. “He does an incredible job with all of my horses. Baby Yoda has been breezing great and Bill’s been pretty happy with him.”

Popular is the name Baby Yoda with the Saratoga crowd, who has sent the 6-year-old son of Prospective to post as the favorite or second choice in half of his Spa endeavors. Wachtel expressed his enjoyment at the way race fans have gravitated to the talented gelding.

“It’s kind of funny, because people go crazy when he’s doing well there. He’s like a cult favorite,” Wachtel said, with a laugh. “Hopefully, he can keep it going. I had my eye on the Forego at the end of the meet, so if we run well here, maybe we can think about that.”

Baby Yoda [122 pounds], who owns a 25-9-4-4 record with $837,220 in earnings, will emerge from post 4 in rein to Cancel.

Red Lane Thoroughbreds’ dual graded stakes-winner Skelly [post 6, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 123 pounds] boasts three triple-digit Beyers in five starts this year, led by a career-best 105 earned for a 3 1/4-length coup of the Listed King Cotton in February at Oaklawn Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Practical Joke 5-year-old has been dominant at six furlongs, evidenced by a seven-race win streak that spanned from an allowance win last February at Oaklawn Park to the King Cotton.

The consistent Skelly has won or finished second in 15-of-16 starts, including back-to-back wins in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap [2023-24] and a runner-up finish in the Group 3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia.

Skelly enters from a runner-up effort with his usual pacesetting tactics in the Listed Aristides on June 1 at Churchill Downs. 

Qatar Racing and Mrs. Fitriani Hay’s multiple graded stakes-placed Nakatomi [post 1, Tyler Gaffalione, 120 pounds] seeks an elusive win at this level after placings in the last-out Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in March at Meydan and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November at Santa Anita Park.

Trained by Wesley Ward, the Firling Line chestnut races for the first time since his trip to the Middle East where he was a distant third to Tuz in the Shaheen, but overcame a rough start to fight on well with Don Frankie and miss place by three-quarter lengths.

Since May, Nakatomi has breezed regularly over the main track at Keeneland, and most recently covered five furlongs in 1:00 flat this morning.

“He has been training well since coming back from Dubai and we’re looking forward to the chance at a Grade 1 for him,” Ward said. “We aren’t scared of the competition. We really like our horse.”

In addition to his Grade 1 placings, the 5-year-old gelding has placed in four other graded events, including a narrow second in the Grade 2 Phoenix in October at Keeneland. His consistent 17-5-2-6 record has yielded $961,276 in earnings and includes his most recent victory in a local seven-furlong optional claiming sprint last July where Baby Yoda finished third.

The streaking Subrogate [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 119 pounds] looks to earn his first stakes conquest for trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr. on the heels of a six-length trouncing of a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer on June 29 at Belmont at the Big A. The prominent effort was awarded a career-best 106 Beyer and came after an eye-catching allowance-level win on the Belmont Stakes undercard that earned a 99 Beyer.

Campaigned by Colts Neck Stables, the Arrogate colt makes his second start at the stakes level, his other try a fourth in last year’s Listed Pegasus at Monmouth Park. He was a $250,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the Elusive Quality mare Goose Lemon Drop.

Completing the Saratoga field are:

• Kasey K Racing Stable, Michael Day and Final Turn Racing Stable’s dual graded stakes-placed Twisted Ride [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche, 117 pounds] for trainer Michael Moore
• Owner/trainer Krista Hetrick’s stakes-placed My Buddy B [post 3, Yan Aviles, 116 pounds]