Voodoo Song earns shot in Saranac Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Voodoo Song will look for his fourth win of the Saratoga meet when the New York-bred takes a big step up in class in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Saranac Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Owner Barry Schwartz gave Voodoo Song to Linda Rice after trainer Mike Hushion retired at the end of the Belmont spring-summer meet. For Hushion, Voodoo Song mostly sprinted on dirt despite having won his maiden on turf last November.

Rice opted to put Voodoo Song back on the turf, and he won a $40,000 claiming race by 5 1/4 lengths on July 22. Four days later, Voodoo Song won a New York-bred first-level allowance race by three-quarters of a length after opening up a 16-length early lead. Then, on Aug. 23, Voodoo Song went gate to wire in a second-level New York-bred allowance.

Rice was planning to run Voodoo Song in an opencompany first-level allowance on closing day, but because of his recency, Voodoo Song would have been relegated to the also-eligible list had the race oversubscribed, which it did.

So, Rice opted to run in the Saranac.

“I had only picked him up a few weeks before in July, thought he would be better off going long on turf than short on dirt,” Rice said. “Took all the equipment off, blinkers and everything. He stretched out beautifully.

“I think he’s really relished the turf course here. As far as he likes the two turns, that is part of the reason I put him back in. It’s a big step up in company, but I think he’ll have a shot.”

Pletcher has two for Hopeful

While his former boss D. Wayne Lukas will be in search of his eighth Hopeful Stakes win on Monday, trainer Todd Pletcher will be looking for his fourth when he sends out Mojovation and National Flag in the Grade 1, $350,000 stakes for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs.

Mojovation and National Flag were among the eight horses entered Thursday for the Hopeful, the closing-day feature of the 40-day Saratoga meet.

Mojovation, a son of Quality Road, won his debut by two lengths here on July 29, running six furlongs in 1:11.14 and earning an 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He showed pretty good speed in his debut, broke sharply, and took it to them right off,” Pletcher said. “I think seveneighths should suit him well.”

National Flag got used up in a speed duel in his debut at Belmont Park when finishing last of seven at 3-5. He bounced back with a one-length victory going six furlongs here in 1:10.35 on Aug. 5. He earned an 81 Beyer.

Pletcher won the Hopeful in 2014 with Competitive Edge, in 2012 with Shanghai Bobby, and in 2006 with Circular Quay.

His two entrants will take on the Lukas-trained Sporting Chance as well as Oskar Blues, Psychoanalyze, Firenze Fire, Free Drop Bill, and Givemeaminit.

American Patriot wants it firm

Pletcher has entered American Patriot in Monday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap, and provided the turf is firm, he will run him.

American Patriot, who won the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland in April, finished last of six in the Grade 1 Fourstardave just three weeks ago. Pletcher said jockey John Velazquez told him the son of War Front didn’t handle the yielding turf that day.

“Johnny said breaking from the gate, it bogged out from underneath him, and he never picked up his feet at all,” Pletcher said. “If it’s firm, we’ll run. If not, we’ll probably look for another option.”

There is rain in the forecast for Sunday.

Luis Saez is named to ride American Patriot as Velazquez rides Delta Prince for trainer Jimmy Jerkens. Others entered in the Bernard Baruch are Forge, Glorious Empire, Heart to Heart, Highland Sky, Projected, and Ring Weekend, the winner of last year’s Bernard Baruch.

Mr. Crow eyes bigger game

Mr. Crow recorded his second blowout win of the Saratoga meet when he won a sevenfurlong allowance race by 6 1/4 lengths here on Wednesday. Mr. Crow finished in 1:22.07 and earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure.

On July 22, Mr. Crow won a six-furlong maiden race here by 11 1/2 lengths, running the distance in 1:09.44 and earning a 109 Beyer.

Trainer Pletcher said he will consider running Mr. Crow in a stakes next out and has not ruled out the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont on Sept. 30.

In his Wednesday victory, Mr. Crow wore front bandages for the first time and didn’t change leads for the second time.

Pletcher said Mr. Crow sustained abrasions on his ankles, known as “running down,” in earlier races. As far as failing to change leads, Pletcher said he told jockey Luis Saez: “If the horse is running, just let him go ahead and run, and if you can get it, fine. If you can’t, as long as he’s still accelerating underneath you, don’t make a big issue of it.”

Pletcher added, “He actually, after the finish line, he got him to do it.”

Summer Revolution gears up

Summer Revolution was a hot topic in the 3-year-old division here last summer for trainer Rudy Rodriguez after launching his career with a pair of impressive victories, including a three-length entry-level allowance tally for which he received a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

But Summer Revolution has not won in four subsequent starts, including a fourth-place finish in the King’s Bishop and a ninth-place effort in the Pennsylvania Derby last year. Summer Revolution has not started since December, but Rodriguez is getting him cranked up for what he hopes will be a triumphant return in the weeks ahead.

“He’s coming along really well, but we’re not going to rush him back,” said Rodriguez. “I might start looking for something for him like a non-winners-of-two-otherthan allowance race in the next book. We probably pushed him a little more than we were supposed to last year, and he just got a little sour, so we backed off on him. But talentwise, I haven’t seen anything that tells us anything different about what we saw from him here as a 3-year-old.”