Backyard Heaven ready to rebound

It’s a Grade 1 stakes doubleheader Saturday at Saratoga with the $1.2 million Whitney and the $500,000 Test stakes topping a card that also includes three other stakes scheduled for the turf but that could be adversely affected by potential heavy rain.

It’s also the biggest day of the year at Mountaineer Park, where the Grade 3, $500,000 West Virginia Derby is the main event. The feature at Del Mar is the Grade 2, $200,000 Yellow Ribbon.

Whitney Stakes

I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking the Grade 1 stakes-winning New York-breds Diversify and Mind Your Biscuits have this Whitney surrounded. Diversify comes off a giant performance in his overwhelming Suburban victory, while Mind Your Biscuits, who overcame an inside speed bias to win the Dubai Golden Shaheen two starts back for a second straight year, ran big when nosed in the Met Mile most recently.

Yet, as formidable as Diversify and Mind Your Biscuits threaten to be, I’m looking elsewhere. Diversify’s Suburban might actually have been too good as he not only won off in fast final time, he did so after setting a fast early pace under pressure. He seems like a candidate for some sort of form regression, and he is also subject to early pressure this time from Dalmore.

Mind Your Biscuits, meanwhile, will be trying two turns for the first time in this, his 23rd career start. I don’t mind taking a shot with an in-form, talented horse trying something new, but not at the short price Mind Your Biscuits figures to be Saturday.

I’m not sure what happened to Backyard Heaven last time out when he backed up through the stretch at 4-5 in the Stephen Foster. But I can forgive that seemingly aberrational performance if trainer Chad Brown can, and he obviously can as he brings Backyard Heaven back in this spot.

In fact, the Whitney was the first race mentioned for Backyard Heaven after his big score in the Alysheba two starts back, of which a duplicate would put him right there with anyone in this event.

West Virginia Derby

I watched Mountaineer’s races on recent West Virginia Derby Days and noticed one of the most profound track biases I have ever seen in favor of wide runners. I mean, the inside four or five paths were like quicksand compared to wider paths.

But a scan of the Mountaineer charts from last Sunday and Monday show there were a few inside winners on the main track. Maybe management has addressed the situation. Still, I note the above because if you’re looking for an extra signal to play Saturday and are intrigued by Mountaineer’s card, it is imperative you watch some early maintrack races to see if a bias is in play.

As for the West Virginia Derby competitors, the race lured the first three finishers out of the Iowa Derby – High North, Mr Freeze, and Lionite – and the first, second, and fourth finishers out of the Los Alamitos Derby – Once On nd Whiskey, Draft Pick, and King Cause. I’ll play against both races as both were slow, won with Beyer Figures only in the mid-80s.

Rugbyman is my play despite coming off a dismal try in the Dwyer. The Dwyer was the controversial race in which the highly regarded Mendelssohn came up totally empty and Firenze Fire won off by nine lengths at 5-2 after being 6-1 loading into the gate, and 5-1 for most of the first quarter-mile. I’m going to ignore Rugbyman’s Dwyer, I feel his second in the Easy Goer two starts back was good enough to win this, and I like his draw toward the outside if a wide runner’s bias does surface.

Test Stakes

As is seemingly the case every year, this race affords several quality options to choose from. Minit to Stardom won her first three starts like she might be a superstar. Alter Moon was lights out winning her last two at Gulfstream and now makes her first start for Chad Brown after being purchased for $675,000 at the recent FasigTipton Horses of Racing Age sale. And Mia Mischief can do much better than she did when the beaten favorite last time in the Victory Ride Stakes. But I want Separation of powers.

Separation of powers had a brutal trip in the Victory Ride, stumbling badly at the start and steadying in upper stretch, yet still finished a close fourth. She was one of the best in her division last year and a big effort is expected.