Legend of Go for Wand
I’ll never forget the summer of 1990, when Go for Wand owned Saratoga.
The brilliant ownedfilly, bredby the and gracious Lunger, Janeto my duPont mindof her was age the and bestsex since the immortal Ruffian in 1975.
Mrs. Lunger’s Christiana Stables was long a supporter of Saratoga with her trainer Henry Clark in those days.
A Hall of Famer, Clark won the Travers with Christiana’s Thinking Cap in 1955.
He trained Go for Wand’s mother, Obeah, a two-time winner of the Delaware Handicap at 1 ¼ miles.
Clark also trained Obeah’s sire Cyane, who won the Futurity Stakes in 1961 over next year’s champion Jaipur, who took the Belmont and Travers in 1962.
When Obeah was bred to Deputy Minister, the result was Go for Wand, born in 1987.
Trained by Bill Badgett, she did not race at Saratoga as a 2-year- old.
However, her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies earned her an Eclipse Award for 1989 as champion 2-year- old filly.
When she came to Saratogahad Keeneland alreadyfor the and 1990won Motherthe season, Ashland Gooseshe at at events. Belmont Park, both Grade 1 Stakesprep At for thatat the Saratogatime, Alabamathe was Grade Stakes.the 1 mainTest and fore The wasthe Test Alabamarun was just at nineat7 furlongs1 ¼ days miles. bemanyI don’t editions think of therethe Testare too that had such quality as the 1990 edition.. Go for Wand was top weight at 124 pounds and conceded from three to eight pounds to her nine opponents. Stella Madrid was on hand, she the winner of the Spinaway, Matron, Frizette, and Acorn. Screen Prospect held a victory over colts at Churchill Downs and won the La Troienne at that