Green Mask looking to make green in Troy Stakes
Green Mask is right in the thick of an elite field assembled for the Troy Stakes on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course.
For turf sprinters at 5 ½ furlongs, the $250,000 Troy resembles an edition of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Indeed, four members of the field competed in the BC Turf Sprint last year, and one of them, Mongolian Saturday, won the race two years ago.
Green Mask, owned by Abdullah Saeed Almaddah and ridden by Javier Castallano, was a close fifth in the BC Turf Sprint last fall.
Since then, he has been first or second in six subsequent starts, including a two length win in the Grade 2 Highlander at Woodbine in his last.
“He is in great form this year and is doing excellent,” said trainer Brad Cox. “His race in Canada was really good, although I was a little concerned with running back so quick after the three quarters at Belmont. But he’s done well and is coming to this race at Saratoga just fine.”
Cox was referring to the Grade 3 Jaipur at Belmont on June 10, which preceded the Highlander by just 22 days.
Green Mask lost the Troy last year by a neck, and has never been off the board in nine career starts at this distance.
The fleet Pure Sensation is likely to show early in the Troy.
He is coming off a victory in the Grade 3 Parx Dash on July 8, and was third in the BC Turf Sprint last year.
Pure Sensation won the Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga in 2014.
He finished behind Green Mask in the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint and Jaipur in his last two starts, both Grade 3 affairs.
Long On Value captured the Lucky Coin Stakes last year at the Spa, and is a tough customer on his best.
More recently, he was second, beaten a nose, in the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup Day in March.
Holding Gold cannot be overlooked in the Troy.
Third behind Green Mask in the Jaipur, he defeated that rival by a neck in the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland on April 8.
Holding Gold won the Quick Call last year at Saratoga.
Mongolian Saturday, sixth in the Shakertown and second in the Parx Dash, makes his Saratoga debut in the Troy.
Completing the field are Undrafted and Bold Thunder, with Doctor J Dub and Weekend Hideaway entered for main track only.
“He is in great form this year and is doing excellent. His race in Canada was really good, although I was a little concerned with running back so quick after the three quarters at Belmont. But he’s done well and is coming to this race at Saratoga just fine.” — Green Mask’s trainer Brad Cox