Green Mask, Pure Sensation face off in Troy
By Jeff Scott SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » In last year’s Troy Hand- icap, Green Mask was in- volved in a wild finish in which the first four horses were separated by a neck and a pair of noses. Green Mask finished second that day, and since then he has been on a tear, putting up big numbers while finishing in the exacta in 7-of-9 stakes starts. Most recently, the well-traveled Mizzen Mast gelding won Woodbine’s Highlander Stakes (G2) by two lengths.
All of this has helped make Green Mask the narrow 8-5 morning-line favorite in this year’s edition of the $250,000 Troy, which will be co-featured with the Alydar on today’s card. Seven horses are slated to go in the 5½-furlong turf sprint.
Pure Sensation is the second choice at 9-5. The million-dollar earner has been slow to round into form in 2017, but exits a 5 ¾-length romp in the Parx Dash (G3). The six-year-old Zenzational gelding has won 5-of-8 tries at the distance and sports a pair of wins at Saratoga.
Long on Value (5-1) was fourth in the 2016 Troy. Though winless in five starts since, the six-yearold son of Value Plus has had an ambitious schedule that included starts in Dubai and Royal Ascot. Thing didn’t work out at Ascot, but Long On Value was beaten only a nose in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan.
Holding Gold (9-2) ran a big race in finishing third behind Disco Partner and Greek Mask in the Jaipur Stakes (G3). The Lonhro gelding is 2-for-4 at the distance, including a win here in last summer’s Quick Call Stakes.
Mongolian Saturday (151) is of course best known for upsetting the 2015 BC Turf Sprint at 15-1. The seven-year-old gelding won a pair of Grade 3s last year, and, in his first and only start of 2017, was runner-up to Pure Sensation in the Parx Dash.