For Drefong, it’s déjà vu all over again
By Jeff Scott SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » When last seen in these parts, Drefong was running away from the field in what last year was still known as the King’s Bishop Stakes (now the H. Allen Jerkens), a race that played a major role in his being named Champion Male Sprinter.
On Saturday, returning to the Spa as an older horse, Drefong ran a similar race in the $600,000 Forego Stakes. Taking over from the opening strides, and turning for home with a short lead, the son of Gio Ponti ran to daylight from there, drawing off to win by four widening lengths. The final time of 1:20.12 was .13 faster than Drefong’s 1:20.25 clocking in last year’s King’s Bishop.
“I was hoping that he would run like he did last year here,” said winning rider Mike Smith. “He really likes that summer breeze here. I knew he was liking it today, and I was just thinking positive. I think he ran even better than last year.”
Awesome Slew, eighth midway around the turn, closed well up the rail to earn the place. Tom’s Ready, tenth and last on the turn, finished third, a length and a half behind the runner-up. Divining Rod completed the superfecta. The horses who tried to stay with Drefong early (Tale of S’avail and Stallwalkin’ Dude) ended up finishing well up the track, in fifth and eighth, respectively.
The Jerkens was Drefong’s first “completed” race since the Breeders’ Cup nearly ten months ago. In the Bing Crosby at Del Mar on July 29, he tossed jockey Mike Smith shortly after the start
“We just saw the real Drefong,” winning trainer Bob Baffert said by phone from Del Mar. “You would have seen him last time if Mike Smith hadn’t fallen off [in the Bing Crosby]. It’s a good thing that everything turned out all right because otherwise I would never have brought him to the Forego.
“We knew he was our best chance [of three Travers Day runners] going in there. When he hit that third gear there, I was really happy, and happy to hear the cheers.”
Drefong, who races for the Baoma Corporation, has six wins from eight starts and lifetime earnings of $1,523,385.