Hard to choose among eight Sanford hopefuls

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Steve Asmussen has had a great deal of success with 2-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course, saddling the winners of 11 editions of the six major graded races for juveniles. These include four Saratoga Specials and three Schuylervilles.

The Sanford is one of two of these six stakes which Asmussen has yet to win (the Hopeful is the other). The Hall of Fame trainer hopes to rectify that situation this afternoon when he sends out Bano Solo (6-1 on the morning line) and Whiskey Echo (8-1) in the cofeatured $150,000 Sanford (G3), which will be run today for the 105th time.

Bano Solo, a son of Goldencents, won at first asking at Churchill, staying up through a pressured pace and drawing off to win by three lengths as the 6-5 favorite. Whiskey Echo (Tiznow) experienced a similar trip in winning his debut by 3 ¾ lengths at Belmont.

Oddsmakers prefer others to the Asmussen duo, beginning with Sombeyay, the 2-1 morning-line favorite. The son of Into Mischief is the only one of eight starters with stakes experience, having come up threequarters of a length short in the ungraded Tremont Stakes on June 8. Sombeyay is also one of two entrants conditioned by Todd Pletcher, who has won the Sanford six times. Lexitonian, the other Pletcher charge, showed the ability to come from off the pace in his Belmont debut three weeks ago.

Also pegged at 3-1 is Strike Silver (Violence), who gutted out a neck win in his Churchill Downs debut last month. Mark Casse trains. Dream Maker, a second Casse entry, was an early scratch.

Chase Greatness (8-1) rebounded from a disappointing debut on May 24 with a gritty half-length maiden score over a sloppy track last out. Both races were at Churchill Downs. Knicks Go (10-1) is the longest shot in the field. The Marylandbred son of Paynter exits a 3½-length maiden win at Ellis Park on the Fourth of July.