Familiar faces return in John Morrissey

SARATOGA SPRINGS >> Last year’s John Morrissey Stakes turned out to be the final stakes win (and next-to-last start) for Weekend Hideaway, a New York-bred institution who retired with nine stakes victories – including also the 2014 Morrissey – and earnings of $1.1 million-plus. The son of Speightstown stands at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions in Stillwater.

In Weekend Hideaway’s absence, the 2-3-4 finishers from last year’s edition of the $100,000 race return to try to claim the top spot. The narrow 2-1 morning line favorite is Gold for the King, who faded to fourth last year. The 5-year-old Posse gelding exits a pair of graded tries, including a third-place finish as the favorite in the G3 Toboggan. Charley Baker trains and Joel Rosario will be aboard the Francis J. Paolangeli homebred.

Eye Luv Lulu, runner-up to Weekend Hideway in 2018, is pegged at 5-2. The 8-year-old Pollard’s Vision gelding will be making his 52nd start. Eye Luv Lulu has earned over $849k in both statebred and open competition. The Jason Servis trainee has been in the money in all three 2019 outings and comes off a close second in the Affirmed Success on Apr. 26.

Celtic Chaos (3-1) was nosed out for the runner-up spot by Eye Luv Lulu in last year’s John Morrissey. The 6-year-old Dublin horse exits a sharp 2¼-lengths score in a seven-furlong optional claimer on May 31. Brad Cox trains for Zilla Racing Stables.

The lightly raced Build to Suit (5-2) is the hot horse in the field. Never out of the money in seven career starts, the 5-year-old Dominus ridgling is unraced since a 6¼-furlong romp in an Aqueduct allowance six months ago. The Morrissey is the first stakes start for Build to Suit, who is conditioned by Chad Brown and races for Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence.

T Loves a Fight (12-1) has won his last three, all claiming events, most recently here at the Spa on July 14 at the Morrissey’s 6½-furlong distance. Saratoga Giro (15-1) has hit the board in his last seven starts, all but one of them at Finger Lakes. Golf for the King with jockey Joel Rosario up raced to a one and threequarter length win in the 2017 New York Stallion Stakes at Aqueduct.