Keen Ice looking to slay a giant again in Whitney

Keen Ice doesn’t win very often, but when he does, it’s usually in spectacular fashion.

In 2015, he pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year when he ran by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga. It took nearly two years and 11 races for him to win again, in last month’s Grade 2 Suburban Stakes at Belmont Park, where he knocked off the heavily favored Shaman Ghost.

Keen Ice, who is 3 for 22 lifetime, on Saturday will attempt to slay another giant when he faces Gun Runner in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga. The last time the two faced each other, Gun Runner was second and Keen Ice seventh behind Arrogate in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March.

In June, Gun Runner came back to win the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap by seven lengths, his eighth victory in 15 career starts. Gun Runner drew post 6 in a field of seven entered Tuesday for the Whitney and was installed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite by Saratoga oddsmaker Travis Stone.

The draw was held at Sperry’s, a restaurant in downtown Saratoga Springs, and was ably assisted by Marylou Whitney.

Keen Ice, trained by Todd Pletcher, drew post 5 and was made the 3-1 second choice in the Whitney, which awards a fees-paid berth in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

The Whitney, at 1 1/8 miles, will be the first start at Saratoga for Keen Ice since he beat American Pharoah, handing the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years the lone loss of his 3-year-old campaign.

Keen Ice has run in 19 stakes, including 13 Grade 1 races.

“He’s a horse that spent the first third of his career running against American Pharoah, the second third running against California Chrome, now Gun Runner and Arrogate,” said Jerry Crawford, president of Donegal Racing, which owns Keen Ice in partnership with Calumet Farm. “He’s danced every dance. He continues to show up, and to be this good at this age is remarkable.”

Crawford said Pletcher told him that Keen Ice “is training the best he’s ever trained since he had him in the barn.” Pletcher has had Keen Ice for about a year.

Jose Ortiz, aboard for the Suburban victory, has the return call on Keen Ice.

Javier Castellano, who rode Keen Ice to his Travers victory, has the mount on War Story, the Brooklyn Invitational winner who drew the rail and was made the 6-1 third choice on the morning line. His owners, Ron Paolucci’s Loooch Racing, also entered the claimer Cautious Giant in the Whitney to act as a rabbit, or pacemaker.

While the stewards could have coupled the two in the wagering, they opted not to, and Cautious Giant was made 30-1, the longest shot in the field,

under Jose Bracho. Though Bracho is a seven-pound apprentice, he will not get that weight allowance since this is a stakes race. All runners will carry 124 pounds.

Breaking Lucky, who drew post 2 and will have Luis Contreras up, finished fourth, beaten only a head, in the Woodward here last summer. Tu Brutus, the winner of the Flat Out Stakes at Belmont, will scratch from Thursday’s Birdstone Stakes to run in the Whitney. He drew post 4 and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Discreet Lover, a hopeless longshot who is winless in 16 stakes attempts, completes the field from post 7 under Eric Cancel

The Whitney will be shown live on NBC in a one-hour telecast from 5-6 p.m. Eastern.