Spa saw Derby hopefuls last year

Several horses that raced last summer at Saratoga are in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby field. Although it is stretching things to say he raced, the most prominent is Classic Empire, who will be one of the wagering choices off his determined victory in the Arkansas Derby.

Classic Empire entered the Hopeful, on Sept. 5, as the 8-to-5 favorite off previous wins in his maiden and the Bashford Manor Stakes, both at Churchill Downs.

However, he wheeled at the start and dumped rider Irad Ortiz Jr., and that was that.

He went on to win the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, and is the reigning champion of this crop.

Another top choice in the Derby is Always Dreaming, im-

pressive winner of the Florida Derby in his last start.

Always Dreaming was second in a maiden at the Spa on Aug. 20 in his second career start. He won the Florida Derby by four lengths in his stakes debut.

Gunnevera, who was third in the Florida Derby, won the Saratoga Special on Aug. 14. Also likely to attract plenty of support at the windows, he is a multiple graded stakes winner with a terrific late punch. He cost a mere $16,000 as a yearling, and has now earned $1.2 million.

The Saratoga Special has played quite a role in the classics in recent years.

Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator won it in 2015 and Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags won it in 2012.

The last Saratoga Special winner to win the Derby was Swale in 1984.

Practical Joke, most recently second in the Blue Grass Stakes, won the Hopeful last year. The last Hopeful winner to win the Derby was Affirmed in 1977.

Tapwrit, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, was 10th and last in a Saratoga maiden event on Sept. 3. In his last start he was fifth in the Blue Grass.

Hence, winner of the Sunland Derby, was seventh in a maiden event at Saratoga on Aug. 27.

During its long history, Saratoga Race Course has been the summer place for many Kentucky Derby greats.

Triple Crown winners Sir Barton, Omaha, Whirlaway, Secretariat, and Affirmed raced here as juveniles.

One of my favorite Saratoga races for 2-year-olds occurred on Aug. 13, 1987.

On that day, the filly Winning Colors romped to a daylight win at 7 furlongs in her career debut. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas for Eugene V. Klein, the daughter of Caro in 1988 became only the third filly in history to win the Kentucky Derby in her seventh start.

In between, she won the La Centinela, Santa Anita Oaks, and Santa Anita Derby.

The only other fillies to win the Derby in its long history are Regret in 1915 and Genuine Risk in 1980.

Regret won the Saratoga Special, Sanford, and Hopeful in 1914, and then did not run again until winning the Derby, a layoff of 259 days.

However, the Winning Colors story does not end with her.

Finishing second to her at Saratoga on Aug. 13 was Epitome.

Later that year she won the Pocahontas Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to earn an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly of 1987.

Thus, the maiden race at Saratoga for fillies that day, 30 years ago, produced the winner of the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

It doesn’t get much better than that.