Good Governance Set for Saranac Stakes Debut

Despite only six passing the entry box for the $200,000 Saranac Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-olds on Saratoga Race Course's closing weekend, the field has come up pretty tough. The well-matched bunch going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course Aug. 31 is headed by recent maiden winner Good Governance and the experienced Global Access and Seismic Wave.

Good Governance comes from the barn of Chad Brown, who has again dominated the trainer standings at the Spa this season. Through Aug. 29 he has 39 wins, with his closest pursuer being Todd Pletcher with 15.

Bred in Britain by Michael Wates, Good Governance is by Kingman out of the group 2-winning Please Sing, by Royal Applause. Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables purchased the colt for $167,291 at the 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale from Langton Stud. He made his debut Aug. 4 at the Spa, taking a one-mile maiden race on the inner turf in last-to-first fashion, getting up by a nose under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Good Governance will meet more experienced foes in the Saranac. Live Oak Plantation's homebred grade 3 winner Global Access, trained by Michael Trombetta, has a pair of stakes wins under his belt. The chestnut Giant's Causeway colt won the restricted DRF Bets Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in March and added Woodbine's Marine Stakes (G3) over synthetic in late May. Facing graded stakes company last time, he closed from seventh to finish third in Saratoga's Aug. 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T). John Velazquez gets the call.

Global Access also has a regal pedigree. His dam, Daveron, won Saratoga's Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) in 2011 for Team Valor International.

Juddmonte Farms homebred Seismic Wave was an uncharacteristic 10th in the Aug. 4 Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes at 1 3/16 miles and might enjoy the cutback in distance. The son of Tapit  out of group 1-placed Conference Call (by Anabaa) lost the photo in Belmont Park's Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T) this year and was a close fourth in Churchill Downs' American Turf  Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks (G2T) on Derby Day.

New York-bred Rinaldi figures to be the pace play in the Saranac. Bond Racing Stable's Posse gelding has a pair of stakes wins in the New York Stallion Stakes series—one at seven panels and one a gate-to-wire win July 24 at the Spa. Jose Ortiz replaces Luis Saez, who opted for Gary and Mary West's Power Player (by Distorted Humor ). Power Player, originally trained by Bob Baffert, is now in the barn of Jason Servis.

Entries: Saranac S. (G3T)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 31, 2019, Race 6

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Inner turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo
• 3:15 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Power Player (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Jason Servis	10/1
2	2Good Governance (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Chad C. Brown	2/1
3	3Rinaldi (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	124	H. James Bond	5/1
4	4Global Access (FL)	John R. Velazquez	122	Michael J. Trombetta	9/2
5	5Tracksmith (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Joe Sharp	7/2
6	6Seismic Wave (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	William I. Mott	5/2