Santana Sticks With Gozilla in Hopeful Stakes

It has been said of the all-time great jockeys who have ridden at Saratoga Race Course—legendary figures such as Angel Cordero Jr.—that their influence on a race could be so deep, it was as though they were riding more than one horse in the race.

At the age of 26, jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. has years ahead of him until he attains Hall of Fame consideration, but there's no doubt about the length of his reach in the $350,000 Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) on the Sept. 2 closing day card at Saratoga.

While accomplished graded stakes winners Green Light Go and By Your Side rate top billing in the seven-furlong stakes for 2-year-olds, trainer Steve Asmussen has strength in numbers on his side with three of the seven entrants.

Each won his previous start with Santana aboard, and his decision to ride Gozilla over Shoplifted and Basin certainly bears mentioning.

"All three worked well. I think all three have a shot. They are doing great," Santana said.

In riding Gozilla, Santana landed on a son of Flatter  who posted an impressive 4 1/2-length victory at the Spa in his Aug. 10 debut for Zayat Stables. Since that heavily hyped win at 3-5 odds, owner Ahmed Zayat announced via Twitter that he sold a 25% share of the promising colt to Gary Barber.

Gozilla, who has post 4 in the Hopeful, showed speed from the start in his debut, leading throughout and covering the six furlongs in a fleet 1:09.59.

"Gozilla is a very good horse," Santana said. "He won nicely and did everything right. We have a lot of confidence in him. He's a cool, classy horse with a nice future."

Gozilla was purchased by Zayat in 2018 for $150,000 from the Indian Creek consignment at The October Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky fall yearling sale. He then was a $395,000 RNA this year at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.

Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables, and LNJ Foxwoods' Shoplifted is also exiting a debut victory as he stalked in third and then took charge in the final furlong to win by 4 1/2 lengths in a July 27 maiden race at the Spa.

"He's doing well, and they also have confidence in him," Santana said about the son of Into Mischief out of the Yes It's True mare Shopit.

Shoplifted covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.99 in his first start. He will break from the rail Monday with jockey Joel Rosario.

Shoplifted also has ties to Zayat as he bought the colt for $525,000 from the Select Sales consignment at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and then sold him this year to Cromwell Bloodstock for $800,000 at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's 2-year-olds in training sale, through McKathan Brothers.

Basin, a son of Liam's Map  owned by Jackpot Farm, needed two tries to break his maiden as he advanced from a nose loss in his June 14 debut at Churchill Downs to post a 1 1/4-length score in a July 21 maiden race at Saratoga.

He drew post 7 with jockey Jose Ortiz.

Basin was bought for $150,000 from the Brookdale Sales consignment at the 2018 Keeneland September sale.

Stronach Stables' Green Light Go made it 2-for-2 with a 3 3/4-length triumph in the 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special Stakes (G2). Trainer Jimmy Jerkens initially spoke of waiting until the Belmont Park meet for the homebred son of Hard Spun 's next start, but his recent training generated a new itinerary.

"He likes it up here. It looks like he thrived up here and it's not a big jump up in distance, but it's got him going up in distance in little increments. I like that. I think it's good for 2-year-olds as opposed to going from one extreme to the other. He's a big strong colt, so if any horse can do it, it's him. Running once a month with gradual distance increases should be good," Jerkens said.

The field also includes Anderson Stables' Sanford Stakes (G3) winner By Your Side, who is unbeaten in two starts. The son of first-year sire Constitution  scored by three lengths in the July 13 Sanford for trainer Eddie Kenneally.

He was bought for $240,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale.

Also entered are American Butterfly, a son of American Pharoah  who is trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, an eight-time winner of the Hopeful; and Inside Risk, a son of Street Sense  who was claimed for $50,000 by owner Paul Braverman and trainer Tom Morley out of an Aug. 1 debut victory. Robert Murray is a co-owner.