Annapolis, Ethereal Road Take on Rivals in Saranac

Bass Racing's Kentucky homebred Annapolis  leads a talented field of five in the Sept. 3 $200,000 Saranac (G3T), a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course. 

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the War Front   colt made the grade at second asking with a head score in the Pilgrim (G2T) in October at Belmont Park to close out a 2-for-2 juvenile campaign. 

Annapolis finished second in his seasonal debut in the Penn Mile (G2T) in June which was contested over exceedingly soft going at Penn National Race Course, but returned to winning form one month later with a 2 3/4-length win in the one-mile Manila at Belmont.

The regally bred colt, out of the grade 2-winning Unbridled's Song  mare My Miss Sophia, closed to finish second to Nations Pride  last out Aug. 6 in the 1 3/16-mile Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T)—the second leg of the Caesars Turf Triple series.

Pletcher said he was pleased with the effort from Annapolis, who has breezed back twice over the Oklahoma training turf, including a half-mile in :48.62 on Aug. 26.

"It was a very good race. He just couldn't quite get there but it was a good performance," Pletcher said. "He breezed back well and seems to be in very good form.

"We wanted to back him up a little bit and it's a better distance than the mile and a half at Aqueduct. He's doing well and ready to run," Pletcher said.

Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the mount from post 3.

Fuerteventura , bred and co-owned by Brereton C. Jones with Robert V. LaPenta, captured the one-mile Jersey Derby May 29 over firm footing at Monmouth Park to complete a hat trick of victories.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the Summer Front   gelding, a $190,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, graduated at second asking in March in a maiden claimer over the Gulfstream Park turf ahead of an off-the-turf optional claiming score in April at the Hallandale Beach oval.

Fuerteventura enters from a sixth-place finish in the Marine Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles July 2 over the Tapeta at Woodbine.

Stuart S. Janney III's Kentucky homebred Celestial City  enters from a close third-place finish in the one-mile National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2T) Aug. 5.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said he was pleased with the last-out effort from Celestial City, who will add blinkers.

"I hope he moves up a little bit. I thought he ran well last time," McGaughey said. "He'll run with blinkers on and I think that will help him. We're looking forward to running him."

The Uncle Mo   colt graduated in March at Gulfstream Park and subsequently hit the board in a pair of stakes, including a runner-up effort to Fuerteventura in the Jersey Derby.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Albert Frassetto's Piqua  graduated at second asking in July traveling 1 1/16 miles over firm turf at Laurel Park for trainer Graham Motion.

The Speightstown   gelding enters from a closing third in a one-mile allowance optional claiming test Aug. 13 over firm Spa turf, finishing one-length back of the victorious multiple graded stakes-placed Portfolio Company .

Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones' Ethereal Road  made no impact in his turf debut when ninth last out from the outermost post 10 in the Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T) for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

The Quality Road   colt contested the Road to the Triple Crown, finishing second in the Rebel (G2) in February at Oaklawn Park and fourth in the Stonestreet Lexington (G3) in April at Keeneland. He scratched from the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) in May allowing Rich Strike  to draw in and make history at odds of 80-1 in the Run for the Roses.

Entries: Saranac S. (G3T)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, September 03, 2022, Race 4

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Inner turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo
• 1:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Celestial City (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Claude R. McGaughey III	3/1
2	2Piqua (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	H. Graham Motion	12/1
3	3Annapolis (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Todd A. Pletcher	2/5
4	4Ethereal Road (KY)	Luis Saez	118	D. Wayne Lukas	10/1
5	5Fuerteventura (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	Jonathan Thomas	6/1