Ferocious Takes Next Step in G1 Hopeful at Saratoga

A trio of pricey 2-year-olds, two of them with impressive wins already at this meeting, will go for graded stakes glory in the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) on Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course.

Leading by both price and odds, favored Ferocious  (8-5) will break from post 2 following his 7 3/4-length maiden win at Saratoga Aug. 3. A $1.3 million purchase at this year's Ocala Breeders' March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, the son of Flatter  is slated to be ridden by Javier Castellano, who was aboard for the colt's debut. Castellano was off his mounts on Aug. 31 following a riding accident on the prior day's card.

Descended from four generations of Juddmonte homebreds, Ferocious is trained by Gustavo Delgado and was bred by Gentry Stable.

"You don't often get that kind of Juddmonte pedigree at a 2-year-old sale," said Ramiro Restrepo following Ferocious's maiden win. Restrepo's Marquee Bloodstock owns the dark bay/brown colt in partnership with JR Ranch, High Step Racing, and OGMA Investments. "He looks like good Flatter colts, like Flat Out and Upstart, and we bought him out of the same consignment, Sequel, that we bought Mage from. His work at the sale was extraordinary."

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas brings a $900,000 maiden to the Hopeful, looking for his ninth win in the traditional closing day stakes. His first win came in 1990 with Deposit Ticket, the most recent in 2017 with Sporting Chance . 

Innovator  (Authentic  ) was bred by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds and purchased by BC Stables at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. After a 7th-place finish by 14 1/4 lengths in his debut at Churchill Downs June 20, Innovator (15-1) has turned in two runner-up performances, both at Saratoga. The dark bay/brown colt will break from post 3 under Manuel Franco. 

Flanagan Racing went to $725,000 for morning-line second choice Chancer McPatrick  (5-2), a winner at Saratoga July 27 for trainer Chad Brown. Chancer McPatrick is by first-crop sire McKinzie   and was bred by Rigney Racing. Bloodstock agents Nick Sallusto and John Kimmel selected the colt from the OBS April Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

"John and I continue to see a lot of positive things from the McKinzies at the sales," said Sallusto. "He's a horse that really interests us." 

Unraced Mr. Mendelslew  (50-1) also represents a first-crop sire in Mendelssohn  . Bred by Chris and Mackenzie Johnson and owned by DAT Racing Stable, the bay colt sold for $20,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. Trained by Carlos Mancilla, he'll be ridden by José Gomez from post 1.

Rounding out the Hopeful field in post position are Tough Catch  (8-1, post 4); Smoken Wicked  (15-1, post 5); Studlydoright  (12-1, post 6); Mentee  (5-1, post 7); and Incentive Pay  (8-1, post 9).

The Hopeful is the 10th of 12 races on Saratoga's closing day card with a scheduled post time of 5:43 p.m. ET.