The Big Beast Faces Private Zone in Forego

The Big Beast won't have to contend with Rock Fall, who beat him by a nose last time out in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (gr. I), when he heads to the post in the $700,000 Priority One Jets Forego Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 29. That rival is getting a freshening headed into the Sept. 26 Vosburgh (gr. I) at Belmont Park.

But the seven-furlong Forego came up a tough race nonetheless, with a slew of new sprinters for The Big Beast to face as he seeks his first grade I victory since the 2014 Ketel One King's Bishop (gr. I). 

Chief among those is Good Friends Stable's multiple grade I winner Private Zone, a 6-year-old Macho Uno   gelding who has raced at 10 different tracks in five states and three countries, winning six graded or group stakes and more than $2.2 million in purse earnings from 29 starts.

Private Zone will be making his Saratoga debut in the Forego, a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I). He was last seen winning the July 4 Belmont Sprint Championship (gr. III) at the Forego distance.

LEWYN: Private Zone All the Way in Belmont Sprint

"He seems to like New York," trainer Jorge Navarro said. "He runs well up here, so we're ready."

Though he has yet to race at Saratoga, Private Zone got a feel for the surface with a blazing half-mile breeze over the main track in :45 4/5 Aug. 22, the fastest of 96 horses. He will break from post 7 with regular rider Martin Pedroza in the irons as the 124-pound highweight in a field of 12.

The Big Beast missed the Belmont Sprint for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong and trainer Tony Dutrow because of an abscess, but returned in the Aug. 1 Vanderbilt going six furlongs to just get nipped on the line. It was the third start of the season for the 4-year-old son of Yes It's True  , who ran fourth in the Carter Handicap (gr. I) after winning an Oaklawn Park allowance earlier this season. Those runs were his first since winning the King's Bishop and going to the sidelines with a minor ankle chip.

NOVAK: Rock Fall Edges The Big Beast in Vanderbilt

"He's had two workouts and both of them were very impressive and well within himself," Dutrow said of The Big Beast, who last went four furlongs in :49.09 Aug. 23 at the Spa. "We're really feeling good about The Big Beast... I've been fooled before in my career, but I do think I'm every bit as happy with him going into the Forego as I was going into the Vanderbilt, and I was very confident he went into the Vanderbilt as well as he possibly could. I didn't know where he was going to finish, but I thought he was going to run the best he possibly could, and I think he's going to run another big race this weekend."

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, up for the first time in the Vanderbilt, gets the return call aboard The Big Beast from post 5 as part of a 118-pound impost.

Although Todd Pletcher won't start Rock Fall, he does have an entrant here in Matthew Schera's Race Day. The 4-year-old Tapit   colt showed good early speed when winning the Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) and Razorback (gr. III) at Oaklawn earlier this year, but needs to rebound from sixth in the July 5 Salvatore Mile (gr. III) at Monmouth Park when he was bumped at the break and never fired. Javier Castellano will be aboard from the rail.

"He didn't get away well and he didn't fire at all. He didn't seem to care too much for Monmouth," Pletcher said. "He's coming into the race sharp; hopefully he's sharp enough to be competitive at seven furlongs. On his best day he's shown he can compete with those kinds of horses, and that's what we need. We need his best day on race day."

Other key runners in the field include Wildcat Red, Tamarkuz, Falling Sky, and Salutos Amigos. Den's Legacy, Run for Logistics, Bourbon Courage, Viva Majorca, and Takajo complete the lineup.

The Forego is the ninth race on a 13-race Saturday program that features the grade I Travers Stakes, which will go as race 11.