Top Sanford Runners Meet Again in Hopeful

The top two finishers from the Sanford Stakes (gr. III)—Magna Light and Uncle Vinny—who saw their order of finish changed when stewards determined interference by Magna Light in the stretch occurred, will meet again Sept. 7 in the $350,000 Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course.

Starlight Racing's Uncle Vinny finished three-quarters of a length behind Magna Light in the six-furlong Sanford July 25 at Saratoga, but was placed first when the stewards disqualified Magna Light to second. 

Uncle Vinny, the first of two stakes winners to date for freshman sire Uncle Mo   (who also boasts grade II winner Nyquist), has won two of his first three starts for trainer Todd Pletcher. Pletcher is seeking his fourth Hopeful win. Pletcher won last year's Hopeful with Competitive Edge, the 2012 edition with Starlight's Shanghai Bobby  , and in 2006 with Circular Quay.

"I think he's steadily improving," Pletcher said. "He's getting a little more professional each race and he's trained well since the Sanford. We're optimistic."

Campaigned by Michael Dubb, Michael Imperio, breeder Elisabeth Alexander, and Bethlehem Stables, Magna Light led at every call of the Sanford, which would have been his second straight win. The son of Magna Graduate  , trained by Rudy Rodriguez, entered the Sanford off a 4 1/2-length score in a five-furlong maiden special weight race June 15 on a sloppy Belmont Park track.

Among the other juveniles in Monday's field of eight going seven furlongs are Bullet Gone Astray, one of two 2-year-old stakes winners this year for sire Gone Astray  . Bullet Gone Astray improved to 2-for-2 with a nine-length victory in the Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes Aug. 1.

"He's coming here because every time he runs he comes out of the race better than went he went in - bigger, stronger, and anxious to do more," said trainer Henry Collazo. "We don't know how good he is and this is one way of finding out. And, there's no place I'd rather be than Saratoga."

The field also includes Reddam Racing's Ralis, a son of Square Eddie   who ships east for trainer Doug O'Neill after finishing second in the Graduation Stakes for California-breds Aug. 5 at Del Mar.

The race will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1, as part of the Jockey Club Tour on FOX Sports.