Built Seeks First Graded Win in Vanderbilt

With a focus on sprinting in his 4-year-old season, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Built  is aiming to build on his résumé, and he will get that opportunity July 25 as the favorite in the $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course.

Most known for being a consistent presence on Louisiana's 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) trail, the 4-year-old son of Hard Spun   has turned in several eye-catching sprint performances in the allowance ranks this year, including a 6-furlong track record in 1:07.96 March 13 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. However, he has still yet to break through in three stakes attempts this year.

He nearly broke through last time, coming up a half-length short June 27 in the Bango Stakes (G3) on a sloppy Churchill Downs track. That was the second race in which trainer Wayne Catalano acquired the riding services of Irad Ortiz Jr., who one month earlier piloted him to a 4 3/4-length allowance win.

Ortiz remains teamed up with Built Saturday as the pair are clear 8-5 favorites from post 8.

Built won the ungraded Gun Runner Stakes as a juvenile at Fair Grounds two years ago.

Damon's Mound , the 4-1 second choice, will be on the opposite end of the gate after drawing the rail with Junior Alvarado aboard. Hall of Famer Bill Mott will saddle Cliff and Michele Love's multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire son of Girvin  , who returns to graded company off two stakes wins against Florida-breds.

Damon's Mound won the 2022 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) at the Spa as a juvenile when trained by Michelle Lovell.

Mott also enters LRE Racing's stakes winner T Kraft .

Trainer Gregg Sacco entered a pair of horses in Donna Wright and Omar Ghrghar's Just Beat the Odds  and Crazy Mason , owned by Wright in partnership with Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, but he told Daily Racing Form July 23 that he intends to scratch the two.

Grade 1 winner Nutella Fella  is also entered for what would be his 5-year-old debut, but trainer Joe Sharp told BloodHorse July 22 that he is likely to be scratched.

These scratches should lower prices for Built, Damon's Mound, and other leading contenders.

Among other entrants, stakes winner Hymn  and stakes debuter Cat On Time  both enter on three-race win streaks.

Hymn, a 4-year-old McKinzie   gelding trained by Ron Moquett for William Sparks, Bret Jones, and breeder Fleur de Lis Stables, captured spring allowance races at Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs before taking the June 27 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes at Laurel Park.

Jacobson Racing's Cat On Time, an eight-time winner from 20 starts, scored in his only start of 2026 when racing July 6 in allowance optional claiming company at Horseshoe Indianapolis.