Sanford Kicks Off Spa Stakes Slate for Juvenile Males
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Cucina (outside) breaks his maiden June 21 at Belmont Park
The stakes season for 2-year-old males at Saratoga Race Course kicks off July 13 on a modest note with a field of five lined up for the six-furlong, $150,000 Sanford Stakes (G3).
And there might be fewer starters than that in the 105th edition of the Sanford, a race won by Triple Crown champions Affirmed and Secretariat.
Trainer Mark Casse entered Donald R. Dizney's Cucina in the Sanford but said he might wait until race day to decide whether the Florida-bred son of Northern Afleet will run.
"I'm on the fence," Casse said. "I was thinking about running him in the (Aug. 10) Saratoga Special (G2), but when this one came up light, we decided to take a look."
Cucina is coming off a neck win in a maiden race that was washed off the turf June 21 at Belmont Park. It was his second start, after a length loss in a Gulfstream Park maiden race on the main track. While Casse believes there's turf in the 2-year-old's future, he prefers to continue along with a dirt campaign as long as the homebred continues to shine.
"The first time we ran him, it was right off being at the training center," Casse said. "After that, I said he was good enough to win in New York, so that's why we shipped him north."
The field also includes KEM Stables' Memorable, who was fifth in the Tremont Stakes after a debut maiden win at Churchill Downs; California shipper Raging Whiskey; Delaware Park maiden winner Tomato Bill; and By Your Side, who won his debut at Churchill Downs.
The Sanford will be contested as the third of 11 scheduled races Saturday, with a post time of about 2:10 p.m. ET.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, July 13, 2019, Race 3Entries: Sanford S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Memorable (KY)
John R. Velazquez
120
Steven M. Asmussen
6/1
2
2Raging Whiskey (MD)
Javier Castellano
120
Doug F. O'Neill
5/2
3
3Cucina (FL)
Tyler Gaffalione
120
Mark E. Casse
8/5
4
4Tomato Bill (KY)
Kendrick Carmouche
120
Christophe Clement
9/2
5
5By Your Side (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
120
Eddie Kenneally
5/2
