SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. – After putting up consistently big numbers over the past two years, while competing mostly in minor stakes in Arkansas and Texas, Skelly makes his G1 debut Saturday in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga. The five-year-old Practical Joke gelding has won 10 of his last 12 starts, finishing a close second in the other two, including the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3) on the Saudi Cup program in February.
Virtually all of Skelly’s races have been won on the lead, and in most of them he prevailed by open lengths. Regular jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen and Red Lane Thoroughbreds LLC of Mason, Texas.
What may give opponents hope in the Vanderbilt is the fact that Skelly’s two runner-up finishes both occurred in his last four starts. Most recently, on June 1, he was passed late by 18-1 longshot Closethegame Sugar in the ungraded Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Only five horses could be rounded up to face Skelly in the $350,000 race, but three of them are accorded a decent chance versus the 6-5 morning-line favorite. Wesley Ward’s Nakatomi (5-2) comes in off a third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on March 30. The five-year-old gelded son of Firing Line has yet to finish first in a graded race, but he also hit the board in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint as well as in the Phoenix (G2), Maryland Sprint (G3) and Tom Fool Stakes (G3). As a two-year-old, Nakatomi finished third in the Saratoga Special (G3) and was unplaced in the Norfolk Stakes (G1) at the Royal Ascot meeting.
And then there’s Baby Yoda (7-2). The six-year-old gelding stirred memories of his 2021 and 2022 form by exploding to an eight-length win in the True North Stakes (G3) here on June 8. At three and four, the son of the Malibu Moon stallion Prospective finished second in the G1 Malibu and third in the Vosburgh and Kelso, both G2s. The Bill Mott-conditioned gelding has turned in a pair of strong recent works on the Saratoga main track.
Subrogate, a winner of three straight allowances, is also a surprising 7-2 in his graded-stakes debut. Twisted Ride, a minor stakes winner at Parx, and allowance winner My Buddy B, are both pegged at 20-1.
Originally Published: July 26, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
Source link : https://www.troyrecord.com/2024/07/26/horse-racing-skelly-seeks-grade-1-glory-in-a-g-vanderbilt/
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Publish date : 2024-07-26 23:02:15
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