SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Looking to make it three in a row, Governor Sam wheels back less than two weeks after winning his stakes debut as he takes on five foes in today’s $150,000 Skidmore Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon turf at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by George Weaver for Bregman Family Racing and Swinbank Stables, Governor Sam made good on his heavy favoritism by winning the five-furlong Tyro on Aug. 3 at Monmouth Park by a neck over returning rival Jet Sweep Joe. Governor Sam’s successful stakes debut followed a 2 1/4-length maiden victory at Saratoga.
“It takes the right type of horse to think about coming back quickly, especially after coming back quickly already, but this horse fits the bill,” said Weaver. “He is big. A chunk of a horse, he carries his weight very well. Nothing fazes him. He shipped to Monmouth and back well.
“He is in fine form. He’s on a roll. It seems like a good opportunity for him,” said Weaver. “He won a stakes race at Monmouth and got a decent speed figure without breaking that sharply. He got stalking position and when called upon, he got up and won it.”
In his career debut, Governor Sam finished sixth in the five-furlong Royal Palm Juvenile in May at Gulfstream Park. He was three lengths back of the victorious Gabaldon, who exited to run a close second in the 27-horse Windsor Castle in June at Royal Ascot.
Out of the multiple graded stakes placed Into Mischief mare I’m Betty G, Governor Sam was a $275,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. He is a half-brother to active graded stakes winner Pin Up Betty.
Tyler Gaffalione has the call from post 3 aboard Governor Sam, the 7-5 morning-line favorite.
Gary Barber’s Louisiana-bred Classic Time is set for both a grass and stakes debut in the Skidmore. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Classic Empire bay has made a pair of efforts at the distance on dirt, graduating on July 12 at Saratoga. In that maiden win, Classic Time stalked and pounced en route to a geared-down 3 1/2-length score.
Classic Time returned to the tab with a half-mile breeze in 53.53 seconds over the Oklahoma turf on Aug. 2. He covered the same distance on the Spa main track in 50.25 on Aug. 8.
“The Classic Empires can do anything. I breezed him on the turf, I thought he went fair enough,” said Casse, who trained Classic Empire to win the 2016 Eclipse Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Male. “I’ve always said training racehorses is putting a puzzle together, this is a piece I’m trying. Let’s see if it works.”
Dylan Davis will be aboard Classic Time from post 4 at 12-1 odds.
Wathnan Racing’s Spiralizer looks to rebound on a new surface after a distant seventh in the six-furlong Bashford Manor on June 30 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Twirling Candy bay made his dirt stakes try after a debut win in which he was fractious at the gate but otherwise comfortable going five furlongs on June 13.
Asmussen said he looks forward to trying Spiralizer on the lawn after his Bashford Manor misfire. A Florida-bred out of the Speightstown mare Jotown, Spiralizer sold for $550,000 at the 2024 OBS March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.
“It was a hot pace and he drew the one hole. He was not in the right spot on the day. It was the circumstances,” said Asmussen. “He worked extremely well on the synthetic at OBS. He is by Twirling Candy, and this is another option.”
Flavien Prat will be aboard Spiralizer (8-1) from post 5.
Case Chambers, Paradise Farms Corp., and David Staudacher’s New York-bred Out On Bail (post 2, Jose Ortiz, 6-1) successfully switched to turf to graduate at third asking over today’s course and distance on July 24. Trained by Mike Maker, the half-length pacesetting score over fellow state-breds was a popular one as the gray is from the first crop of fan-favorite New York-bred Tiz the Law.
Out On Bail was previously second to well-regarded filly Phoebeinwonderland in a five-furlong dirt sprint in May and third to next-out Grade 3 Sanford winner Mo Plex in June, both at Belmont at the Big A.
Rounding out the field are Hall Stables’ dual stakes-placed Jet Sweep Joe (post 1, Joseph Bealmear, 5-1) for conditioner Paul McEntee and Douglas Scharbauer’s Texas homebred Raise the Bar (post 6, John Velazquez, 9-5), a debut winner for trainer Wesley Ward. Weaver also entered Soontobeking for the main track only.
Originally Published: August 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
Source link : https://www.saratogian.com/2024/08/15/horse-racing-weaver-not-worried-about-quick-turnaround-for-governor-sam/
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Publish date : 2024-08-16 04:04:21
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