Renegade and Commandment Collide Again at Saratoga

Jim Dandy Rekindles the Derby Rivalries Under the Spa Sun

Saratoga puts on one of its most anticipated cards of the summer this Saturday, and the marquee event is a Jim Dandy that reads like a Triple Crown reunion tour. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is sitting this one out, saving himself for the Travers later this month, but that just clears the stage for his closest rivals to settle old scores. Derby runner up Renegade and Belmont runner up Commandment have already tangled twice this year, and now they get a third crack at each other over the Jim Dandy's mile and an eighth. Commandment, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat, sits as the 6-5 morning line favorite after a strong Belmont effort, while Todd Pletcher's Renegade, with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, is close behind at 7-5. Steve Asmussen's Ohio Derby winner Chip Honcho could try to make it a gate to wire affair from Jose Ortiz's saddle, and Mark Casse's Silent Tactic returns from injury with a dangerous closing kick. Only five go to post, but four of them have a real shot, and four of the last five Jim Dandy winners went on to capture the Travers itself.

The undercard is just as juicy. In the Saratoga Special, Booked tries to complete a juvenile double for Steve Asmussen as the 7-5 favorite. He was second on debut in April before reeling off two straight wins, breaking his maiden at Saratoga in June and then romping by six lengths in the Sanford on the Fourth of July. Now he has to get past a trio of flashy debut winners in Flight Command and Twinkle Town, plus a dirt first timer in Uncle Kef, who steps onto the main track for the first time after running turf stakes at Woodbine. Flight Command carries extra intrigue as the first graded stakes starter by 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline. Meanwhile the Lake George brings out nine three year old fillies on the grass, headlined by Brad Cox's class rising Amberglen and Chad Brown's Deep Learning, with Brown chasing an eighth Lake George win since 2015.

Head down to Virginia and the stakes get even bigger. Colonial Downs hosts its Festival of Racing on Saturday, and the centerpiece is the $1 million Arlington Million, thoroughbred racing's original seven figure race, now in its fourth year at its new Virginia home. Defending champion Fort Washington, trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Manny Franco, is trying to join the legendary John Henry as a two time winner of the Million, but he faces a stiff test from Burnham Square, the Ian Wilkes trained Blue Grass Stakes winner who has blossomed since shifting from dirt to turf. Todd Pletcher's Dresden Row breaks from the rail off a sharp third in the Wise Dan, and Gran Oriente arrives for Saffie Joseph Jr. chasing a third straight stakes win. The card also features the Beverly D. for older fillies and mares and the Secretariat Stakes for three year olds, giving Colonial Downs one of its richest single days of the year.

Out west, Del Mar hosts its own Grade 1 showcase in the Clement L. Hirsch, where defending champion Seismic Beauty tries to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert four straight wins in the race. She will not have it easy against a nine mare field that includes Brad Cox's fast improving Chasten, fresh off a six length romp, and a trio of California-bred fillies hoping to end a 15-year drought since a Cal-bred horse last won this race.

Sunday turns into an accidental bonanza at Saratoga. Torrential rain washed out Wednesday's entire card, including the Curlin Stakes, and forced NYRA to move Thursday's turf races onto the main track and postpone the Glens Falls Stakes outright. All three, the Grade 3 Adirondack, the rescheduled Grade 2 Glens Falls, and the Listed Curlin, now land on one packed eleven race Sunday program starting at 1:10 in the afternoon.

Between a Triple Crown rematch at Saratoga, a seven figure showdown at Colonial Downs, a stacked distaff field at Del Mar, and a flood delayed Sunday tripleheader, this is about as much racing as one weekend can hold. Grab a program, because every one of these fields is too close to call from the grandstand.