Don’t blink when the nine fastest horses on the field at Racecourse Saratoga entered the starting gate for the eighth race on August 27.
You may miss something.
Eighth is the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stock (G1), named after the legendary and highly respected Hall of Fame trainer. Jerkens love fast horses. He would love to get a front row seat for this gig.
The 3-year-old pony that the rest will have to catch is Jack Christopher , who seems to be the fastest of the fastest in this seven-times long test. Owned by Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud and Peter Brant, son of Munnings rallied on his first four starts, winning a total of 25 1/4.
“He’s the horse to beat,” said coach Dale Romans, who will run Howl time in Jerkens. “He’s definitely the dominant 3-year-old sprinter this year, but you don’t duck a horse.”
Howl time
Jack Christopher hit a huge hit in his last start, TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park July 23. He came in third, beaten a few lengths by Cyberknife , the second pick on the morning line for Runhappy Travers (G1). It was his first start with nine feathers.
Then coach Chad Brown decided that, for now, it was best for Jack Christopher to close the gap.
The only time Jack Christopher ran seven stretches, he won 10 lengths in the Woody Stephens Bet presented by Mohegan Sun (G1) in a time of 1:21.18.
“He’s as fast as a 3-year-old,” Brown said, and the rest of the field should take notice.
Brown will argue with you about whether Jack Christopher has a distance limit. Before his career ends, wait to see him run two-turn races.
“I wouldn’t hold the horse in seven races,” Brown said. “I think this horse can run a mile, a mile, and an eighth with a different setup. It’s done a mile. I wouldn’t be surprised if this horse wins a big two-way race. turn.”
Jack Christopher, named after Bakke’s grandson, missed his chance to compete for the Triple Crown in the spring because after winning the Champagne Stakes (G1) last October, he had to take a seven-month break from competition. for shin surgery.
When he returned, he made up for lost time with a solid victory in the Pat Day Mile Stakes presented by LG&E and KU (G2) at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Since the time of Haskell, Brown has been impressed with his horse training.
Jack Christopher joins Jose Ortiz to win the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs
Brown said: “He was back to his old self after a languid split from Haskell. “He worked a little harder and I’m happy with that.”
Jack Christopher, who will start at lesson 6, will be driven by Jose Ortiz.
Brown has another pony in this race that the bear is tracking.
Light race Exactly the son of Realistic jokes , will begin his third for Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables. After his maiden break at Belmont in June, Brown gave him a chance in Amsterdam Stakes (G2) in Saratoga on 31 July and he did not disappoint,
He was hit in the neck by Jerkens’ opponent Gunite owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and coached by Steve Asmussen.
“Accretive is another horse, like Artorius (one of his horses in Travers) is moving fast,” Brown said. We’re actually checking that he doesn’t have a lot of experience going into such a race. I think he made it. “
Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Accretive in the first two starts, will be available from lesson 9.
Gunite has won two out of three starts this year. The son of Gunman number equal to or close to that of Tyler Gaffalione.
Winchell Thoroughbreds race manager David Fiske said: “Gunite just kept going. “You think he’s done, but he keeps grinding.”
Howling Time, owned by Albaugh Family Stables, was fourth in Haskell in its most recent start-up. In the previous race, he was hit by a Cyberknife in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill June 12.
The Romans were also using the strategy of cutting the distance for their horse, the son of Not this time .
“I think he’s going to like it,” Romans said. “It might be the best thing for him, take a turn.”
Also entered for Jerkens is Conagher , owned by Patricia’s Hope and Mark Farrar and trained by Michael Tomlinson; Scott Zimmerman’s Legacy Runninsonofagun , coached by John Toscano Jr.; Calumet’s Farm Jack is happy who finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby and eighth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) for coach Doug O’Neill; Actuator , owned by Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rags Racing Stable, Rick Howard, and Gavin O’Connor and coached by Michael McCarthy; and Jordan V. Wycoff’s Totalizer Trained by Mike Maker.
