Sat: The Whitney G1 750K

Fort Larned works a bullet, Csaba a late entry for Whitney

Trying to become only the second horse to win the Whitney Handicap in back-to-back years, Fort Larned indicated his readiness for Saturday's 86th edition with a bullet five-furlong breeze Monday morning.

NYRA clockers caught the five-year-old bay son of E Dubai going five-eighths in 1:00 3/5 on the main track under regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. It was the fastest of 31 works at the distance.

"Everything went good; we're very happy," said Ian Wilkes, who trains Fort Larned for owner Janis Whitham. "It was just how he did it. It was a little crisp work, just the right way. I put a horse out there in front for him. I didn't want to hurt the other horse...but I wanted something for him to look at."

Discovery, who won three consecutive Whitneys from 1934-36 when it was contested at 1 1/4 miles, is the only horse to win the race in successive years. Hall of Famer Kelso (1961, 1963, 1965) and New York-bred Commentator (2005, 2008) are the only other horses to win the Whitney more than once.

Fort Larned won the 2012 Whitney, run at 1 1/8 miles since 1955, in 1:47 3/5, beating Ron the Greek by 1 1/4 lengths.

"It would be special," Wilkes said. "I'm fortunate enough to train a few horses for Marylou Whitney, which would make it even more special."

This year, Fort Larned stumbled and lost his rider in his debut, the Gulfstream Park Handicap in March, then was fifth, beaten 10 1/2 lengths, in the Oaklawn Handicap on April 13.

Given a freshening, Fort Larned came back to wire the field in the Stephen Foster Handicap on June 15 at Churchill Downs, his most recent race.

"I feel good," Wilkes said. "I think he's a more mature horse right now; he's more battle-tested. He's run some huge races against some of the best competition."

The post-position draw for the Whitney will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. (EDT) in the Saratoga paddock. Also expected to be entered are Alpha, Cross Traffic, Csaba, Fast Falcon, Mucho Macho Man and Successful Dan.

Csaba, a four-year-old son of Kitten's Joy, was a late addition to the probable field for the Whitney by trainer Phil Gleaves.

The multiple graded stakes winner, who has scored in five of his past seven starts, was being pointed toward Friday's Birdstone overnight stakes, and Gleaves elected to go to the Whitney when that race drew only three entries.

"We were pointing toward the Birdstone, but it is what it is, and it didn't fill," said Gleaves, who is based at Calder. "We've come up here with a horse that is ready to run, so we'll go in the Whitney."

Csaba, third last out in the Salvatore Mile at Monmouth, has experience over the Saratoga main track at the Whitney distance of 1 1/8 miles. Last year, he was beaten a nose by Quick Wit in an off-the-turf running of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. Csaba set the fractions throughout the race only to be caught at the end.

Gleaves had entertained thoughts of running in the Whitney even before the cancellation of the Birdstone.

"I had it in the back of my mind that if it was a small field we would go in the Whitney," he said. "It's going to be a field of high-quality animals. We're going to see where Csaba fits."

Brisnet

2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned , at 7/5 on the M/L, returns to Saratoga this Saturday to defend his $750,000 GI Whitney Hcp title against an awesome line-up of 7 other top-notch GI older horses as they will tackle this Saratoga main track at 1 1/8 mile this Saturday, for a gate in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic tilt out at Santa Anita Park this Nov.Free Past Performances,

Cross Traffic , at 5/2, proved he belongs in top GI company as he did everything but win the GI Met Mile last out where is lost that front-running trip by a nose to Sahara Sky in the final jump. We don’t know if he can go this 1 1/8 mile course all the way on the front end especially over this Saratoga main with a field filled with some truly professional closers chasing he home. He might be a better GI Forego entry to us.

Mucho Macho Man , who battled Fort Larned down to the wire in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic tilt has had a not so great 2013, thus far. He was pulled up in the Sunshine Millions Classic this past Jan. where sustained an injury that had him sidelined until a June 14th start in the $90k Criminal Type Stakes. Where he had the lead by the 2nd call only to give it up to San Pablo and Hymm Book for a just ok 3rd in that 1 1/16 mile tussle. 2nd time off the layoff here for him on Saturday and while we’d like to think he s back to full throttle we do carry some serious reservations about his ability to duke it out with the very hot Fort Larned in the stretch. We’d love to be wrong however!

Ron the Greek , at 6/1, is the ultimate closer with multiple GI wins to prove it. Everyone and we mean everyone better have something left in the tank at the end here on Saturday or this boy will just sail on by and was 2nd here last year. A solid board hitting prospect here so we’ll be getting him into our exotics quickly!

Alpha , at 10/1, will get the Joel Rosario treatment this Saturday as Joel has got his hands full with GI Deadheat Travers winner from last season. Alpha had 2 very unsuccessful runs over in Dubai earlier this year, that came a very middling 4th in the GII Suburban Hcp last out at Belmont. Is he the horse for the course this Saturday here at Saratoga stay tuned as 10/1 is mighty tempting!

Successful Dan , at 12/1, and is 2012 HOY Wise Dan’s wingman and had won 6 of 7 before a very distant 4th in the GI Steven Foster Hcp at Churchill Downs last out! Where he and everyone else found out that the real Fort Larned was back as he finished back 15 lengths that day. He might go out early with Cross Traffic here on Saturday in hopes of staying on for a piece! He’d be a good super thought to us!

Fast Falcon , at 15/1, nearly broke up that Travers dead heat here last year with a pants on fire run down the Saratoga middle to come from way back to miss that GI Travers win by a diminishing 1/2 length! Another horse for the course here on Saturday?

Csaba , at 20/1, showed a lot of promise for the future in the latter half of the 2012 3yo season and into 2013 with 2 south florida GIII wins then a decent enough 5th in the GI Donn Hcp this past winter. Mostly recently was an OK 3rd in the GIII Salavor Mile at Monmouth Park on GI United Nations day where he did do some late running to fill out the trifecta for that race. Nothing in his 2013 form would suggest a big effort is coming here on Saturday but anything over those 20/1 m/l odds might make us add him to that final spot on a dime super play. You can’t go wrong for a dime with this one.

So, a stellar GI field will line up for this edition of GI Whitney Hcp as a Breeders’ Cup ticket to ride into this year’s B/C Classic await this year’s winner!

Post Time is at 5:45 pm ET

PP. Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L Odds
1. Successful Dan J R Leparoux 118 C LoPresti 12/1
2. Mucho Macho Man E S Prado 119 K Ritvo 6/1
3. Fort Larned B J Hernandez, Jr. 122 I R Wilkes 7/5
4. Cross Traffic J R Velazquez 117 T A Pletcher 5/2
5. Ron the Greek J Lezcano 118 W I Mott 6/1
6. Alpha J Rosario 115 K P McLaughlin 10/1
7. Csaba L Saez 114 P A Gleaves 20/1
8. Fast Falcon J Alvarado 114 N P Zito 15/1

Downthestretch

PP's Brisnet
www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_viewer.php?track=SAR&race=10&date=2013-08-03

But Monti - It's the Spa - Graveyard of favorites! I take it you see no "onions" in this field? LOL

Onion? All Monti sees in this race is tomato cans.

WHOA - Successful Dan just flipped heading to the track. HRTV showing vid - Ugly fall

it was obvious from the start mack. one horse race was correct.