One of many marquee races of Saratoga Race Course’s summer time meet is ready for Saturday, when the $500,000, Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap shall be run on the inside turf course. The Fourstardave is held at one mile and gives an automated berth to the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Introduced by PDJF on Nov. 2 at Del Mar as a part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Problem Sequence. The race is known as after a beloved New York-bred gelding who received not less than one race on the Spa each meet from 1987 to 1994, together with two wins on this race.
The Fourstardave has been received by a few of the prime grass racehorses of the previous quarter-century-plus, together with such standouts as Lure (1993), Da Hoss (1996), Leroidesanimaux (2005), Smart Dan (2012, 2013), Vacationer (2016), World Approval (2017), and Acquired Stormy (2019, 2021).
This 12 months’s 40th version of the Fourstardave is highlighted by the presence of Grasp of The Seas, who received the 2023 FanDuel BC Mile and is ready to make his second begin of the 12 months. The Fourstardave shall be televised nationwide on FOX as a part of the three-hour “Saratoga Saturdays” present. It has a scheduled publish time of 5:43 p.m. ET.
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Learn on for details about all the Fourstardave starters:
1. Robust High quality
Jockey: Dylan Davis
Coach: Mark Casse
Homeowners: Gary Barber and Kinsman Steady
Profession document: 20 begins – 6 wins – 5 seconds – 3 thirds
Profession earnings: $643,060
Earnings per begin: $32,153
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 114
Pedigree: High quality Street – Tiz So Candy, by Tiznow
Age: 5
Colour: Darkish bay or brown
Working model: Pacesetter
Notable achievements and fascinating details: A confirmed frontrunner, Robust High quality ought to give Ottoman Fleet firm early within the Fourstardave, and he’ll must run the race of his profession so as to have a shot on the upset. The son of High quality Street has tallied a pair of stakes wins over the previous 12 months and a half, however each of these have come in opposition to lesser opposition and certainly one of them – the Knicks Go Stakes again in early Could at Churchill Downs – got here on dust. After that win, Robust High quality contested the tempo within the Grade 1 Resorts World On line casino Manhattan Stakes June 8 over Saratoga’s outer turf course however gave approach within the far flip of the 1 3/16-mile race and completed final of eight. Over his previous 12 begins courting again to February 2023, Robust High quality has completed worse than fourth solely 4 occasions, all in Grade 1 or Grade 2 stakes. First-time rider Dylan Davis is having an impressive Saratoga meet, and search for him to let this one-dimensional runner do what he does finest. Corridor of Fame coach Mark Casse has received this race 3 times, with World Approval in 2017 after which with the good filly Acquired Stormy in 2019 and 2021. Gary Barber co-owned Acquired Stormy for her preliminary Fourstardave win and in addition co-owned 2015 victor Vacationer.
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2. Grasp of The Seas
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Coach: Charles Appleby
Proprietor: Godolphin
Profession document: 17 begins – 9 wins – 3 seconds – 2 thirds
Profession earnings: $2,520,582
Earnings per begin: $148,270
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 119
Pedigree: Dubawi – Firth of Lorne, by Danehill
Age: 6
Colour: Bay
Working model: Nearer
Notable achievements and fascinating details: Already a Breeders’ Cup winner, Grasp of The Seas will attempt the tight turns of Saratoga’s inside turf course for the primary time Saturday. If his stablemate Ottoman Fleet and Robust High quality crew as much as set a swift early tempo, he ought to be flying via the lane. He’s a nostril shy of being an ideal 4-for-4 in North America, successful the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes final fall, simply lacking in opposition to As much as the Mark within the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland, after which surging via Santa Anita Park’s homestretch to nip Mawj by a nostril within the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Introduced by PDJF in November. The gelding then returned after a break of over 5 months within the April 12 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes at Keeneland and simply defeated 4 opponents together with runner-up and stablemate Naval Energy. Grasp of The Seas received 5 group stakes in England and Dubai earlier than competing on these shores, and misplaced the 2021 English Two Thousand Guineas – the primary jewel of the English Triple Crown – by a nostril. He’s a real mile specialist and will have the ability to deal with a turf course with moisture in it as his current win within the Maker’s Mark Mile got here on yielding floor (there’s a 60 % likelihood of rain Saturday in Saratoga Springs). Godolphin secure jockey William Buick shall be at Colonial Downs using within the Arlington Million Stakes, however his substitute couldn’t be a better option, as Flavien Prat is successful at a 23 % clip in the course of the present Saratoga meet. The one query mark with this elite runner considerations whether or not Ottoman Fleet will get sufficient early strain to make sure quick fractions within the Fourstardave. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, proprietor of Godolphin, received the Fourstardave in 2003 with Trademark and in 2009 with Justenuffhumor beneath the Darley Steady banner.
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3. Main Dude
Jockey: John Velazquez
Coach: Todd Pletcher
Proprietor: Spendthrift Farm
Profession document: 15 begins – 5 wins – 3 seconds – 2 thirds
Profession earnings: $852,712
Earnings per begin: $56,847
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 108
Pedigree: Bolt d’Oro – Mary Rita, by Distorted Humor
Age: 4
Colour: Bay
Working model: Stalker
Notable achievements and fascinating details: Main Dude has began his 4-year-old season in good kind however will step again into stakes firm and faces a troublesome problem within the Fourstardave. The Bolt d’Oro colt made his first 2024 begin in a 1/16-mile allowance non-compulsory claiming race on the Belmont on the Large A meet (Aqueduct) in late June and completed second by a neck to Large Everest earlier than impressively successful a 1 1/8-mile allowance non-compulsory claiming race three weeks in the past on the outer turf course at Saratoga. In that race, Main Dude saved floor via the backstretch and much flip, discovered room on the within in the course of the stretch run and received going away by two lengths. Previous to 2024, Main Dude made 12 consecutive begins in graded stakes, 9 of the final 10 of them on turf, along with his finest efforts being a win within the Grade 3 Kitten’s Pleasure Stakes in early 2023 at Gulfstream Park after which in a win within the Grade 2 Penn Mile Stakes at Penn Nationwide in June of final 12 months. He’s a constant kind who normally might be counted on to rally from off the tempo, however his velocity figures have topped out round 10 factors under the historic customary for Fourstardave winners and are the bottom on this 12 months’s discipline. Corridor of Fame jockey John Velazquez rode Main Dude in his July allowance win and retains the mount – search for him to try an analogous journey positioned near the rail within the Fourstardave. Velazquez has received this race a document 9 occasions: in 1992 (Now Hear), 1996 (Da Hoss), 2001 (Dr. Kashnikow), 2004 (Nothing to Lose), 2005 (Leroidesanimaux), 2008 (Crimson Big), 2011 (Sidney’s Sweet), and 2012 and 2013 (Smart Dan). Fellow Corridor of Famer Todd Pletcher has two wins, with Crimson Big and Halladay (2020). Spendthrift Farm co-owned 2020 winner Acquired Stormy.
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4. Carl Spackler
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Coach: Chad Brown
Homeowners: e 5 Racing Thoroughbreds
Profession document: 8 begins – 5 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $704,475
Earnings per begin: $88,059
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 114
Pedigree: Lope de Vega – Zindaya, by Extra Than Prepared
Age: 4
Colour: Chestnut
Working model: Press the tempo/stalker
Notable achievements and fascinating details: This proficient turf runner arguably has the most effective likelihood amongst U.S.-based Fourstardave entrants to upset the Godolphin pair of Grasp of The Seas and Ottoman Fleet. Irish-bred Carl Spackler has tallied 4 stakes wins, three of them graded, via solely eight profession begins. His most up-to-date win got here July 13 when he outfinished widespread foe Discuss of the Nation to take the Grade 3 Kelso Stakes at Saratoga by a half-length. The Kelso is Saratoga’s native prep for the Fourstardave, additionally held at one mile on the inside turf course, and Carl Spackler’s win in that race boosted his profession document on the Spa’s inside turf to 3-for-4, including to 2 graded stakes wins in the course of the 2023 meet. He earned a career-top 114 Equibase Pace Determine within the Kelso and retains the providers of jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who has been aboard for every of his begins going again a 12 months, together with all of his stakes wins. Search for Gaffalione to place Carl Spackler simply behind projected frontrunners Ottoman Fleet and Robust High quality and forward of the opposite three Fourstardave horses, which ought to allow him to evaluate the early tempo and decide the appropriate time to induce his mount into rivalry. Surprisingly, perennial main Saratoga turf coach Chad Brown has but to win the Fourstardave. Gaffalione rode Acquired Stormy to the second of her two wins on this race, coming in 2021.
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5. Cash Provide
Jockey: Manuel Franco
Coach: Joe Sharp
Proprietor: Jordan Wycoff
Profession document: 19 begins – 8 wins – 2 seconds – 3 thirds
Profession earnings: $717,481
Earnings per begin: $37,762
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 105
Pedigree: Sensible Joke – Evita’s Sister, by Sweet Trip
Age: 5
Colour: Bay
Working model: Stalker/nearer
Notable achievements and fascinating details: Fourstardave longshot Cash Provide ships to Saratoga off a victory in his first profession turf begin. That occurred on July 6 within the Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis, a 1 1/16-mile grass stakes run on yielding turf. In that race, the Sensible Joke horse sat subsequent to final early on earlier than transferring up within the far flip and unleashing a sustained cost via the stretch to win by a head over Runaway Storm. Cash Provide had matured right into a graded stakes-level racehorse on dust earlier this 12 months, successful the Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes Introduced by Relyne GI by Hagyard at Truthful Grounds again in February after which ending third within the Grade 2 New Orleans Basic Stakes Introduced by Relyne GI by Hagyard on the identical observe in March. Total, he’s put collectively a positive profession, successful half of his begins and displaying loads of stamina. Actually, a mile could also be shorter than his most popular distance. His connections are displaying supreme confidence in delivery Cash Provide to Saratoga after one begin on turf to tackle the likes of Grasp of The Seas, Ottoman Fleet, and Carl Spackler. Manny Franco rode this horse early in his profession in three straight dust allowance races, and he will get again aboard for the most important check but. Franco rode 2017 Fourstardave winner World Approval.
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6. Ottoman Fleet
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Coach: Charles Appleby
Proprietor: Godolphin
Profession document: 19 begins – 7 wins – 5 seconds – 5 thirds
Profession earnings: $1,088,717
Earnings per begin: $57,301
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 122
Pedigree: Sea The Stars – Innevera, by Motivator
Age: 5
Colour: Bay
Working model: Press the tempo
Notable achievements and fascinating details: This gelded son of European Horse of the Yr Sea the Stars joins Grasp of The Seas in giving Godolphin and Charlie Appleby a really formidable 1-2 punch within the Fourstardave. His working model is the exact opposite of his stablemate’s – Ottoman Fleet prefers to be forwardly positioned in his races, and he’s employed that technique to win two out of his three U.S. begins in 2024. After first making an impression in the course of the Belmont Park meet in spring 2023 with a win within the Grade 2 Fort Marcy Stakes and a third-place end within the Resorts World On line casino Manhattan Stakes, Ottoman Fleet spent final winter in Dubai and received certainly one of 4 stakes begins earlier than coming again for a repeat bid within the 1 1/8-mile Fort Marcy on Could 4, held at Belmont on the Large A (Aqueduct). He bobbled initially however recovered to almost prevail, ending second by a neck to Grasp Piece, after which shipped to Churchill Downs and posted snug back-to-back wins in the course of the observe’s spring/summer time meet within the Grade 3 Arlington Stakes and most just lately the Grade 2 Smart Dan Stakes, each held at 1 1/16 miles. He led at each level of name within the Smart Dan and drew clear to prevail by 1 ½ lengths, incomes a 114 Equibase Pace Determine that adopted a 122 ESF within the Arlington. Ottoman Fleet will race at one mile for the primary time Saturday – this gelding typically goes longer – and will probably be fascinating to see how aggressive first-time jockey and up to date Corridor of Fame inductee Joel Rosario is on his mount within the early phases since Grade 3-level turf runner Robust High quality is the one different front-running kind entered. It’s value noting that Flavien Prat, who rode Ottoman Fleet in each of his Churchill stakes wins, takes the reins on stablemate Grasp of The Seas within the Fourstardave. It could not be shocking to see these two Godolphin horses sq. off in a heated stretch duel Saturday night. Rosario received the 2014 Fourstardave aboard Search Once more and the 2016 renewal on Vacationer. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum has two wins on this race beneath his former Darley Steady banner: Trademark (2003) and Justenuffhumor (2009).
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7. Extra Than Seems to be
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Coach: Cherie DeVaux
Proprietor: Victory Racing Companions
Profession document: 8 begins – 4 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Profession earnings: $493,215
Earnings per begin: $61,652
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 113
Pedigree: Extra Than Prepared – Women’ Privilege, by Harlan’s Vacation
Age: 4
Colour: Darkish bay or brown
Working model: Nearer
Notable achievements and fascinating details: This a number of stakes winner must unleash a career-best effort coming again after a nine-month layoff to have any shot at pulling the upset Saturday. Extra Than Seems to be was final seen rallying from final of 13 to complete sixth within the Nov. 4 FanDuel BC Mile at Santa Anita Park, displaying a swift kick within the lane to complete two lengths behind Grasp of The Seas, who closed even quicker from 12th within the early phases. Previous to that, the son of Extra Than Prepared had received two out of three stakes races in summer time and fall 2023, rallying late in all three of them. His wins got here within the Grade 3 Manila Stakes held at one mile on Belmont Park’s outer turf course after which in September within the Jefferson Cup Stakes at Churchill Downs, additionally going one mile on grass. In between these victories, he completed third following a sluggish begin behind Carl Spackler within the August 2023 Nationwide Museum of Racing Corridor of Fame Stakes held at one mile on Saratoga’s inside turf. Extra Than Seems to be flashed loads of potential throughout his 3-year-old season and arguably hasn’t reached his ceiling having made solely eight begins. That stated, coming again for his first 4-year-old begin at this Grade 1 stage in late summer time is a really powerful project. If he’s certainly prepared to achieve one other stage off of the layoff, first-time jockey and reigning Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr. ought to have Extra Than Seems to be closing from again of the pack alongside Grasp of The Seas when the sector turns for house. Ortiz has but to win the Fourstardave, however it’s value noting that he’s received half of his 10 begins over the previous 12 months when using for coach Cherie DeVaux, who’s having a positive Saratoga meet.
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