Owner-trainer Uriah St. Lewis, who sprung a 45-1 upset with Discreet Lover in the 2018 Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, said he's back with another live longshot in Forewarned for Saturday's 103rd renewal of the 10-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up at Saratoga Race Course.
In the 2018 edition, Discreet Lover, with Manny Franco up, settled off a sharp pace set by that year's Grade 1 Whitney-winner Diversify before angling six-wide for the stretch run and powering past the pacesetter and Mendelssohn to best Thunder Snow by a neck.
St. Lewis said that both Discreet Lover and Forewarned had the advantage of being horses that want the classic distance.
“That day, I said if they run real, real fast then he has a chance to win – and they ran real fast in the beginning. Diversify and the next horse [Mendelssohn] hooked each other and that was good enough for me,” St. Lewis said. “This horse [Forewarned] can sit a little closer, but he can get the mile and a quarter. If he's within striking distance, he'll get the mile and a quarter. I hope we can win it again and enjoy it.”
Since joining the St. Lewis stable in December 2018, the Ohio-bred Forewarned has made four starts at 1 ¼-miles, posting a record of 2-1-1, including back-to-back scores in the Best of Ohio Endurance in 2019-20.
“This horse loves a mile and a quarter. Every time he runs a mile and a quarter, he's 1-2-3,” St. Lewis said. “The horse is doing fantastic right now. You have to make sure you have a good enough horse to compete with them. I think this horse is good enough. He can get the mile and a quarter and I don't think all of them in this race can get the distance.”
Forewarned ran a game second last out in the 10-furlong Ohio Governor's Cup, making a narrow lead late in the lane only to be turned back by resurgent pacesetter Magna Man, who prevailed by a head.
St. Lewis will charge returning rider Sonny Leon, a three-time winner aboard Forewarned, with keeping the 6-year-old Flat Out bay to task in the “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.
“Last time he made the lead and stopped and finished short,” St. Lewis said. “In this trip, we know now when he makes the lead you have to keep going after him because when he gets to the front he thinks he's finished.”
Listed at 50-1 on the morning line, Forewarned is the longest shot in a field led by the improving Forza Di Oro [8-5] and last year's winner Happy Saver [9-5], but St. Lewis said he is prepared to swing for the fences.
“That's just opinion,” St. Lewis said of the morning-line assessment. “The horse can't read the odds board. I'm taking my chance. I think he can win. My jockey thinks he can win and this horse thinks he can win. That's a home run.”
Last Friday, St. Lewis sent out Informative to run seventh at odds of 63-1 in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Charles Town Classic won by Art Collector. That effort came two starts after Informative captured the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at 79-1 in June at Monmouth Park.
St. Lewis said Informative may have been confused in the three-turn race.
“He was picking them up on the backside and I thought he was going to win, but when he got up to within five lengths, he had to switch leads and he took a little break,” St. Lewis said.
St. Lewis said Informative could target the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward, a nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up, on October 2 at Belmont.
“That might suit him better. It's a one-turn race. It's on the radar,” St. Lewis said.
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