Saranac Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Public Sector Gets Second Saratoga Turf Win In Saranac

Klaravich Stables' Public Sector followed up his win in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes with a one-length win over Repole Stable's Never Surprised in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Four weeks after his one-length win on the Saratoga turf, Public Sector broke sharply from the first post, Irad Ortiz, Jr. taking up position on the hedge as Never Surprised took the head in the opening furlong. Content to sit back in fourth, Public Sector moved off the hedge on the backstretch, as Never Surprised set fractions of :24.73 for the first quarter and :49.19 for the half-mile. On the far turn, Ortiz angled Public Sector through an opening between horses, going two wide entering the stretch.

Never Surprised maintained his lead into the Saratoga straight, but Public Sector made his bid for the front to his outside, easily passing the former frontrunner in the final furlong to win the G3 stakes by a length. Like the King was third.

The final time for the 1 1/16-mile Saranac was 1:41.78 over a firm turf course. Find this race's chart here.

Public Sector paid $4.40, $2.30, and $2.10. Never Surprised paid $2.80 and $2.40. Like the King paid $3.00.

“He broke well and Irad let them run a way a little bit. I thought maybe he would run on to the turn and make them go a little bit more, but he decided to take that first eighth of a mile that way where he just let them get a way a little bit, but quickly he scooted up into the pocket not too far away. From there, I thought we at least had a fair chance to win the race without knowing how he would do when he would draw alongside a really good horse” trainer Chad Brown said after the race.

“I got a perfect trip. We broke well from the one-hole and two horses had speed, so I sat off of them. When it was time to roll, I asked my horse and he was loaded. When he switched leads, he gave me a good turn-of-foot. He responded really well,” Irad Ortiz, Jr. told the NYRA Press Office after the Saranac.

Bred in England by The Kathryn Stud, the 3-year-old colt is by Kingman (GB) out of the Montjeu (IRE) mare Parle Moi (IRE). Public Sector was purchased by owner Klaravich Stables from consigner Clearwater Stud for $217,822 at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. His win in the Saranac brings Public Sector to three wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of four wins in eight starts and career earnings of $378,600.

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Longshot Bye Bye Melvin Snares Saranac With Late Rally On Soggy Saratoga Turf

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez angled Bye Bye Melvin out in the stretch and piloted his charge through a thrilling stretch run that saw him overtake three rivals, including pacesetter Don Juan Kitten in the final jumps, for a rallying win by a head as the longest shot on the board in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Off at 19-1, Bye Bye Melvin tracked in second position as 2-1 favorite Don Juan Kitten led the eight-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 27.17 seconds on the soft Mellon turf course that was pelted by rain.

Velazquez guided Bye Bye Melvin through a ground-saving trip, which he capitalized on out of the final turn by tipping him out and having him pick off a pair of rivals before running down the Danny Gargan-trained Don Juan Kitten just before the wire, completing the one-mile course in 1:39.92.

The 113th running of the Saranac, originally carded for the inner turf course, marked the first stakes win for Bye Bye Melvin, a Graham Motion trainee whose previous best effort came in a runner-up effort to Vannzy in the Jersey Derby on July 26 at Monmouth Park.

“It's very soft and heavy out there,” Velazquez said. “Even though they rolled it, it feels like you're going very deep in the ground. We were running right on top of the rain, so it's deep and slick at the same time, but he came running anyway.

“The first part, I came out running just to get a position going into the first turn,” Velazquez added. “He did not want to go anywhere. I grabbed him until he got more comfortable. He was lugging in down the stretch and I had to get after him, and he was slipping and sliding but he was good enough to get there. He was trying as hard as he could, but at the same time he was slipping. But he got there anyways.”

Owned and bred by Alex G. Campbell, Jr., Bye Bye Melvin improved to 3-1-1 in nine starts and has finished first or second four times in his last six starts. The Uncle Mo colt is out of Dynaformer mare Karlovy Vary and is a half-brother to the Motion-trained three-time graded stakes-winner Mean Mary, who ran second by a neck to Rushing Fall in last week's Grade 1 Diana. Bye Bye Melvin impressed his conditioner with his effort in the inclement weather.

“He's a late developer,” Motion said. “He's been a little bit of a project in that way, but I'm not surprised with the way he ran He slugs it out and he obviously handled the soft turf better than most.”

Motion said the addition of blinkers was beneficial.

“My team at home [Fair Hill] thought it might help him focus a little bit, so I give credit to my assistant Cat McGee and Skylar McKenna, who gallops him every day,” Motion said. “He's not easy in the morning and I give them a lot of credit for how he ran today.”

Bye Bye Melvin returned $41 on a $2 win bet. He more than doubled his career earnings to $107,965.

Don Juan Kitten, ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, finished 2 ½ lengths in front of Bodecream for second, marking his best stakes performance in three attempts.

“I had everything my way. The horse ran his heart out,” Carmouche said. “With different circumstances and a bit of a firmer turf course, I think it could have made the difference for us. But the horse ran well, we went into the race good and the horse gave us 100 percent. That's all we can ask for.

“He was running on “E” by the time he [Bye Bye Melvin] got there from running over that soft turf course, the only reason the winner beat us is because he had a good gallop,” he added.

Embolden, Irish Mias, Three Technique, L'Imperator and Vanzzy completed the order of finish. Big Dreaming and Turn of Events scratched, as did main-track only entrant Ima Pharoah.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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Vanzzy Tops Saranac Field

Three-time stakes winner Vanzzy (Verrazano) looks to take his game to the next level Saturday in Saratoga’s GIII Saranac S. Capturing the Display S. last term, the bay won this year’s Rushaway S. in March on the Turfway synthetic and was fourth next out when trying grass for the first time in Belmont’s GII Pennine Ridge S. June 20. Third in the GIII Kent S. on the Delaware lawn July 4, he scored a decisive victory in the Jersey Derby last time at Monmouth July 26.

“His last race was his best, and he’s just getting better,” trainer Michael Pino said. “I think he fits, his last race was good he tucked in saved some ground and pushed away that’s a better trip. It looked like he had a good finish. Where he sits early on depends on how the race goes. He can do either, but I would rather sit a little off it.”

Chad Brown can never be overlooked in a grass stakes and he sends out French import L’Imperator (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). The bay won three of his four starts overseas for his previous connections and was privately purchased by Madaket Stables, Robert LaPenta and Wonder Stables and sent to Brown. L’Imperator receives Lasix for the first time in this event.

Don Juan Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) seeks his first black-type victory Saturday. Missing by a neck in a June 7 allowance at Belmont, the gray scored a decisive win in a one-mile test at the Spa July 25.

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