WITH ANTICIPATION (G3) RECAP: Friday, September 3, 2010

Friday, September 3, 2010

 

SOLDAT TAKES TO TURF IN WITH ANTICIPATION

 

By Ashley Herriman

 

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Soldat broke his maiden in style Friday evening at Saratoga Race Course, stalking the pacesetter and opening up in the stretch to win the sixth running of the Grade 3, $100,000 With Anticipation in his first start on turf.

 

As an eager Typhoon Slew led the field through an opening quarter in 23.09, Soldat waited patiently a length behind the front runner and remained there through a half mile in 47.97. Asked for run at the quarter pole, he opened up through the stretch to cross the wire three lengths in front of Powhatan County.

 

Soldat’s final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:41.37

 

“He really took to the grass,” said winning jockey Alan Garcia. “Very impressive. When I asked him at the quarter-pole, whoosh! He really took off.”

 

With the win, Soldat improved his record to 1-2-0 from three starts and tripled his career earnings to $80,000 for owners Harvey Clark and W. Craig Robertson, III.

 

“Steve Shahinian is Harvey Clarke’s racing manager and he’s the one that suggested we nominate and take a look [at this race],” said winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “It was his idea, so I have to give him credit. I thought if he liked the turf he could win this all the same as a maiden.”

 

McLaughlin had breezed Soldat once on the turf on August 13, and added that he was encouraged by that four-furlong workout (47.50), as well as the colt’s breeding.

 

“I’m happy that it’s a War Front, too, and for Harvey Clarke and Craig Robertson,” he added. “It’s a great connection and War Front is a very nice freshman sire that I trained for awhile, so I’m happy that he has his first graded stakes winner. War Front was by Danzig, so there’s a lot of turf there and [Soldat] worked well on it. We’ve always liked him. This was a great result today; we’re happy.”

 

Finishing behind favored Powhatan County, who was bumped at the start, were Typhoon Slew, Air Support, Silver Medallion, Kid Curry, Grigio, Manchurian High, Sensational Slam and Lou Brissie.

 

Sent off as the 8-1 sixth choice in the field of ten, Soldat returned $19.40. With the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on November 6 at Churchill Downs a possible target, McLaughlin said that that Grade 3, $150,000 Pilgrim at Belmont Park on October 3 was “probably the right spot [for the colt’s next start], if we have enough time.”  

 

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