Fourstardave was a Saratoga legend, winning eight years running at the Spa (1987-94), including two iterations of the race that now bears his name, Saturday’s $500,000 Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap, for three-year-olds and up over a mile on turf. This year’s renewal is a tight, talented affair full of deja vu.
The 2019 winner and last year’s runner-up Got Stormy (10-1) is just one of the usual suspects that include 2019 runner-up Raging Bull (9-5) and last year’s third Casa Creed (4-1), and the web of collateral form is stickily impenetrable. Raging Bull has tried and failed twice to win the Fourstardave, and with the dual problems of the inside post and top weight is passed over again.
Trainer Chad Brown also has Blowout (6-1) at the other end of the gate. This consistent front-running mare is 0-3 at Saratoga but arrives on the back of victory in the Grade 2 Turf Mile at Churchill Downs, in which Got Stormy was a lacklustre fifth; another loop in the collateral form. Then there’s Set Piece (5-2), last-time-out winner of the Grade 2 Wise Dan at Churchill Downs, with Field Pass (8-1) a close-up fourth in a bunched finish.
Casa Creed, like Got Stormy, has mixed it up between a mile and sprint trips and won over track and trip in 2019; and don’t forget about Daddy Is A Legend (20-1), who takes on males for the first time after chasing home the starry pair Althiqa and Summer Romance in the Grade 1 Just A Game at Belmont.
This is not a race to empty the pockets on, as you could pick four and still not hit the board, but the Mark Casse-trained Got Stormy – a daughter of 2010 Fourstardave winner Get Stormy – has an affinity for the Spa and her best form, if she can bring it, could well be enough for victory.
Here are the odds to win the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T):
| Horse | Jockey | Odds courtesy of JazzSports |
| RAGING BULL | Irad Ortiz Jr. | +180 |
| WHISPER NOT | Jose L. Ortiz | +2000 |
| DADDY IS A LEGEND | Manuel Franco | +2000 |
| CASA CREED | Junior Alvarado | +400 |
| SET PIECE | Florent Geroux | +250 |
| GOT STORMY | Tyler Gaffalione | +1000 |
| FIELD PASS | Ricardo Santana Jr. | +800 |
| BLOWOUT | Joel Rosario | +600 |
G2 Saratoga Special
The supporting feature, the $200,000 Grade 2 Saratoga Special for two-year-olds over six and a half furlongs on the main track, has drawn a big field of promising colts, but one who has already put down a first instalment on his promise is Double Thunder (6-1), unbeaten in two including the Grade 3 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs latest.
The son of Super Saver started badly and finished brilliantly under the twin spires, trailing the field until producing a prodigious burst of speed turning for home, before drawing off to win by four and three-quarter lengths (Glacial (15-1) third, Red Run (30-1) fifth). That was a very impressive showing, and it leaves his rivals playing catch-up.
His stablemate Midnight Worker (10-1) won at the Spa on his debut, while others with course form are Dance Code (15-1) and Ottoman Empire (15-1), well-beaten third and fourth in the Grade 3 Sanford here last month, and Stolen Base (8-1), a winner here on his debut just three weeks ago.
Comfortable Belmont winner Doctor Jeff (2-1) may be a big player, as could Nakatomi (8-1), a Keeneland winner before a no-show performance at Royal Ascot on fast turf, and High Oak (12-1), a narrow winner at Belmont on his only start. One or more of them may indeed win the catch-up game, but Double Thunder has the call for now.
Here are the odds to win the Saratoga Special (G2):
| Horse | Jockey | Odds courtesy of JazzSports |
| NAKATOMI | Javier Castellano | +800 |
| GUNITE | Ricardo Santana Jr. | +500 |
| OTTOMAN EMPIRE | Dylan Davis | +1500 |
| KITODAN | Chantal Sutherland | +3000 |
| MIDNIGHT WORKER | Irad Ortiz Jr. | +1000 |
| STOLEN BASE | Jose L. Ortiz | +800 |
| DOUBLE THUNDER | John R. Velazquez | +600 |
| DOCTOR JEFF | Joel Rosario | +200 |
| DANCE CODE | Jose Lezcano | +1500 |
| GLACIAL | Tyler Gaffalione | +1500 |
| HIGH OAK | Junior Alvarado | +1200 |
| RED RUN | Manuel Franco | +3000 |
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