Bernardini Wins Jim Dandy

The brilliant 3-year-colt, Bernardini, outclassed the field in the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, proving to just about everyone that his victory in the Preakness Stakes was no fluke.

“I guess there was a lot of doubt in people’s minds about the Preakness,” winning trainer Tom Albertrani said. “Today, he showed us what a really good horse he is. I wasn’t really surprised.”

Bernardini, with jockey Javier Castellano along for the ride, took the lead around the first turn and was never challenged by Minister’s Bid or Sunriver. By the time the six-horse field reached the turn for home over a track turned sloppy by an early afternoon rainstorm, Bernardini was just warming up.

With his fourth victory in five starts, Bernardini has to be considered the nation’s leading 3-year-old and a contender for Horse of the Year honors. The next stop for the son of A.P. Indy will be the Travers Stakes on Aug.

26. And then it’s likely on to the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Oct. 7 and the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.

“If he stays at this level, he’s going to be a very tough horse all year,” Albertrani said. “When I saw him come around the quarter pole it just confirmed my hopes that he was going to run this race very well and come back and have something left for the Travers.”

Sent off as the 1-2 favorite, returned $3.10, $2.40 and $2.10 and earned $300,000 for Darley Stable, operated by Dubai’s Sheik Mohammed. The colt boosted his career earnings to $1,010,480.

The winning time for the 1 1-8 miles was 1:50.50.

2006 Saratoga Race Meet, Saratoga Odds, Saratoga Picks, Saratoga Tips, Saratoga Results, Travers Stakes 2006

Scat Daddy Takes Sanford; Bernardini Favorite To Win Jim Dandy S.

Favorite Scat Daddy blasted to the front with a late run and beat Teuflesberg by a neck Thursday to give trainer Todd Pletcher his third career victory in the $150,000 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

It was the second stakes win in a row at the Spa for Pletcher, Saratoga’s leading trainer for the past four years.

Meanwhile, on Saturday’s Jim Dandy Stakes, 3-year-old colt Bernardini makes his first start since winning the May 20 Preakness Stakes, a race everyone remembers as the one in which Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro shattered his right hind leg in the opening strides.

Bernardini went on to win the Preakness with an impressive performance that was all but forgotten in the wake of Barbaro’s fight for survival, which continues at the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.”

With three victories after a career-opening defeat, Bernardini was installed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite Thursday in a six-horse field going 1 1/8 miles. The winner’s share of the $500,000 purse is $300,000.

Get complete Jim Dandy Stakes Race Entries, Post Position, Jockeys & Odds >>

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2006 Saratoga Race Meet, Saratoga Odds, Saratoga Picks, Saratoga Tips, Saratoga Results, Travers Stakes 2006

Cotton Blossom Takes Saratoga Opening Feature Schuylerville

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Todd Pletcher-trained Cotton Blossom rallied in the stretch to win the 88th running of the $100,000 Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies Wednesday, opening day at Saratoga Race Course, New York.

Cotton Blossom settled in good position early, stalking the leaders along the backstretch. She made a big move on the far turn and fought to a hard-earned lead to take the first stakes win of her career. She was 1 3/4 lengths in front of Desire To Excel in the field of seven.

He said Cotton Blossom will be pointed toward the $250,000 Spinaway on Sept. 3.

Continue reading Cotton Blossom Takes Saratoga Opening Schuylerville >>

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2006 Saratoga Race Meet, Saratoga Odds, Saratoga Picks, Saratoga Tips, Saratoga Results, Travers Stakes 2006

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2006 Saratoga Race Meet, Saratoga Odds, Saratoga Picks, Saratoga Tips, Saratoga Results, Travers Stakes 2006

Saratoga Opens 36-Day Meeting July 26

New York Racing Association (NYRA) officials have announced across-the-board purse increases for the 36-day Saratoga 2006 Meeting that opens July 26. All classes of races will receive increases, said Bill Nader, NYRA senior vice president.

“There are a lot of changes on this schedule, including some purse reductions or eliminations of stakes, but we made sure that NYRA’s commitment to excellence remains intact,” he said. “The overall dollar reduction in stakes is nearly $4 million, but much of that money will be added back in overnight stakes.

“This helps NYRA strike a better balance with dollars allocated to stakes and overnight races, and be more responsive to the available horse inventory from meet to meet.

While the NYRA usually boosts purses each year at Saratoga, Nader said, this year “the increases are much more robust.”

Overnight stakes will carry purses of $70,000, a hike of $5,000. New York-bred races will see sizable increases compared with the current Belmont meeting. Maiden special weight races will jump $6,000 to $47,000 while purses in first-level allowance contests will skyrocket $9,000 to $50,000.

The NYRA will also continue to raise the purse of any race with at least eight horses that’s moved off the turf by 20 percent in hopes of deterring scratches, a policy launched this year at Belmont.

The prestigious $500,000 Woodward for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles was moved to Saratoga on Sept. 2 to spread out the more important handicap races. The Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap was eliminated to make room for one of the 15 Grade 1 events included in the array of 47 stakes.

Read more Saratoga Opens 36-Day Meeting July 26 >>

2006 Saratoga Race Meet, Saratoga Odds, Saratoga Picks, Saratoga Tips, Saratoga Results, Travers Stakes 2006