Flavien Prat, back aboard Commandment for Saturday’s Jim Dandy, celebrates his Grade 1 Florida Derby win on the colt, who renews his Belmont rivalry with Renegade at Saratoga. (Coglianese Photo)
Mary Eddy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Grade 1-winners Commandment and Renegade will square off on Saturday in a compact but competitive renewal of the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun, a nine-furlong route for sophomores that serves as Saratoga Race Course’s local prep race for the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 29.
Commandment and Renegade will face each other for the third consecutive time as they both exit the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 6 here, with the former in second and the latter in third behind the victorious Golden Tempo, who is bypassing this event and training up to the Travers.
Wathnan Racing’s Commandment has been a model of consistency across his seven outings, highlighted by a four-race win streak from November to March that included three stakes triumphs at Gulfstream Park. Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the son of Into Mischief was a narrow winner of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Florida Derby ahead of a closing effort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, landing seventh 5 1/4 lengths behind Golden Tempo after a bumpy trip in the 18-horse field.
In the leadup to the Belmont Stakes, Cox said he felt the Derby effort was not indicative of a “bounce” for the colt following two triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure performances in his graded wins, and expected him to give a good account of himself in the Belmont. The strapping bay did just that under the guidance of Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, showing his ability when closing from eighth-of-9 and fighting on to post a valiant second 1 1/4 lengths back of Golden Tempo.
“His only real blemish was the Derby, but aside from that he’s been ultra-consistent and he gave us confidence leading up to the Belmont that he was going to run a big race, and he did,” Cox said. “We’ve seen more of the same since then.”
Commandment [post 5, Flavien Prat, blinkers ON] has worked steadily at Churchill Downs since the Belmont, including a bullet five-eighths breeze in 59.40 seconds on July 18. He followed with another sharp five-furlong move in 1:00.80 on July 25.
“I’m super pleased with what he’s done since the Belmont, and I think he’s set up for a big run,” Cox said. “He had a good breeze [last week], galloped out well and he always stays on in his works. He seems to be as good now as he’s been all year and he’s going to need to step up next week, but if we get the same effort out of him as the Belmont, that’s going to make him a player.”
In each of his outings, Commandment has rated evenly near the middle of the field and commenced his run exiting the turn. Cox equipped the colt with blinkers for his last few works, and is hoping the equipment will help keep him focused on the task at hand in the afternoon.
“I’m putting some blinkers on him to keep him a little more engaged in the turns,” Cox said. “He sometimes seems to want to drop the bit and not run into the far turn like we need him to. We saw that a little in the Florida Derby and definitely saw that in the Belmont. The guy who breezed him all winter and spring seems to think that he carries himself along a little better with the blinkers, so we’re hoping it can propel him forward a bit.”
Cox said he anticipates Commandment will do just fine with the cutback in the Jim Dandy as he prepares for the 10-furlong Travers.
“He liked that distance in the Florida Derby and he maybe just had a wide trip last time and got a little late in the Belmont, but I think this distance is right in his wheelhouse and we’re hoping it’s a steppingstone to another mile and a quarter in four weeks,” he said.
Out of the Saratoga Grade 1-winner Sippican Harbor, Commandment was a $500,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and boasts a 7-4-1-0 record with more than $1.3 million in earnings.
Renegade [post 3, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] looks to turn the tables on Commandment after finishing four lengths behind him in the Belmont. The Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher trainee was the Belmont favorite following his neck defeat to Golden Tempo in the Kentucky Derby, where he drew the dreaded inside post and was jostled around in the early stages before settling in 15th and making a strong bid through the lane.
Also a son of Into Mischief, Renegade placed himself in the conversation of top sophomores early in the year when graduating with a 3 3/4-length score in the Listed Sam F. Davis in February at Tampa Bay Downs. He then trounced a group of seven rivals in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in March at Oaklawn Park, driving clear to the four-length victory to punch his ticket to Louisville.
Following his valiant troubled-trip effort in the Derby, Renegade moved to Pletcher’s Saratoga base to make his Belmont preparations, and has been stabled here ever since. In the Belmont, Renegade bobbled at the start and was seventh through the first half-mile while racing to the inside of Commandment. He attempted to advance in the far turn, but ran up on a pack of foes and was forced to angle out to make his run at the leading Chief Wallabee. Commandment and Golden Tempo raced even wider and came storming down the lane with their strong late foot, sweeping past Renegade to leave him third 3 1/4 lengths ahead of Chief Wallabee.
Pletcher tipped his cap to Golden Tempo’s accomplishments this season, but said a strong second half of the season for Renegade could keep him right at the top of the division.
“I think Golden Tempo has got to be the leader of the division based on the Derby and the Belmont win. So, we need to run the table to have any chance to unseat him at this stage,” Pletcher said. “I think if he were lucky enough to do something like that, then maybe you can make an argument. We’re more focused on trying to do well in the Jim Dandy and the Travers and see what we can do.”
Campaigned by Robert and Lawana Low and Repole Stable, Renegade is out of the Grade 3-winning Curlin mare Spice Is Nice, who was owned by the Lows and trained by Pletcher. His second dam, Dame Dorothy was a three-time graded stakes-winner under Pletcher’s tutelage, including the Grade 1 Humana Distaff in 2015.
The two Derby alumni will be challenged by a pair Grade 3-winning contenders who skipped the First Saturday in May, taking on last-out Ohio Derby-winner Chip Honcho [post 1, Jose Ortiz] and Southwest-winner Silent Tactic [post 4, Luis Saez].
Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia’s Chip Honcho held his own on the Kentucky Derby trail for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen this winter at Fair Grounds Race Course, winning the Listed Gun Runner in December and finishing a close fourth to Golden Tempo in the Grade 3 Lecomte ahead of a nose second to Paladin in the Grade 2 Risen Star.
Following a misfire in the Louisiana Derby, Chip Honcho made the field for the Kentucky Derby, but skipped that race to point to the Grade 1 Preakness on May 16 at Laurel Park, where he was an even third 4 1/2 lengths back of Napoleon Solo. The son of Connect would not be denied last out, and broke through for his first graded stakes triumph in the nine-furlong Ohio Derby on June 20 at Thistledown, pouncing from off the pace and passing Ocelli late in the lane for the one-length victory and earning a career-best 96 Beyer.
Asmussen said he was pleased to see Chip Honcho run down horses in the stretch.
“In the Ohio Derby, going by somebody late was good. It was definitely his best race to date,” Asmussen said. “He’s done well. Obviously, that was kind of a breakthrough race for him. He had run some good races, but it was great to see him win a significant race. He’ll step up for the Jim Dandy.”
A $210,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale, Chip Honcho is out of the stakes-winning Magician mare My Miss Rose. He has earned just north of $800,000 through an 8-3-2-1 record.
John C. Oxley’s Silent Tactic returns from a five-month respite dating to his runner-up effort to Renegade in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, where he rallied from fifth-of-8 to take a half-length lead at the stretch call before being passed in the lane. He was then entered in the Kentucky Derby, but scratched due to a bruised foot.
Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Tacitus colt has never been worse than second in six attempts, led by a 3 1/4-length victory with a deep-closing rally in the Grade 3 Southwest in February at Oaklawn ahead of a nose second to Class President in the Grade 2 Rebel there in March.
Silent Tactic has worked consistently at Saratoga since withdrawing from the Derby, including a half-mile breeze in 48.46 seconds on July 19 over the main track.
Casse said he likes what he’s seen from the bay over the past few months.
“I’m very happy with him,” Casse said. “I got a lot of work into him – is he going to be 100 percent? Probably not, but he should be fit enough to give us a good showing, and we’re hoping that puts us in the Travers.”
With the colt’s preferred late running style, Casse admitted the compact field is not likely to offer an ideal pace scenario.
“It’s a concern for us, to be honest,” Casse said. “He needs somebody to set it up for him, and he was compromised a few times in other races. It’s a shame because the Derby would have set up beautifully for him.”
Purchased for $500,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Silent Tactic has already returned more than double his price tag with $1.05 million in earnings. He is out of the Gun Runner mare Magical Sign, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Moraz. His second dam, Malvinia, is a full-sister to influential sire Malibu Moon.
Completing the field is Aci Racing Stable and Gerardo Salinas’ Asked and Answered [post 2, Jaime Rodriguez], who will look to become the first horse to break his maiden in the Jim Dandy since Laoban in 2016. The $75,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale is out of the Grade 2-winning Ghostzapper mare Faypien and enters from a seventh-place finish in a local maiden claiming tilt on July 16 for trainer Antonio Arriaga.
The Jim Dandy is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 12-race program, which also includes the Grade 3, $225,000 Lake George presented by Surfside in Race 9 and the Grade 2, $250,000 Saratoga Special in Race 6. First post is 12:30 p.m. Eastern.
Saratoga Live presents daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
