Hymn gets up in time in the G1 Forego, NYRA Photo
Keith McCalmont
Hymn pressed a swift pace before making the lead and staying on strong to the wire to capture Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Forego, at Saratoga Race Course. The seven-furlong sprint for 3-years-old and up provided a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in October at Keeneland.
The complexion of the race changed Saturday morning when the reigning Champion Male Sprinter and defending race-winner Book’em Danno, the even-money morning line favorite, was a vet scratch after reportedly getting cast in his stall overnight. Also scratched was this year’s Group 2 Godolphin Mile-winner Banishing, who ran second to Willy D’s in Friday’s Grade 2 Charles Town Classic.
Trainer Ron Moquett, who campaigned the popular 2020 Champion Male Sprinter Whitmore, empathized with the connections of Book’em Danno.
“First, I wanted to make sure he is OK. Those are the kind of horses we all love. I’ve had one, so I know what it’s like,” Moquett said. “After that, I’m thinking it changes the way of the race because now instead of us going where nobody is paying attention to us, people might actually be riding us a little bit because they knew we were the second speed. I’m just thinking strategy. But, again, a wonderful horse, so I wanted to make sure he is OK.”
Fleur De Lis Stables, William Sparks and Bret Jones’ Hymn entered from a runner-up effort to Built in the Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt on July 25. The result put an end to a three-race win streak that started with the dark bay being gelded ahead of victories against winners at Oaklawn Park in April and at Churchill Downs in May before taking the Listed Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash in June at Laurel Park.
On Saturday, the 4-year-old McKinzie gelding started a new streak with a prominent effort under red-hot jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr., who won his third race on the card after a successful Friday evening at Charles Town in which he won the Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon with Foie Gras and the Charles Town Classic with the aforementioned Willy D’s.
Tip Top Thomas, the 9-5 second choice under Flavien Prat, made the lead with Hymn pressing from second position through an opening quarter-mile in 22.61 seconds over the fast main track. Senior Officer, the 3-2 favorite, was content to track from third position under Luis Saez, racing in tandem with Bring the Smoke with T Kraft in fifth and a long way back to the trailing Crazy Mason.
Senior Officer advanced into third position into the turn as Crazy Mason started his journey with an inside move through a half-mile in 45.03. Tip Top Thomas was swarmed by rivals at the top of the lane as Crazy Mason tipped several paths wide to continue his bid. However, a determined Hymn put away Tip Top Thomas inside the three-sixteenths pole and traveled powerfully through the wire to score by three-quarter lengths in a final time of 1:22.48 over a trio of surging rivals.
T Kraft, trapped behind rivals for much of the stretch run, found room late and got up to dead-heat for second with Senior Officer. It was a head back to Crazy Mason in fourth with Tip Top Thomas and Bring the Smoke rounding out the order of finish.
Santana, Jr. sang the praises of Hymn.
“I broke really sharp. I broke actually on top of the one [Tip Top Thomas],” Santana, Jr. said. “His last work when I worked him, I told Moquett, ‘this horse is a different horse. I think we’ve got more power this time.’ You know, that was the first time I rode him [in the Vanderbilt]. Today, I got more confident in the horse. I was working with him. He broke so sharp, I didn’t even grab him. He put me there with the one [Tip Top Thomas]…turning for home, he gave me enough kick to win.”
Jockey Junior Alvarado said the Hall of Famer Bill Mott-trained T Kraft was unlucky in defeat.
“Follow the number one horse [Tip Top Thomas], he was always going to be the horse to beat, but when we turned for home, never had a completely clear run, and had to be finding my spots through there, but he was there for me. He was all heart, he tried, he tried very hard for me and got there for second,” Alvarado said.
Saez said he was proud of the game effort from Senior Officer, who had arrived at his stakes debut on a three-race win streak for dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.
“We just tried to be in the right spot and make the right move. He did, but they just ran away from us,” Saez said.
Moquett indicated that he would prefer the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for Hymn rather than the Dirt Mile and could look to use the Grade 2, $400,000 Phoenix on October 2 at Keeneland as a potential bridge with that race offering a “Win and You’re In” berth to his preferred event.
Moquett won the 2018 Forego with Whitmore en route to runner-up efforts in that year’s Phoenix and Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He followed the same route in 2020, landing seventh in the Forego and fourth in the Phoenix ahead of an 18-1 upset score in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland.
“We’re not opposed to the [Dirt] Mile, but we’ll look at the race and see how it goes,” Moquett said. “My plan is right now is to get him back and to look at the Phoenix. I keep telling everybody I can’t do him like I did Whitmore. He’s not Whitmore. He’s his own horse. But we’ve done this same trek with Whitmore, so we’re trying to see what’s his trek now.”
Bred in Kentucky by Fleur De Lis Stables, Hymn banked $275,000 in victory while improving his record to 15-5-3-0. He returned $11.40 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $200,000 Yaddo in Race 9. First post is 1:10 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.
