SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Power Agenda faces a contentious field in his career debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in Saturday’s sixth race, a six-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-olds on the Spa main track.
The son of second crop sire Nyquist is out of the dual graded stakes placed Afleet Alex mare Dream Dance and was bought for $120,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Paramount Sales.
Power Agenda has trained forwardly into his debut with a couple of solid gate works over the Saratoga main track. On August 8 he went a sharp half-mile in 47.40 seconds over a fast main track a week after breezing from the gate in 47.66 at the same distance.
“I thought his last couple of gate works have been solid and if he gets away cleanly, he acts like someone that will run well in his debut,” Pletcher said. “I see a couple of ones in there with similar workouts, so we’ll see.”
Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call from post 2.
Breaking to the inside is Godolphin’s Urban Forest, a homebred son of Hard Spun out of the Elusive Quality mare Arbol, who also has been training forwardly and enters off a half-mile work from the gate in 47.33 over the main track.
Urban Forest’s second dam, Forest Heiress, is a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Wildcat Heir.
Junior Alvarado rides from the rail for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Winchell Thoroughbreds and Gainesway Stable’s General Strike [post 8, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] debuts for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
The son of Union Rags is the first progeny out of the three-time stakes-winning Dunkirk mare Danzatrice, who is a half-sister to 2018 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Jaywalk.
Montauk Point [post 10, Jose Ortiz], by Violence out of the Unbridled mare Antics, is a half-brother to Covfefe, the 2019 Champion Female Sprinter and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly.
A $550,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, Montauk Point finished fourth on debut sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs over a Spa main track rated good on July 17.
NYRA/Saratoga Press Release
Photo: Todd Pletcher watching a race at Saratoga on July 24, 2020. (Susie Raisher)
