Title Role, shown winning the Grade 1 Belmont Derby by a nose under John Velazquez, headlines the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby on the turf for trainer Simon Crisford. (Angelo Lieto/NYRA)
Michael Adolphson
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Will Stroud’s Title Role seeks an encore performance on Saturday in the eighth edition of the Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby presented by Qatar Racing at Saratoga Race Course, a staple on the international calendar for turf 3-year-olds that has been won by the likes of subsequent multiple Grade 1/Group 1 winners State of Rest, Nations Pride, Program Trading and Domestic Spending. Ten 3-year-olds entered the 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf test, five having last contested the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 4.
British invader Title Role proved ironically victorious on Independence Day for trainer Simon Crisford and newly invested Texas-based owner Stroud. The son of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Too Darn Hot – European champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old of 2018 and 2019 – composed a fifth victory in his eighth start in the process, starring in his third stakes tally in the process. Previously, Title Role won Cologne’s Group 2 German 2000 Guineas and Meydan Racecourse’s Listed Jumeirah 2000 Guineas in Dubai.
In the Belmont Derby, he was ridden aggressively from the break by Hall of Famer John Velazquez – aboard for the first time – from post 9-of-10, slotting over to save ground effectively. After tipping out to seize the lead at the top of the lane, the bay charge ultimately held on by a determined nose over the surging pair of West End Kid and Remember Mamba. Velazquez, winner on State of Rest in 2021, has the return assignment from post 4.
“His form is obviously very good and he’s such a great mover,” Stroud said. “The Crisfords were always very high on him. We always knew racing in America would suit him very well with how well he races around the turns, as opposed to the longer straights in Europe. He just really covers the ground so well around the turns and appreciates the ground here.
“He’s worked three times since his last run and has been super-consistent,” Stroud continued. “He comes out of these works amazingly well and has astounding recovery time. In the meantime, we have done our best to keep things as uniform and steady as possible with him; keeping him with the same exercise rider [Crisford assistant Paul Holley] and the only real change being he went from the quarantine barn to Brendan Walsh’s barn. He’s settled in as well as we could expect. We are excited for this race and I’m bringing a big group.”
Following the Saratoga Derby, Title Role will be fully integrated into the Walsh operation, Stroud confirmed.
Mo Speed Racing’s aforementioned West End Kid had a three-race victory streak ended when a narrow second in the Belmont Derby for trainer Will Walden. The 3-for-5 son of Twirling Candy had won a Keeneland maiden in April, a Churchill Downs allowance in May and Saratoga’s Grade 3 Pennine Ridge in June before his narrow defeat. A couple notable changes come into play for the ‘Spa Derby,’ including the removal of blinkers and shift from jockey Tyler Gaffalione to Flavien Prat. Prat, who breaks from the outermost post 10, won the 2023 edition with Program Trading.
“It hasn’t been the longest campaign, but we’ve jammed a lot into a short period of time and he’s put out 150 percent in every one of those starts, so this will probably be his last start of the year,” Walden said. “We’ll kick him out and let him be a horse for a little while and when we go south, he’ll come join us. He’s a super talented horse and obviously distance doesn’t seem to be an issue. He’s handled the stretch-out every single time and I’m looking forward to getting him back out there to try and get that Grade 1.
“His chest is in front of the other horse [at the finish of the Belmont Derby], his jockey is in front of the other jockey and it’s just a matter of one head going down and one coming up,” Walden continued. “In our minds, he’s already a Grade 1 winner, he just doesn’t technically have it. We dedicate a lot of time and effort into assessing these horses for where they’re at, what they want to do and where they fit. When those things align in the afternoon and when the horse affirms it, there’s a sense of satisfaction.”
The buzz horse going into the Belmont Derby was Remember Mamba, who went to post as the 3-2 favorite for C R K Stable and trainer Cherie DeVaux. After a slow start, the son of Kitten’s Joy rallied stoutly under Jose Ortiz to come up a neck short of victory in third. Ortiz returns to the saddle from post 3.
Dahman’s Miguel Clement-trained Bottas, who is cross-entered in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 7, was a game fifth in the Belmont Derby, overcoming a bit of over-racing early in the running. Ultimately coming up just 1 1/4 lengths shy, the son of Vekoma looks to return to the winner’s enclosure for the first time since last October’s Grade 2 Pilgrim at the Big A. Regular rider Manny Franco gets a leg up once again and will break from post 9.
“The other day was a mile and an eighth and he was finishing strong,” Clement continued. “If anything, physically, you’d think further would maybe be better, and that he’d be able to handle it. Physically, he’s by Vekoma and is a very powerful horse, so I’m sure he could cut back. To be honest, I’m not overly concerned with the distance.”
Clement, who was assistant to late father Christophe Clement when they won this race in 2024 with Carson’s Run, has also entered Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Tony Weintraub and Brandon M. Dalinka’s The Big Con, a 2-for-2 son of Dark Angel who was purchased for $154,639 at Tattersalls October 2024 Yearling Sale and will make his 2026 debut. Winner first up over all-weather at Presque Isle Downs in September, he returned to win the Grade 3 Grey at Woodbine, also over a synthetic course, in November. Unseen since, both his runs and wins have been around two turns. Tyler Gaffalione has picked up the mount and will break from post 7.
“Very long layoff– that’s my biggest concern,” Clement said. “On the flip side, I don’t have a strong alternative. Either [this race or] I face older [horses], as he’s already a graded stakes winner. A ‘2-other-than’ against older horses would almost be as tough as facing a Grade 1 for straight 3-year-olds.”
Godolphin and Charlie Appleby seek their second win in the race following Nations Pride in 2022 when they send out Belmont Derby seventh, Pacific Avenue, a dual winner from 10 starts who never quite had things go his way that day. Breaking slowly, he was subsequently unable to save ground and then lost a bit of momentum on the far turn at a critical juncture. Rallying belatedly, he finished 1 1/2 lengths astern at the wire and has since stayed over at Saratoga to prepare for the Saratoga Derby.
Third in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas one race prior, the consistent son of Dubawi and Grade 1-winning dam Lumiere will be paired with his fifth different jockey in as many consecutive starts when Irad Ortiz, Jr. – winner of the 2020 edition with Domestic Spending – takes the reins from post 5, as blinkers go on and cheek pieces come off. Ortiz, Jr. has piloted Pacific Avenue through a pair of recent works over the Oklahoma training turf.
“His preparations have gone well so far to date,” Appleby confirmed. “He was a bit unlucky and slow from the gates last time and, needless to say, it doesn’t help you over there on those sort of tracks. We have broken from the gate with the headgear on there last week and we were happy with that. Irad has been on the horse a couple of times and has got to know the horse, as well, so that’s good.
“On the back of what he didn’t achieve last time, hopefully we can get ourselves back on track,” Appleby continued. “What he’s done, especially in the Irish Guineas, will obviously put him in good stead. He was a good closer and that’s his style of running, but hopefully we can get some gate speed from him this time to get us in better position, having a better chance to be competitive, all being well. I’m looking forward to it.”
Another UK-based runner seeking Saratoga glory is Vefa Ibrahim Araci’s relatively unexposed homebred Glacius, also a son of Too Darn Hot. Rated 109– two pounds below Title Role’s 111 and equal to Pacific Avenue – after a pair of strong stakes showings this year, including a third in Royal Ascot’s Group 3 Hampton Court, the 1-for-5 sort has some enviable class lines from a brief career. Last year, he faced Europe’s current top miler, Bow Echo, as well as Godolphin’s well-regarded Del Maro. Luis Saez, winner of the 2019 edition with A Thread of Blue, picks up the mount from post 6, as Glacius races with cheek pieces equipped.
Magic Carpet Racing, Catherine W. Coyle and Blue Bison Stable’s Heeere’s Johnny was a thrilling winner on July 3 of Saratoga’s restricted Listed Saranac, inhaling the entire field from last-of-11 in the final furlong to win by a neck at the line. The win was the Ray Handal-trained son of Oscar Performance’s first, having been well-regarded enough to place in Grade 2 and Grade 3 company in the past year, as well as a respectable fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, as a maiden. Dylan Davis, who was aboard for his fifth-place finish in 11-furlong maiden company two races back, returns to the saddle from post 2.
“Even though he ran poorly two back in that mile and three-eighths race, I still think further is better for him,” Handal said. “I know the pace won’t develop as well, more than likely, but I think further distance is better. This horse is special. He took us to the Breeders’ Cup. He was unlucky not to win some graded stakes as a 2-year-old, I didn’t need any validation about him. It was nice to get two stakes wins here. He is serious.”
Another cross-entered in the Hall of Fame and Saratoga Derby is West Paces Racing, Rainbow’s End Racing Stable and Michael P. Lyden’s Tom Morley-conditioned Glavine, who finished third in the Saranac and fourth in the Pennine Ridge. Kendrick Carmouche rides from post 1.
Rounding out the Saratoga Derby field is Novogratz Racing Stables’ Mac Robertson-trained McCready, winner of the $150,000 Kent Stakes last out at Delaware Park. The consistent son of Practical Joke, 3-for-5 with a pair of thirds, will step up markedly in class when Ricardo Santana, Jr. takes the assignment from post 8.
The Saratoga Derby [Race 11] is one of four graded stakes on Saturday’s loaded Grade 1, $1 million Whitney card, headlined by the nine-furlong “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in Race 12. The 14-race card will also feature the Grade 1, $750,000 Fourstardave, a Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile qualifier, in Race 10, and the Grade 1, $500,000 Test presented by Ticketmaster in Race 9. First post is 11:45 a.m. Eastern.
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