SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Go Deputy raced three wide on the
turn and took the lead to win $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at
Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.
A chestnut son of Deputy Minister, the 6-year-old Todd
Pletcher-trained horse ran seventh in a field of eight while
Relaxed Gesture and stablemate Ramazutti shared the early lead.
Under a tight hold from jockey Eibar Coa, he inched up between
horses, waited until the far turn, then swung out to take control
and win by two lengths.
"Going down the backside, I got outside and clear from traffic.
In the stretch, he gave me something extra," Coa said. "This
horse has a big heart."
Go Deputy came off a win July 15 in the Bowling Green Handicap
at Belmont Park to take the Sword Dancer for owners Wertheimer and
Frere. He has hit the board in all of his last eight starts.
"Go Deputy is a developing horse, and he's put together
back-to-back big efforts," said Pletcher's assistant, Seth Benzel.
Relaxed Gesture, the 3-to-5 favorite, finished a disappointing
fifth.
"I had Ramazutti eyeballing me the whole way," said jockey
Kent Desormeaux, who rode Relaxed Gesture. "I tried to get away
from him but he kept engaging me. When I finally got out, he had
nothing left."
Winning for the sixth time in 16 career starts, Go Deputy ran in
2:26.3 on the turf, returning $15.40, $7.00 and $4.90. Silver
Whistle paid $10.20 and $6.90 to place under Mike Smith, while
Grand Couturier and Richard Migliore returned $5.50 to show.
Earlier in the day, War Front won the $200,000 Alfred G.
Vanderbilt Breeders Cup Handicap by 2 1/2 lengths. The 4-year-old
son of Danzig ran the six furlongs in 1:10.21 with Jose Santos
aboard.
Trainer H. Allen Jerkins, who won the Darley Test with Swap
Fliparoo Aug. 5, sent the bay colt to his fourth career win in 10
starts. War Front paid $5.50, $3.20, and $2.50, while Judith's Wild
Rush paid $4.40 and $2.80, and Mass Media returned $3.