Good Samaritan makes light work of Classic winners on dirt debut

Report: USA, Saturday

Saratoga: Jim Dandy Stakes (Grade 2) 1m1f | dirt | 3yo

Suggestions that America's Triple Crown crop were an ordinary bunch were given added substance when Good Samaritan (Bill Mott/Joel Rosario) ran down a pair of Classic winners in a last-to-first charge on his dirt debut.

Always highly regarded, the son of Harlan's Holiday had endured a string of luckless efforts on the turf, where his late-running style has been habitually compromised by a tepid pace.

Switched to the main track, however, Good Samaritan benefited from the pace scenario for a change as Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming was pressured by Preakness scorer Cloud Computing throughout this $600,000 trial for the Travers Stakes.

Although the fractions weren't sizzling, neither Classic winner had anything left in the stretch when they were challenged by maiden winner Pavel, only for all three to be totally swamped by Good Samaritan, who stopped the clock in 1m50.69s.

He was sent off just short of 9-1 as he charged away to score by four and three-quarter lengths from Giuseppe The Great, who also raced off the pace. The favourite Always Dreaming was third, and Cloud Computing last of five in a puzzling result given that Saratoga has been heavily favouring front-runners, and the pace wasn't ludicrous by any means.

Perhaps in the end, the US Classic horses just aren't a startling bunch. Either way, there is a new player now, as trainer Bill Mott – whose best-known horse Cigar earned his legendary status after being switched to dirt from turf – said: "I couldn't be more pleased with the way he ran, it was a terrific race for him.

"The pace was a little bit slower than I thought it would be, I was a little concerned when they were going down the middle of the backside and they hung up the slow fractions, I was a little concerned about that. They did start to pick it up leaving the half-mile pole, [but] he ran into a very slow pace and ran well.

"Elliott Walden had been trying to get me to run him on the dirt ever since the Breeders' Cup last November. We were going to do it earlier in the year and we missed some of the Triple Crown prep races and we decided to wait until after the Belmont Derby. We knew for sure he would run on the grass and we decided to do it after that.

"We actually discussed waiting for the Travers for his first race [on the dirt]. Last week, we came to the conclusion we should try this race. Initially, it was going to be the Travers, and then the way this was coming up it looked like we were going to have a decent pace in this race and the horse was doing so well that we decide to make this choice.

"You saw him coming through the stretch. He looks like he was good enough to get it done today. He looked pretty good. We'll certainly nominate for the Travers and we'll talk about it. I don't see why we wouldn't give it a try."

Also on Saturday

Del Mar: Bing Crosby Stakes (Grade 1) 6f | dirt | 3yo+

Drefong did not make it more than half a furlong in the Bing Crosby before unseating Mike Smith, with Ransom The Moon (Philip D'Amato/Flavien Prat) taking full advantage of the 9-5 favourite's misfortune.

The six furlong track at Del Mar starts in a chute and as soon as the runners joined the oval track and the rail disappeared Bob Baffert's previously unbeaten dual Grade1 and Breeders' Cup Sprint winner lurched left and left Smith with no chance.

Smith told the San Diego Union Tribune: "I’m fine. The horse outside me just brushed me a little bit and sent [Drefong] toward the gap. Then he just ducked for it, and I came off."

Drefong still played a part in the finish. Running loose he carried the eventual second and third, Roy H and Moe Candy, wide round the bend as Ransom The Moon got a dream run up his inside on the rail - with the first three coming home at length and a half intervals.

Saratoga: Alfred G Vanderbilt Hcap (Grade 1) 6f | dirt | 3yo+

Making his top-level debut, El Deal (Jorge Navarro/Javier Castellano) broke like a shot from a gun and led all the way en route to overpowering his rivals in an eight-length victory for a trainer who has a habit of inducing marked improvement out of his sprinters. A private purchase earlier this year, the five-year-old is now three-for-three for Navarro.

Morning-line favourite A.P. Indian was scratched owing to an ankle issue.

Saratoga: Amsterdam Stakes (Grade 2) 6½f | dirt | 3yo

On a track playing well for speed, Coal Front (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) made all to extend his unbeaten sequence to three.