SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y – While their combined record of 2 for 26 may not inspire much confidence, the recent form of trainer Rodrigo Ubillo’s uncoupled entry of Adirondack Warrior and Leatherhead makes either one a value play for Wednesday’s $100,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Saratoga.
The Cab Calloway, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course, is restricted to progeny of New York-based stallions. The field of 10 includes two maidens.
It took Adirondack Warrior 11 tries to win a maiden race, something he accomplished on June 20. In his first try against winners, Adirondack Warrior was compromised by a pedestrian pace when he rallied from last to be fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths. John Velazquez was aboard that day and will be back on Wednesday.
“I thought the horse that won the race was going to get a little pressure – that wasn’t the case,” Ubillo said Monday from Belmont Park. “They went very slow, they were walking. I told John just to settle him down. At the top of the stretch he was going to go around horses, but it opened up on the rail and he closed pretty good.”
With sprinters Holy Ego and Good to Be Me stretching out, Ubillo is hopeful there will be a little stronger pace on Wednesday.
A good pace would also benefit Leatherhead, who has run respectable efforts in his last three turf tries including a second-place finish to Franny Freud in a Stallion Stakes race at Belmont in June. In his last start, Leatherhead finished last in an off-the-turf race here on July 24.
“The plan was to give him a race before the Stallion Stakes, it didn’t work out for us,” Ubillo said. “We ran just to use it as a workout. It was a bad race. He’s a better turf horse.”
Seattle Mission defeated open company over this course last August, but is 0 for 3 in three tries against first-level New York-bred allowance rivals. He was beaten a neck as the 4-5 favorite in the first race run this meet on July 23.
“We thought it was a little easier than an ‘a-other-than.’ Whether it is or not I don’t know,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “It’s a hard race to pass on. It’s not like he’s a bum.”
Seattle Mission will break from the outside post under Ramon Dominguez.
Lubash showed early speed before being taken under stout restraint by Victor Santiago last out at Belmont. Kent Desormeaux rides on Wednesday.
