The Alydar Stakes may not offer a large field this year, but the restricted stakes at Saratoga features plenty of recognizable faces looking to kickstart their 2022 seasons. It also feels a little like deja vu, if I can explain.
Last week, I noticed that the Curlin Stakes seemed to accommodate three-year-olds that weren’t quite good enough to compete in the G2 Jim Dandy. It seems that the Alydar serves the same purpose for older horses who aren’t quite good enough to win the G1 Whitney on Saturday.
That being said, the reason many of these trainers are choosing the Alydar for their horses is because they’re lightly raced this year, which makes the race a potential launchpad into better races down the road. Let’s find some candidates with potential.
Saratoga, Race 8
Alydar Stakes (Ungraded) For Four-Year-Olds And Upward Which Have Not Won A Stakes Race in 2022, 1 ⅛ Miles on the Dirt
Post Time: 5:05 p.m. EST
1- Mystic Night
Last season, this gelding rounded into phenomenal form in the spring before hitting a plateau and gradually regressing for the rest of the year. In two starts, earlier in 2022, he has won two races while once again rounding into excellent form. Chad Brown’s decision to enter him at this level is an encouraging sign that history won’t repeat itself, but he will have to take another step forward.
2- Bal Harbour
After several years of futility, it’s interesting to see this gelding move from trainer Gregory Sacco to Todd Pletcher. He hasn’t run since last year and hasn’t won since 2018, so there are only two legitimate angles to go on here. The first is potential improvement with his new trainer, which is a little difficult to count on with a seven-year-old. The second is that his last race at Saratoga was in the 2018 G1 Woodward, when he finished second behind Preservationist with a 105 BSF.
3- Chess Chief
Following a long, mildly successful 2021 campaign, this six-year-old has performed very poorly in three straight starts this year. He’s very difficult to trust after losing by 14 ½ lengths in a $150,000 optional claiming race with a 74 BSF last time out.
4- King Fury (SCRATCHED)
King Fury has been scratched and will not race on Thursday.
5- Art Collector
He won this race with a strong rebound performance last year, and the waters were a little deeper back then. His only start this year came in the G1 Saudi Cup, where he struggled and went on to lose by 20 lengths. Similarly to his poor finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Saudi Cup loss is not reflective of his true ability, as he was running against the very best. Last summer, this horse rounded into the best form of his career following a win in the Alydar. I can see him doing it again against this field.
6- Masqueparade
Following a setback in the 2021 G1 Travers, this colt returned earlier this year and cut his teeth in a pair of optional claiming races at Churchill Downs. He didn’t overwhelm his competition but nevertheless ran well on both occasions, making him a contender in this field. Though he’s slowly rounding into form, his best career performance remains his victory in the G3 Ohio Derby last year, which is naturally concerning for a horse trying to step up in class.
Order: 5 6 1 2
Art Collector has to regress significantly to give the other runners in this field any chance. Maybe the Saudi Cup really did take something out of him, but he’s rebounded on several occasions before and has every chance to win in his return stateside. Masqueparade and Mystic Night appear to be very similar contenders who can capitalize if Art Collector doesn’t show up. If he runs his race, the pair will likely contend for a minor prize. Bal Harbour is the wild card in the race and could actually improve under Pletcher’s tutelage, but it’s hard to trust a horse that hasn’t won since my freshman year at Fordham.
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