BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Having won three of five starts with a third during his career at Saratoga, Florida-bred Baby Yoda returns to his favorite track Saturday in the Grade 2 True North presented by F.W. Webb. The 6-year-old gelding will also be trying to add to the record of recent success by Florida-breds Firenze Fire (2021-’21) and Imperial Hint (2018) in the six-and-a-half-furlong True North for 4-year-olds and older, which this year offers a purse of $350,000.
Baby Yoda looks for his second straight victory after he and jockey Eric Cancel won an upper level, $80,000 optional claiming going seven furlongs in his last start during the Belmont at Big A meet on May 3—defeating runner-up and True North-rival Accretive by a neck.
That was his best race in three starts this year after finishing seventh in January and fifth in March, both times facing upper level, $62,500 optional claimers at Gulfstream Park.
Trained by Bill Mott for Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Jerold L. Zaro, Baby Yoda had one start at Saratoga last year, finishing third as the even-money favorite behind winner Nakatomi in an upper level, $80,000 optional claiming over a sloppy seven furlongs.
Baby Yoda has a career record of eight wins, four seconds and four thirds in 24 races with earnings of $644,720. He is by Prospective out of More Than Speed, by More Than Ready and was bred in Florida by Kathleen Amaya, Alexandro Centofanti and Raffaele Centofanti.
Identified at 6-1 on the morning line, Baby Yoda will again have Cancel aboard from post seven.
Accretive tries to snap a streak of two second-place finishes Saturday for trainer Chad Brown.
The 5-year-old gelded son of Practical Joke was also second to Winit in an upper level, $80,000 optional claiming going a mile at Aqueduct on April 7. In one other start this year, Accretive was eighth in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper won by Tumbarumba over a mile at Gulfstream on Jan. 27.
Accretive has won three of 11 career starts with four seconds and a third while earning $361,993 for owner Klaravich Stables Inc.
He is 5-1 on the morning line and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post four.
The even-money morning line favorite is Gun Pilot, who won the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes going seven furlongs on May 4 under jockey Cristian Torres.
Trained by Steve Asmussen for Three Chimneys Farm LLC, Gun Pilot was previously second to Edge to Edge in the $175,000 Eclipse going six furlongs. at Oaklawn Park on April 7.
By Gun Runner, Gun Pilot tries to achieve millionaire status in the True North with current earnings of $975,575. The 4-year-old colt has five wins and three seconds in 11 lifetime races.
Torres will again be aboard and they have drawn post five.
Others set for the True North are Ninetyprcentmaddie with jockey Jose Lezcano, Rotknee will be ridden by Manny Franco, Twenty Four Mamba and rider Dylan Davis and Jose Ortiz rides Gun It.
