BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Baby Yoda has been a force in upstate New York with his record of four wins, including a victory in the Grade 2 True North presented by F.W. Webb last out, in six starts at Saratoga Race Course. The Bill Mott-trained gelding will try to build on that resume and reach millionaire status Saturday when he takes on five rivals in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt for older horses at six furlongs.
Baby Yoda enters the Vanderbilt with a bankroll of $837,220 so a victory in the $350,000 contest would push him past $1 million in earnings.
Baby Yoda was sharp in winning the six-and-a-half-furlong True North on June 8 as he drew off in the stretch to win by six lengths with jockey Eric Cancel aboard. It was his first stakes victory at the Spa and the second straight triumph for the 6-year-old son of Prospective after winning an upper level, $80,000 optional claiming going seven furlongs during the Belmont at Big A meet on May 3.
The Vanderbilt will be his second attempt at a Grade 1 at Saratoga after finishing fourth behind juggernaut Cody’s Wish in the 2022 Kelso—his only finish out of the top three at the Spa. His only other attempt against Grade 1 company came against another beast when second to Flightline in the 2021 Malibu at Santa Anita.
Baby Yoda is out of the More Than Ready mare More Than Speed and has a lifetime record of nine wins, four seconds and four thirds in 25 starts. Bred in Florida by Kathleen Amaya, Alexandro Centofanti and Raffaele Centofanti, Baby Yoda now races in the colors of Pantofel Stable LLC, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Jerold L. Zaro.
“It’s kind of funny, because people go crazy when [Baby Yoda is] doing well there. He’s like a cult favorite,” Adam Wachtel said. “Hopefully, he can keep it going. I had my eye on the Forego at the end of the meet, so if we run well here, maybe we can think about that.
“It looks like it’s going to be a tough race, but this is his favorite track,” Wachtel said. “He’s had some big performances at Saratoga, so it’s a special place for him and for all of us.”
He is 7-2 on the morning line and Cancel gets the return mount from post four.
Already a millionaire with $1,628,163 in earnings, Skelly’s connections are hoping he can bring his dominant record at another Spa track in the south to Saratoga.
Trainer Steve Asmussen has seen Skelly win eight of his 10 career starts at Oaklawn Park including the last two runnings of the Grade 3 Count Fleet Handicap and Lake Hamilton.
Since winning the $200,000 Lake Hamilton going six furlongs on May 4, Skelly has one start, finishing second to Closethegame Sugar in the $260,000 Aristides going six furlongs at Churchill Downs on June 1.
Skelly has 10 wins and five seconds in 16 career starts and is owned by Red Lane Thoroughbreds LLC.
He is the 6-5 morning line favorite and regular rider Ricardo Santana Jr. will be aboard from the outside post six.
Other contenders are Nakatomi with jockey Tyler Gaffalione, Twisted Ride and rider Kendrick Carmouche, Yan Aviles takes the call on My Buddy B and Subrogate will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Baby Yoda tries to become the 11th Florida-bred winner of Vanderbilt going back to 1985 when Cognizant won the race when known as the A Phenomenon Handicap. Cognizant also won the following year and has since been joined by Florida-breds Banker’s Jet (1987), Prospector’s Gamble (1990), For Really (1992), Not Surprising (1995), Kelly Kip (1998), Successful Appeal (2000) and two-time winner Imperial Hint (2018-’19).
