BY BROCK SHERIDAN

After a convincing victory in a Florida-bred maiden special weight in June, Fredy Gonzalez’s Camigol steps up against a group of highly regarded 2-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course in Saturday’s $200,000 Saratoga Special. The bay son of Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic is trained by Antonio Sano and is listed at 20-1 on the morning line of the six-and-a-half test.

Camigol was unfortunate in his first race, a four-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream on May 31. He was racing on the rail in third when he was abruptly cut off heading into the far turn, forcing jockey Edwin Gonzalez to momentarily loss his balance and checking Camigol. Despite losing momentum and placing, Camigol regained his form around the turn and into the stretch to rally for second, missing winner Fourth and Central by just a neck. In his next race, he and Gonzalez were pressed on the front through the first three furlongs before they drew clear in the stretch to win by five-and-three-quarters lengths.

 

Out of Daddy’s Pride, by Scat Daddy, Camigol was bred in Florida by DeLuca and Sons Stables Inc. and has earned $46,200 in his two starts. 

Sano has given the riding assignment on Camigol to Jose Lezcano and they will break from post five.

Camigol tries to join a list of 13 Florida-bred winners of the Saratoga Special going back to Bronzerullah in 1960. Damon’s Mound was the most recent Florida-bred winner in 2022. Others include Spurious Precision (2012), D’ Funnybone (2009), Prime Directive (1998), To Freedom (1990), Victorious (1982), Conquistador Cielo (1981), Well Decorated (1980), J.P. Brother (1979), Our Talisman (1974), Three Martinis (1970) and Sadair (1964).

Obliteration, a 10 ½-length winner of the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga in his last race on July 5, enters the Saratoga Special for trainer Steve Asmussen and Leland Ackerley Racing. The son of Violence is undefeated in two starts after breaking his maiden by seven-and-a-half lengths at Churchill Downs in June.

Obliteration is by Violence out of I’mclassyandsassy, by Master Command and was bred in Kentucky by Ocala Stud. An earner of $165,550, Obliteration was purchased by Ackerley for $200,000 out of the Ocala Stud consignment at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale.

Flavien Prat has the return mount of the 7-5 morning line favorite and they will break from post six.

The second choice in the program at 8-5 is Ewing, a 12-length winner of a five-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight a Saratoga on July 5. 

Mark Casse trains the son of freshman sire Knicks Go for D. J. Stable LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Kenneth Freirich. West Point and D. J. Stable paid $585,000 for Ewing at the OBS Spring Sale where he was consigned by Hidden Brook.

Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the call on Ewing and they have drawn post one.

Rounding out the field are Comport and jockey Luis Saez, Thunder Chuck has Madison Olver named to ride and Jose Ortiz guides Dazzle d’Oro.

Return to the July 31 issue of Wire to Wire