NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Saratoga Heater became a stakes winner in his third career start, chalking up a handy frontrunning victory at Belmont Park on Sunday afternoon over a competitive field in the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard for New York-bred juveniles at seven furlongs.
Breaking slightly inward from his inside post, but out of harm’s way, Saratoga Heater immediately got his feet under him and engaged Banana Thief in a brief tussle for the lead, coming away in front and quickly opening up two lengths on the field.
Preserving a comfortable margin to his nearest rival, Pletcher-trained Bullheaded Boy, Saratoga Heater carried on unchallenged along the backstretch and around the far turn. He progressed to the finish line under a vigorous hand ride with a single left-handed reminder and won by a margin of four lengths.
NYRA/Chelsea Durand
Bullheaded Boy finished second, followed across the line a length back by Market Conduct. Next in order were longshot Chloe’s Wonderboy and Banana Thief, followed in last by Tizquick, who stumbled at the start, rushed up into contention and faded late. After a sharp first half mile in 45.67, the final time for the seven furlongs over muddy (sealed) main track was 1:24.63. [VIDEO]
Winning rider Joel Rosario, Saratoga Heater’s third pilot in as many starts, said, “I thought I would be a little bit off the pace, since he came from way off the pace last time. He was really sharp today and broke on top. I let him be happy and cruise along. He took me all the way, so it was a good race for him. It didn’t seem anyone was trying to go with me, so that was good, too.”
A colt by freshman sire Temple City (a son of Dynaformer out of a Danzig mare), Saratoga Heater has made all three starts over sloppy going. After debuting a sixth-place finisher at Saratoga on July 31 behind debut winner Bullheaded Boy, he improved by leaps and bounds second out with blinkers added, breaking his maiden by 2 1/4 lengths in a ten-horse field from off the pace going six furlongs on July 31. Trained by Al Stall, Jr. for his first pair of starts, the colt is now in the hands of Lisa Lewis, who trains for P R Racing.
Lewis said, “I know [his former connections] were very high on Saratoga Heater, and when we got him there was nothing that we didn’t like about him. He’s done everything right; he had a beautiful breeze here the other day. I was quietly confident going into this race.”
Explaining why she has added P R Racing to longtime client William Schettine, Lewis said, “I’ve trained privately for Mr. Schettine [of Signature Stallions] for almost five years now and we’ve had a really good run. I still train for him, but he’s cutting back a little bit and I just wanted an opportunity to get some more young horses. For me, that’s where it’s at, trying to get a good, young horse, so here we are.”
Foaled on February 6, 2012 at Hidden Lake Farm in Otisville, Saratoga Heater is the first starter out of Hot Spell a stakes-placed sprinter by Salt Lake, whose second dam is a Group 3 turf winner in France, Relasure. The colt sold first as a yearling for $30,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred preferred sale before going to Stewart Madison for $100,000 at the OBS Springs sale in April after working an eighth of a mile in 10.2 seconds.
