SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) -- Belmont Stakes runner-up Fly Down
is the favorite for Saturday's $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at
Saratoga in a race that serves as a prep for the $1 million
Travers on Aug. 28.
While Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness winner
Lookin At Lucky are running in the Haskell Invitational at
Monmouth on Sunday, the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy drew a field of
nine 3-year-olds.
The Jim Dandy shares top billing Saturday with the $500,000,
Grade 1 Diana Handicap, which will be run over the main turf
course at 1 1/8 miles and drew seven fillies and mares including
Forever Together, who will attempt to win the race for an
unprecedented third consecutive year.
The Nick Zito-trained Fly Down, who will be ridden by Jose
Lezcano, will break from the extreme outside post position in
the Jim Dandy. Fly Down has not competed since placing behind
Drosselmeyer in the Belmont Stake and was given a fast half-mile
workout Monday.
"He's coming off a 1 1/2-mile race and you have to do things
like that," said Zito, who will also saddle long shot Miner's
Reserve in the Jim Dandy. "Obviously, we know his fitness level.
We're hoping he's a little sharp for the race. He's a very good
horse. He looks good."
Except for Aikenite, who finished 10th of 12 in the Preakness,
none of the others named to start raced in the Triple Crown
series. The Irish horse Steinbeck, however, is an unknown. The
Aidan O'Brien-trained colt is without a major victory racing in
England and Ireland, and is making his first start on dirt.
The 6-year-old Forever Together, female turf-course champion in
2008, has twice finished second this year, defeated in each race
by one of the nation's leading turf-course females.
She fell a half-length short of overtaking Wasted Tears in the
Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland in April and missed by the same
margin in May at Hollywood Park, where she was defeated by
Tuscan Evening in the Gamely Handicap. Julien Leparoux, who
missed the Gamely because of an injury, will be reunited with
Forever Together for the Diana.
"She's consistently been running in Grade 1 races and the
occasional Grade 2," trainer Jonathan Sheppard said. "If you
wanted to be harsh, you could criticize her for not having
enough punch, but I don't think that's the case. She's been the
victim of pace-less races."
Proviso and Phola, winner and runner-up in the Just a Game
Stakes at Belmont Park; Dynaslew, winner of the Beaugay
Handicap, also at Belmont; and Shared Account, winner of the All
Along Stakes at Colonial Downs in her last start, will try to
deny Forever Together a record third straight title.