Hall of Fame trainer's Bob Baffert's decision to run Bayern in the Travers Stakes changed the complexion of another Grade 1 race for 3-year-olds Saturday at Saratoga.
Coup de Grace, a last-out winner in upstate New York, inherits the favorite's role in the $500,000 Ketel One King's Bishop at seven furlongs. The Tapit colt has won stakes at Delaware Park and Saratoga since transferred to trainer Larry Jones by owner Rick Porter (Fox Hill Farm) following the June 7 Grade 2 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park.
A Grade 3 winner in April for trainer Chad Brown, Coup de Grace is the early 2-1 favorite in the King's Bishop off his July 26 victory in the Grade 2 Amsterdam, for which he earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure going 6 1/2 furlongs. The colt breaks from post eight with Rosie Napravnik aboard.
"His running style depends on the length of the race," Jones said. "In sprint races he comes out relaxed and settles off the pace, but in routes he has shown more speed. There's a lot of speed in the King's Bishop, which should be comfortable for him. He's used to coming from off the pace in sprints."
The eight-horse field includes multiple graded winner Wildcat Red, yet the early 5-2 second choice is the relatively untested The Big Beast, owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway. The Yes It's True colt has won his last two starts for trainer Tony Dutrow, earning a 102 Beyer figure in a July 25 entry-level allowance at Saratoga going six furlongs.
Drawing post seven, Javier Castellano rides The Big Beast, beaten a neck when second in his March 29 debut at Oaklawn Park for trainer Steve Hobby. Total winning margin of the colt's last two starts, both in New York, is 10 1/2 lengths.
"My horse is doing fantastic and I have lots of confidence in my horse," Dutrow said. "I know it's going to be a tough race, but I'm going to leave it at that. My horse is doing great, and I'm really confident he's going to go over there and run. And, I respect the competition.
"He's really, in my opinion, pulled it together tremendously in the last two months. He's very confident in himself. I think he feel like he's the real thing."
Wildcat Red, 18th in California Chrome's Kentucky Derby, goes back sprinting after getting crushed by Bayern when third in Monmouth Park's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational July 26.
"The Travers is going to be tough, and I want to refresh him a little bit," said trainer Jose Garoffalo. "The mile and a quarter is too long for him now. In this race, if we run we still have a chance to go to (the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby) or somewhere else."
Luis Saez rides Wildcat Red, the early 4-1 third choice, from post two.
Completing the field are Amsterdam runner-up C. Zee (10-1, Joel Rosario), Myositis Dan (12-1, Jose Lezcano), Noble Cornerstone (20-1, Jose Ortiz), Noble Moon (15-1, Irad Ortiz Jr.) and Fast Anna (6-1, John Velazquez).
The King's Bishop is carded as race 10 on the Travers undercard and scheduled at 3:33 p.m. Saturday. The Travers, race 10, is 4:45 p.m. with Bayern the early 2-1 choice in a field of 10 including Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist and last-out Jim Dandy winner Wicked Strong.
Sports on 08/21/2014