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A Little Warm strikes in Jim Dandy
"I felt strongly he was going to run a terrific race, but I didn't know if that was going to be good enough to win," Dutrow said. "We work so hard with these animals, and when you achieve a race like this, it's bigger than life. "He ran the way we wanted him to run at Delaware last time, and my feeling was that he was not 100 percent for that race," the conditioner added. "When we came up here to Saratoga shortly after that race, he really went over the moon. He loved the racetrack. I told Johnny (Velazquez) to ride him with confidence." "I rode him down at Delaware, and he impressed me a lot with the way he did it, especially against the horse who was on the lead today (Miner's Reserve)," Velazquez noted. "I liked that horse a lot, and we had beaten him at Delaware. (A Little Warm) came back today and did it the same way. You can place him wherever you want and let the speed go. When you ask him, he's there for you. That's what I like about him. "I don't think he’ll have a problem (with a mile and a quarter in the Travers) if he rates like he did today," the jockey added. Sent off the 4-1 third choice in the eight-horse field, A Little Warm paid $10.20, $5.50 and $3.80. Miner's Reserve, who was off as the 15-1 longest shot, returned $13.60 and $7.90. It was three parts of a length back to Afleet Express (Afleet Alex), who never offered a serious challenge but out-finished Friend or Foe (Friends Lake) by a half-length for third. He was worth $3.50 as the 5-2 second choice. Friend or Foe was 1 1/2 lengths clear of 9-5 favorite Fly Down (Mineshaft), who failed to make an impact at any point of the race, and Steinbeck (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand [GB]), Aikenite (Yes It's True) and Stormy's Majesty (Stormy Atlantic) rounded out the order of finish. Winslow Homer (Unbridled's Song) was scratched. The exotics totaled $96 (exacta), $344.50 (trifecta) and $2,006 (5-6-2-8 superfecta). A Little Warm has now earned $608,880 from a 9-4-4-0 career line. He made his stakes and three-year-old debut a winning one in the Spectacular Bid S. at Gulfstream, and his only unplaced finish came in his second lifetime start against maiden special weight rivals. Out of the Grade 3 winner Minidar (Alydar), the Virginia-bred hails from excellent bloodlines. He's a full brother to a yearling colt and a half-sibling to Ministorm (Storm Cat), dam of Grade 2 queen Mini Sermon (Pulpit). His second dam, Irish champion and three-time Group 1 winner Minstrella (The Minstrel), produced Grade 2 victress Colonial Minstrel (Pleasant Colony). This is also the family of 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado). Dutrow was asked if he is looking forward to running A Little Warm in the Travers. "Absolutely," he exclaimed. "If he comes out of this race great, count us in."
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