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Any Given Saturday returns a winner in Dwyer
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Any Given Saturday now has his sights set on bigger things later in the summer after his Dwyer score
(Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com) |
WinStar Farm and Padua Stables' ANY GIVEN SATURDAY (Distorted Humor) made
his last appearance before Wednesday an eighth-place finish in the Kentucky
Derby (G1). Reappearing off the two-month break, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt
easily pulled off a four-length victory in the $147,000
Dwyer S. (G2)
on Independence Day while making his first start at Belmont Park. Sent off the
8-5 second pick in the five-horse field, the sophomore paid $5.30, $3.10 and
$2.20 to his loyal backers while keying the $11 exacta and $15.20 trifecta
(6-2-3).
"It was a huge win," Pletcher said. "He came out of the Kentucky Derby with a
pretty good foot bruise. It took us a while to get him over that. Then, it was a
matter of picking out a game plan and put him in the best position going
forward. We felt like the freshening from the Derby would be good for him, and
obviously, it was."
Believeinmenow (Tiznow) moved to the fore when the gates opened, setting
splits of :23 4/5, :47 and 1:10 4/5 while tracked by the eventual winner on the
outside. Any Given Saturday pulled even and passed the pacesetter, but found
himself challenged by Nobiz Like Shobiz (Albert the Great) entering the stretch.
For a moment, the two appeared ready to do battle all the way to the wire, but
Any Given Saturday would have none of it. Finding another gear under Garrett
Gomez, the dark bay easily pulled off to stop the clock in 1:40 3/5 for 1 1/16
miles on the fast dirt.
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Nobiz Like Shobiz was easily best of the rest as the 6-5 favorite, returning
$2.70 and $2.10 for finishing five lengths in front of Sightseeing (Pulpit).
Show gave back $2.10 at 5-2, and next under the line were Believeinmenow and
Helsinki (Distorted Humor). First Defence (Unbridled's Song) was scratched.
Any Given Saturday earned his first stakes score in the Sam F. Davis S. on
February 17 before just missing by a nose to eventual Kentucky Derby winner
Street Sense (Street Cry [Ire]) in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). He finished third in the Wood
Memorial S. (G1) before his try in the Kentucky Derby, and the dark bay
also ran second in last year's Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2). He's now earned
$389,213 to go along with an 8-4-2-1 career mark.
Bred by Racehorse Management in Kentucky, Any Given Saturday is the
second registered foal out of the winning Weekend in Indy (A.P. Indy), making
him a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Bohemian Lady (Carson City) and a full to an unnamed
yearling filly. He sold for $1.1 million at the 2005
Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Pletcher said that Any Given Saturday could show up next in either the July
29 Jim Dandy S. (G2) at Saratoga or Monmouth Park's Haskell Invitational (G1)
on August 5.
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