American Monarch, Blame the Booze among six in With Anticipation

The final week of the 2020 racing season at Saratoga kicks off Wednesday with the $100,000 With Anticipation Stakes (G3) highlighting the afternoon action. Six juveniles will travel 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf, with American Monarch a potential favorite in a field comprised of horses with no experience outside the maiden ranks.

Trained by Bill Mott, American Monarch is one of two course-and-distance winners in the With Anticipation lineup. Sent off at 7-1 in his Aug. 8 debut, the son of American Pharoah raced in close attendance behind a slow pace and edged clear in the final furlong to win by a half-length.

The pace advantage in the race could very well belong to Blame the Booze, who led throughout to win his debut by 2 1/2 lengths at Belmont on July 10. The 6-furlong race was contested on a muddy main track after being transferred from the turf.

"He's done everything right training on the grass and usually slop transcends to grass," said trainer Wesley Ward of the Blame gelding. "I'm excited about this guy and distance shouldn't be a problem with his breeding."

Other last-out maiden winners in the field are Zippy Baby, won graduated by a half-length on July 18 in his third try, and Nathan Detroit, who made a winning debut at Ellis Park going a mile on the turf. The two maidens in the With Anticipation are Winfromwithin, second and fourth in two previous runs on the main track, and Fire At Will, sixth behind American Monarch last time.