Ewing overcomes slow start for Saratoga Special win

Ewing might have been slowest out of the gate in the $186,000 Saratoga Special (G2), but a quick recovery helped propel the speedy son of 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go to a one-length victory over 2-5 favorite Obliteration in Saturday's 6 1/2-furlong dash for two-year-olds.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Ewing veered in slightly at the start after breaking from post 1, but soon darted past Obliteration and was up 1 1/2 lengths after a couple of furlongs. Obliteration took a run at Ewing approaching the turn for home, but Ewing, after carrying his rival wide, found more in the upper stretch and held sway to the wire.

Camigol finished a dozen lengths behind Obliteration in third, while Thunder Chuck trailed home last of the quartet.

"That was kind of crazy," trainer Mark Casse said of the slow start. "We didn't warm him up so he would kind of get away slow; so he could settle. Jose said he settled for three strides. He said he broke and took off, and he wasn't going to fight him."

Although Ewing dazzled by 12 lengths in his debut and Obliteration exited a 10 1/2-length score in the Sanford (G3) on the same July 5 card, their respective efforts in the Saratoga Special perhaps won't be judged in the same light. Ewing's final time over a fast track was a pedestrian 1:18.03, notably slower than Ted Noffey's debut win in the Saturday opener, which went in 1:17.56.

Nonetheless, Ewing remains unbeaten from two starts, while Obliteration suffered his first setback in three outings. Ewing paid $5.40 for the partnership of D. J. Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Kenneth Freirich.

A $585,000 OBS purchase in April, Ewing is likely to bypass next month's Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga and hop on the road to the 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1) right away.

"I may take this horse and run him at Churchill, probably the Iroquois (G3)," said Casse of the traditional first point-scoring race on the Kentucky Derby trail.

Bred in Kentucky by John Gardiner, Ewing was produced by Sassy Ali Joy, a daughter of Indian Charlie. This extended female family is responsible for the 1998 champion three-year-old filly Banshee Breeze.