Trickmeister remains perfect after Pleasant Colony romp

Unbeaten sophomore TRICKMEISTER (Proud Citizen) made quite a splash in

his first start for new owner IEAH Stables and trainer Rick Dutrow, living up to

his reputation with an 11 3/4-length rout in Friday's $73,500

Pleasant Colony S.

at Saratoga. So impressive was his performance that it begged the question of

what might have been, if connections had opted for Saturday's Travers S. (G1)

instead.

The even-money favorite went straight to the early lead for Garrett

Gomez, reeled off legitimate fractions of :23 2/5, :46 2/5 and 1:10 2/5 while

chased by Our Dark Knight (Medaglia d'Oro), and drew off down the stretch. Six

lengths on top through one mile in 1:35 2/5, Trickmeister continued to pour it

on, widening his margin en route to completing 1 1/8 miles on the fast track in

1:48 4/5.

Dutrow said that we haven't seen anything yet.

"Even though this

looked very impressive today, he's better than this," the trainer said. "He's

got talent, but we just have to straighten him out.

"That's why we didn't pick

the Travers for him. If we get him right and he starts

training unbelievably, we can pick whatever spot we want."

Formerly campaigned

by breeders Brereton Jones and Timothy Thornton, and trained by Cindy Jones, the

bay colt captured his first three career starts in wire-to-wire fashion at

Delaware Park this spring and summer. He was purchased privately following his

score in the July 10 Barbaro S. Now four-for-four, Trickmeister has bankrolled

$151,200.

The Kentucky-bred Trickmeister, who RNA'd for $95,000 as a Keeneland

September yearling, was produced by the winning Afternoon Deelites mare

Afternoon Trick. He has a pair of younger half-brothers, an unraced juvenile

named Forest Thief (Forest Grove) and an unnamed yearling by Stevie Wonderboy.

This is the family of Zoonaqua (Silver Hawk), queen of the 1992 Oak Leaf S. (G1)

and the dam of Grade 1-placed Japanese stakes veteran Tokai Trick (El Condor

Pasa).

Friday's opening $70,000 stakes event was renamed the

Vic Ziegel Memorial S.,

in honor of the legendary New York sportswriter and columnist who died last

month, and Repole Stable's DRIVEN BY SUCCESS (Precise End) completed the

tribute with a 6 3/4-length triumph. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John

Velazquez, the 1-5 favorite survived early pace pressure before asserting his

dominance in a final time of 1:21 4/5 for seven furlongs.

"He was able to get

into a comfortable rhythm for a pretty fast race," Pletcher said. "It was nice

to see him win a stake at Saratoga after a couple tough losses in the John

Morrissey the last two years (finishing second as the odds-on favorite each

time)."

Driven by Success's second stakes coup improved his mark to 22-7-4-5,

$463,969. Pletcher indicated that the New York-bred gelding, who finished third

in last year's Metropolitan H. (G1) and Carter H. (G1), would aim for a title

defense in the October 23 Hudson S. at Belmont Park.

"This is a special tribute

to (Vic Ziegel) and we're happy we could do it," Pletcher added.

Roberta Ziegel,

Vic Ziegel's wife of 34 years, commented on what this race would have meant to

him.

"Vic had been coming to Saratoga for years," she said. "He really loved it.

Vic talked a lot about Saratoga. He built it up. It's is like being at the best

wedding that anyone could go to. You're dressed. You're joyful. You're out. It's

a joyous occasion. He loved every single thing about it. He looked forward to

it.

"He would be glad (to have a race named for him). He would be honored. It

would be what he called 'dancing around the kitchen.' I just know this. He would

be knocked out. He would have loved today.

"He loved writing about this sport. He liked to write about the horses,

trainers and jockeys. There was really a lot of great stuff to write."