Garamond Back To One Turn For The Amsterdam

[Wandering Eyes]

A winner of two of his three starts at distances up to a mile, Juddmonte homebred Garamond (Uncle Mo) will try to atone for a disappointing effort when heavily favored in the NYRA Bets Pegasus Stakes in Friday's GII Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga.

A popular debut winner going Friday's 6 1/2-furlong distance at Tampa back in late January, Garamond was a very sound third to Flood Zone (Frosted) making his stakes debut in the GIII Gotham Stakes going the one-turn eight-furlong configuration at Aqueduct Mar. 1.

The bay colt set strong fractions and led every step of the way to best 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief) by 3 1/4 lengths in a first-level allowance going a mile on Long Island Apr. 27, good for a 99 Beyer, but things went pear-shaped in the Pegasus, as he never looked comfortable over a heavily rain-affected strip at the Jersey Shore and struggled home last of the six at 3-5.

Four of Friday's seven remaining entrants exit unplaced efforts in the June 7 GI Woody Stephens Stakes and a few of those could earn a rematch with that contest's winner 'TDN Rising Star' Patch Adams (Into Mischief) in the Aug. 23 GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes with a bold showing here. Macho Music (Maclean's Music) caused a 13-1 upset in the GII Pat Day Mile at Churchill May 3 and made the early running in the Woody Stephens before drifting back to finish in a dead heat for seventh. Irad Ortiz, Jr. takes over from the fence on Friday.

T Kraft (Connect), a half-brother to champion Straight No Chaser (Speighster), won the Jimmy Wakefield Stakes in March and was first off the layoff in the Stephens, finishing a respectable fifth. He has the right to go better with the tightener under his belt.

“He's doing OK,” said trainer Bill Mott, who won the 2002 Amsterdam with Listen Here (Gulch). “He's one that doesn't wow you when he's working, so we'll just see how he does in the afternoon.”

Gunmetal (Gun Runner) was impressive in defeating next-out Chick Lang Stakes winner Retribution (Vekoma) and future GIII Indiana Derby hero 'Rising Star' Tip Top Thomas (Volatile) in a six-furlong Keeneland allowance in April, but failed to land a blow in the Stephens, trailing in last of 10.

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