‘Rising Stars’ Square Off in With Anticipation

[Wandering Eyes]

Capital Partner (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Dr. Agne (Into Mischief), a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars off debut maiden wins at the Spa, headline the GIII With Anticipation Stakes for 2-year-olds on the inner turf at Saratoga Thursday. The $175,000 event is run over 1 1/16 miles and features a field of eight.

Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Capital Partner, favored at 5-2 on the morning line, did not have the smoothest of trips on debut Aug. 2 at this distance. He was fractious in the gate, bumped more than once, rank, and green, yet he unleashed a from-the-clouds kick while wide in the stretch to win by a half-length. With a repeat of that kick and a cleaner trip, it's hard to see him getting beat. Trainer Chad Brown won this last year with Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), since a Grade I winner, as well as in 2012 and 2014. Flavien Prat, aboard for the 'Rising Star' performance, stays on the bay.

Capital Partner's fellow 'Rising Star' Dr. Agne, who campaigns for Madaket Stables LLC, Twin Brook Stables, and Belladonna Racing LLC, makes his first start since his much-anticipated July 11 unveiling. The Cherie DeVaux runner is out of champion grass mare Lady Eli (Divine Park) and certainly has the breeding for this, but will be both stretching out from his seven-furlong debut and moving to the grass for the first time as his sole start was taken off the turf. Irad Ortiz, Jr. keeps the mount.

“Step one was winning, and he did that. He did that impressively,” said DeVaux. “We just hope to continue on now. He is maturing well. He is a horse that is big and sturdy. He holds his condition well and he's doing really well.”

DeVaux continued: “If we won on debut, this was where we were going to run him. He's been training well, so we'll see. This will be good to get him on the turf and around two turns.”

Final Score (Not This Time) and Heeere's Johnny (Oscar Performance) exit a one-two punch in an Aug. 10 maiden over track and trip. The Todd Pletcher-trained Final Score was a $600,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase last year for Repole Stable, while the Raymond Handal-trained Heeere's Johnny–who campaigns for Magic Carpet Racing and Catherine W. Coyle–is a full-brother to this month's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes winner World Beater.

The field is rounded out by statebred Spa maiden winner Caroline St. Beat (Tiz the Law); Godolphin homebred Gloves Off (Nyquist), who ships in from an Ellis Park debut victory; GIII Sanford Stakes fourth Strategic Risk (Noble Bird); and Saratoga 14 1/2-length debut dirt winner and $35,000 claimer One More Freud (Tonalist).

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