Saratoga: Tracking graded stakes on Saturday undercard

Ice Chocolat set a solid tempo and turned back all comers
with a stubborn, gate-to-wire score in Saturday’s $350,000 Poker (G3), a
one-mile, inner-turf test for older horses at Saratoga.

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse for owners Gary Barber,
Wachtel Stable and Peter Deutsch, the 6-year-old son of Goldikovic utilized new
tactics to make the grade under an aggressive steer by José Ortiz. At 24-1, Ice
Chocolat was the second longest shot on the board behind his 29-1 stablemate
Lucky Score.

“He brought his A game today. It was great,” Casse said.
“You have to give a lot of credit to José. I don’t give instructions. I told
him to just play the break and see what happens. He said he broke running and
from there, catch me if you can.

“This horse doesn’t run on the lead usually, but one thing
about this horse is he does get himself in a little trouble so he’s actually a
better horse than he looks. Today obviously making the lead, José won it in the
first half-mile. And he had nothing to get in his way. He’s a pretty good
horse.”

Ortiz hustled Ice Chocolat to the front from post 4 and set
splits of 24.41 and 48.17 seconds over the firm turf, with Talk of the Nation
stalking to his outside from second position and Mysterious Night saving ground
in third under William Buick.

Irad Ortiz Jr. asked Talk of the Nation for his best
approaching the final turn and advanced alongside the pacesetter, looming as
the one to beat. But Ice Chocolat was not done yet, digging in gamely and
kicking on from the top of the lane as Irad Ortiz implored Talk of the Nation
to go on by. Mysterious Night kept on from his inside position down the lane,
pinned in by Carl Spackler, and closed with purpose when shown to the outside
late but could only manage to land second, one length back of the winner and a
head in front of Talk of the Nation. Ice Chocolat covered the distance in
1:33.97.

Casa Creed was a further length back in fourth with Carl
Spackler, Kubrick and Lucky Score rounding out the order of finish. Front Run
the Fed was scratched.

José Ortiz, who won the New York (G1) on Friday, said he played the break.

“Mark usually doesn’t give instructions, so I see that he
broke clean, so I help him into the turn and see what happens,” he said. “I
wasn’t expecting to be there but how he broke. I would intend to be there. If
they clear me, then I take back, but they left me alone, and the horse took care
of the rest.”

Ice Chocolat made a pair of starts last summer at the Spa,
finishing fourth in the Kelso (G3) and third in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) with
rallying efforts. He shortened up successfully traveling six furlongs in Grade
2 company at Woodbine when a close third in the Nearctic on turf and second, by
a nose, in the Kennedy Road on Tapeta.

Casse said Ice Chocolat could return to the Spa for another
shot at the $500,000 Fourstardave on Aug. 10, a race the Hall of Famer has won
previously with World Approval in 2017 and Got Stormy in 2019 and 2021. The
one-mile test for 3-year-olds and up offers a win-and-you’re-in berth to the Breeders’
Cup Mile in November at Del Mar.

“I would think we’ll see him here back at Saratoga in a
stakes race,” Casse said. “He likes it here. Nothing is in mind right now. We’ll
look. Maybe long term the Fourstardave. We like that race.”

Baby Yoda kicks home a
winner in True North

Baby Yoda didn’t need any extra assistance from the force to
earn his first career stakes score, with his speed and closing kick providing
sufficient assets to pull away a six-length winner in the $350,000 True North
(G2) for 4-year-olds and up sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on Saratoga’s main track.

Baby Yoda, owned by Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary
Barber and Jerold Zaro, previously posted two runner-up efforts and finished
third against graded-stakes competition. The trainee of Hall of Famer Bill Mott
finally broke through, exiting from the outermost post 7 sharply under Eric
Cancel and tracking in second position to pacesetter Gun It, who led the
seven-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 21.94 seconds and the half
in 44.04 over the fast track. In the turn, Baby Yoda split Gun It and New
York-bred Rotknee to take command, with three-quarters in 1:08.13.

Baby Yoda didn’t relent in the stretch, staying close to the
rail and surging to the wire in a final time of 1:14.62, never being seriously
challenged by 16-1 runner-up Ninetyprcentmaddie.

Gun Pilot, the 3-5 favorite, finished one length back of
second and edged Rotknee by a head for third. Twenty Four Mamba, Gun It and
Accretive completed the order of finish.

The 6-year-old Baby Yoda was elevated back to graded-stakes
competition for the first time since 2022 and had competed against allowance
company for his last six races. But the Prospective gelding notched his ninth
overall win in 25 starts and improved his career earnings to $837,220. It
marked his second start in the True North following a fourth-place effort in
2022 at Belmont Park.

“I just tried to sit a patient trip. I had a perfect post
for that, and I just sat the perfect trip and it worked out well,” Cancel said.
“I didn’t want him to get in his way. I wanted to keep him as smooth as
possible, and that is how it went. He was very comfortable where he was, and
when I asked him, he just responded.

“I had a lot of horse. I was just waiting. I didn’t want to
move early, but at the same time, I knew that if they came up to him, he was
going to respond, because he was very comfortable doing it.”

Baby Yoda, off at 9-1, paid $20.40 on a $2 win wager. He previously
finished second in the 2022 Kelso Handicap (G2) at Belmont at the Big A and in
the 2021 Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita. A fondness for Saratoga, where he has won
4 of 6 starts, helped him earn his second consecutive winner’s circle trip.

“He likes this racetrack,” Mott said. “He’s done his best
running up here. I was a little surprised he was as close as he was. I thought
there was maybe a little more speed in the race than that, but he broke well,
and he put himself right there. He didn’t like the Gulfstream track (during the
winter). He likes it here. He’s just like old men. They get better with time.”

Co-owner Adam Wachtel of Wachtel Stable said it is likely
Baby Yoda will now target the six-furlong $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt
Handicap (G1) on July 27 at the Spa.