Sanagas to grab a second grass race in the Bowling Green Handicap on the opening day of the Belmont Fall meet
Belmont Fall meet starts off with the $150,000 Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap, where six other turf males will battle it out to hit the wire first in the opening race of the meet on 10 September, 2011, at Belmont Park.
Among seven males, The German bred Sanagas, is declared as the 2 to 1 morning line favourite, who is gearing up to beat the lot and claim his first graded stakes win.
The 5-year-old gelding is trained by Graham Motion for owner Andreas Jacobs, and Sanagas has been vied for favouritism because of his 2 ½ length victory over rival Centre Divider in the $81,000 John’s Call presented by Sportech Stakes on 5 August, 2011,
on Saratoga’s turf course.
Under jockey Rajiv Maragh, the son of Lomitas took on a distance of 1 5/8 miles defeated Centre Divider and Bold Hawk, who finished second and third respectively while Sanagas clocked in 2 minutes and 41.45 seconds.
According to trainer Graham Motion, the early transition from stakes race to graded stakes race is a logical proposition and he thinks that they are not getting too carried away with it.
Sanagas has been good on grass and since the John’s Call, he has had one workout on grass and he turned in a good one, which might have prompted trainer Graham Motion to throw him in the mix for the $150,000 event at Belmont Park.
Out of Scota by Marju, Sanagas had one more race on turf before running in the John’s Call, he was included in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap under regular jockey Rajiv Maragh.
Sanagas fell away in the race and wound up seventh at Arlington Park, Tajaaweed winning the race in 2 minutes and 1.83 seconds.
John’s Call rivals will come back to settle the score with Sanagas in the Bowling Green Handicap, with the likes of John’s Call runner up Centre Divider and the third place finisher Bold Hawk, who resumed his career last fall after a three year absence,
and also the fifth placed Kindergarden Kid.
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