Saratoga recap – August 31 and September 1

By Tod Marks

Theocrat outfinishes stablemate Freddy Flintshire to take $75,000 Michael G. Walsh novice stakes at Saratoga on Thursday

Coming from off the pace under Bernie Dalton, Atlantic Friends Racing’s Theocrat rallied through the stretch and repelled a challenge from Upland Flats Racing’s Freddy Flintshire to narrowly take the seventh and final steeplechase race at the Spa for the season. 

It was the second straight win for the five-year-old Irish-bred son of Teofilo, who took a 115 handicap at Colonial Downs in Virginia on July 18. Keri Brion trained both the first and second-place finishers, who raced side-by-side for most of the 2 3/8 miles of the Walsh.

Proven Innocent, Bargary provide thrilling finish to Spa hurdle contest

Jockey Jamie Bargary, coming off a two-for-two day at Colonial Downs on Monday, made it three straight wins with an incredible come-from-behind victory in Wednesday’s $70,000 allowance race with Bruton Street-US’ Proven Innocent.

With Jamie Bargary riding for trainer Mark Beecher, Ludicrous Mode stalked Ashwell Stable’s Twenty OnLaunching a furious rally on the far outside — about as far to the outside as you can go without running through the bushes — Proven Innocent, trained by Hall of Famer Jack Fisher, nailed Michael Smith’s Bandua and Gerard Galligan in the final strides.

The replays for both races can be found here: https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/replays

Full results can be found here: https://nationalsteeplechase.com/racing/