Forego Stakes at Saratoga

Las Vegas, NV - It's a Grade 1 double-header at Saratoga Raceway Saturday September 1. The Grade 1 Forego Stakes is the first and features horses three years old and upward who will race seven furlongs in search of their share of the $500,000 purse.

A field of eight three year olds will line up in race 9 on Saratoga's Saturday card with a post time of 5:12 PM. Here is a brief look at all eight entries and what brought them to this Grade 1 race.

2012 Forego Stakes Race Favorites

Shackleford - Shackleford won the 2011 Preakness, finished fourth in the Derby and fifth in the Belmont Stakes - he has to be considered a serious contender in this one. He won the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 5 over Amazombie and followed that up with an equally impressive score in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap over Caleb's Posse on May 28. Shackleford had a brief layoff and returned with a disappointing eighth in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap here last time out on August 5. He will be looking to return to form for trainer Dale Romans and is the favorite on Saturday. He also boasts impressive results such as a respectable 2nd in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs in November and seconds in the Florida Derby and Indiana Derby. Shackelford did struggle late in 2011 with a seventh in the Donn Handicap and an OK third in the Carter Handicap but his two wins in May serve notice that he is a contender this week.

Jackson Bend - is the defending champion in this race but has been up and down so far this year. His entry comes with some hesitation this week - it was August 18 that he collided with another horse in training. That said Jackson Bend has two stakes wins this year - the Grade 3 Hal's Hope Stakes on January 14 and the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct on April 7. Mixed in among the impressive results in 2012 are a third in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap, a disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont on May 28 and a fourth as favorite last time out in the Grade 3 James Marvin on this track on July 20. Jackson Bend is a definite contender in this race and would love to repeat while avenging a pair of uncharacteristically poor outings.

Forego Stakes 2012 | Remaining Field Entries

Pacific Ocean - had an impressive win at the Grade 3 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes at Hollywood Park in November before a less than scintillating sixth in the Grade 2 True North Stakes at Belmont on June 9. Last time out however he rebounded in a big way and posted an impressive win in the Grade 3 James Marvin Stakes here on July 20. Pacific Ocean has five wins and a second place finish in eight career starts and is three-for-three at the Forego distance.

Caixa Electronica - Todd Pletcher trained Caixa Electronica had won two big races in three starts - the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic Stakes on April 4 and the Grade 2 True North Handicap on June 8 before stumbling in his last two races - a fifth in the Grade 3 James Marvin on July 20 and an eighth last time out in the Grade 1 Whitney Invitational here on August 4. He also finished an OK fourth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on this track on May 28. Caixa Electronica is hot and cold - unfortunately he appears chilly at the moment.

Forego Stakes betting at Saratoga with OffTrackBetting.com

Emcee - lightly raced colt has three wins and two third place finishes in six career starts. He has fared well in graded stakes races - a third last time out in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap, a fourth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in April and a third in the Grade 3 Tom Fool in March.

Isn't He Perfect - has eight starts in 2012 for trainer Richard Dutrow but has yet to start a graded stakes race this year. Isn't He Perfect followed a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming scores in May with a pair of seconds in his last two starts both minor stakes races - the Mountainview Handicap on July 28 and the Birdstone Stakes here on August 2.

Jersey Town - finished second in this race last year but has been inconsistent since. Last time out was a sixth in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap here to follow a second in the Sir Shackleton Stakes in March. he has raced only two times in 2012 and hasn't looked all that great in either.

Hamazing Destiny - has two straight fourth place finishes ahead of the Forego - the Grade 2 True North on June 9 and the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap last time out here on August 5 to follow an impressive win in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Handicap on May 19. He has seven starts this year with one win. two seconds and a third place finish.

2012 Forego Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 9 on Saratoga's Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:12 PM.