2016 Bernard Baruch Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York will play host to the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap on Labor Day Monday, September 5. Horses three years old and upward will be after the winner's share of the $250,000 purse when they take to Saratoga's turf track and race 1 1/16 miles.

A field of 10 will take to the track in the Bernard Baruch Stakes - race 9 on Saratoga's Labor Day Monday card. Post time is 5:08 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all 10 entries for this Grade 2 stakes.

2016 Bernard Baruch Handicap Race Preview at Saratoga Race Course

Takeover Target - Chad Brown trained colt makes his thirteenth career start Sunday having recorded five wins and two second place finishes so far. He made his graded stakes debut last July and finished a somewhat disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes Invitational and followed that with a good win in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes in August, a sixth in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes in September, a nice 1 3/4 length win in the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park October 3 and a troubled fifth in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes January 9. Takeover Target has been a tad inconsistent since - a fourth last time out in the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park June 18 followed a career best win over Grand Arch and Ring Weekend in the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico May 21, a second in the minor Danger's Hour Stakes at Aqueduct April 10 and a fourth in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf in February. He will be after his fourth graded stakes score and a strong bounce back Saturday when he leaves from post 5 with Jose Ortiz guiding him.

Ring Weekend - returned from a 14 month layoff May 21 for trainer Graham Motion and finished a very respectable second behind Takeover Target in the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico and followed that with an uncharacteristic sixth last time out in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap on this track August 20. Before the layoff he won the 2015 Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita and had wins in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes in September, 2014 and the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes a month later. Ring Weekend has five wins, four seconds and two third place finishes in 16 career starts and has three wins and two seconds in his last seven starts overall. He looks to bounce back off that sixth last time out and will have John Velazquez aboard from gate 2.

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Jay Gatsby - has 13 career starts with four wins, five seconds and a third place finish. He enters off a second behind Shining Copper in the minor Lure Stakes on this track, at this distance August 6 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score June 3, a fifth in the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes in April and a second and a win respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races to start his year. Jay Gatsby will try to place in graded stakes company for the first time in three tries when he leaves from gate 8 with Javier Castellano aboard.

Take the Stand - Bill Mott Argentinean bred trainee has six wins, two seconds and a third place finish in 13 career starts and enters off a disappointing eleventh in the Grade 1 Arlington Millions August 13 which followed a career best effort - a win in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds March 26. Before that was a respectable second by a neck in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes February 13 and an eighth in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap in November. He also won a Group 3 stakes at home before shipping in February, 2015. Take the Stand has shown form in the past and will be looking for a strong bounce back from the rail. Edgar Prado will be in the reins.

Dubai Sky - impressive Bill Mott trained colt has four wins, a second and a third place finish in six career starts. Last time out was a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs in July after a career-defining win in the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes last March, a win in the minor Kitten's Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January, an Allowance Optional Claiming score in December and a maiden score last September. Dubai Sky has been competitive every time out and hopes to keep that trend going from gate 4 Sunday. Jose Lezcano has been tabbed to ride.

War Dancer - Bill Mott trainee has 28 career starts with five wins, five seconds and five third place finishes. He won the 2013 Grade 2 Virginia Derby and the 2014 Grade 3 Louisville Handicap but took until three starts back to post victory again - an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream Park April 23. Last time out was an OK third in the Grade 3 Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park July 31 after a fourth in the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine July 1. Last year's good results include a third in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap, and a good second in the Grade 2 Dixiana Elkhorn Stakes in April. War Dancer has shown form in the past but has placed in just two of his last seven starts overall. He hopes for his first stakes win in 28 months Sunday when he leaves from the outside gate 10 with Manuel Franco scheduled to ride.

Reporting Star - Elizabeth Voss trained multiple stakes winner has been up and down in his career. He won the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes three starts back at Gulfstream April 2, the minor El Prado Stakes in December and the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes at 15-1 odds at Woodbine August 23, 2015. He also posted a second in the Florida Sunshine Millions Turf back in January (his second straight runner-up finish in that race). Sprinkled in there are some poor results as well including a sixth last time out in the Grade 3 Red Barn Stakes at Monmouth Park June 5, an eighth two starts back in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs May 7 and consecutive fifths in Grade 1 races last fall. Reporting Star is a tad tough to figure out but will leave from post 9 Sunday hoping to gain a little consistency with Florent Geroux guiding him.

Natchez - D Wayne Lukas trained colt has four wins and two third place finishes in 15 career starts. He has failed to place in his last three starts however - a seventh in the minor Alydar Stakes here August 7 followed a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs June 5 and a seventh in his only graded stakes action to date - the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes in May. He did win a pair of Allowance races in the spring but hasn't been great since. He tries for his first stakes score from post 3 with Luis Saez guiding him.

Solemn Tribute - Brian Lynch trained gelding was last seen running a disappointing sixth in the minor Lure Stakes on this track August 6. That result followed an OK second in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine July 2, a ninth in his graded stakes debut - the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes February 13 and a good win in the minor Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream in December. He also had a second in the minor Showing Up Stakes in October, a third and a win respectively in a pair of Allowance races at Woodbine last summer. Solemn Tribute now has three wins, three seconds and a third place finish in 12 career starts but has failed to place in two of his last three starts overall. He looks for a strong bounce back Saturday when he departs from gate 6 with Irad Ortiz in the reins.

Farhaan - Carlos Martin trainee won a couple of minor stakes races in 2013/2014 and has eight wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 26 career starts. He enters on a two race win streak against lesser competition - a Waiver Claiming last time out on this track August 19 and a Claiming also here July 24. Before that was a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in May and a third and a second respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races this past spring. Farhaan looks to hit the board in graded stakes company for the first time in his third try - from post 7 with Junior Alvarado in the irons.

2016 Bernard Baruch Handicap Entries & Odds

Race 9 on Saratoga's Monday card with a Post Time of 5:08 PM.