Saratoga: Wise Dan draws rail again for Fourstardave Handicap

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Wise Dan won the 2012 Fourstardave Handicap from post 1, and if he’s going to successfully defend his title Saturday, he’ll do it breaking from the rail once again.

Wise Dan drew post 1 in a field of seven turf specialists set to go one mile over the inner turf in the Grade 2 Fourstardave. The reigning Horse of the Year will carry a staggering 129-pound impost, conceding 11 to 14 pounds to his rivals.

The competition, in post-position order, is Skyring (118), Za Approval (118), Mr. Commons (117), Willyconker (115), King Kreesa (117), and Lea (117).

John Velazquez negotiated a winning trip for Wise Dan from post 1 last year and does not seem too concerned about having to do it again Saturday.

“It’s nothing I’m going to worry about,” Velazquez said. “We were down there the whole way last year. That’s where he likes to be anyway, and I think it’s a little easier going from the inside than the outside because he gets too rank from the outside. I will study the race, see who I want to follow and who not to follow, and we’ll go from there.”

Velazquez said he hopes carrying 129 pounds is not an issue for Wise Dan and that the only one with a problem will be the valet carrying his lead-packed saddle to the paddock for the Fourstardave.

“He carried 128 on a bad track at Churchill Downs and won, so I just hope it’s not too much weight with the difference back to the others,” Velazquez said. “I haven’t even looked at who might be the best horse in there that’s carrying less weight. If there’s a decent horse in the race with a lot less weight, then it’s a concern.”

Sharp work for Discreet Marq

Discreet Marq, who has won both her starts, including the Grade 2 Sands Point, since joining trainer Christophe Clement’s stable this year, worked a bullet five furlongs over the Oklahoma turf course here Wednesday as she prepares for her next start, which could come in the Grade 2 Lake Placid on Aug. 18.

“She had a nice work this morning, and I’ll speak to Mr. and Mrs. Generazio, then make a decision where she’ll go next,” Clement said. “We have two choices, either the Lake Placid or the Del Mar Oaks. I will leave it up to them.”

The Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks will be run Aug. 17. Discreet Marq, a New York-bred, is a homebred daughter of Discreet Cat owned by Patricia and Frank Generazio.

Clement also said his graded stakes winner Summer Front is not far from returning to action after suffering a minor setback following his victory in Calder’s Grade 3 Miami Mile Handicap in April.

“He’s on his way back; we’re getting closer,” Clement said. “He took a wrong step at the end of the race at Calder, so I just gave him some time, nothing serious. He’s training well, and we’ll have to start thinking about looking for a race in two or three weeks.”

Orb to arrive Sunday

Kentucky Derby winner Orb is scheduled to arrive at Saratoga on Sunday after having one more workout at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland for the $1 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 24.

Trainer Shug McGaughey initially thought about bringing Orb here earlier this week but decided that since the horse is doing so well at Fair Hill, he would keep him there for his last major work for the Travers. Orb then will have one final easy work at Saratoga five or six days before the race.

“We just decided, instead of bringing him up in the middle of the week and galloping a couple of days and work, to just go on and complete our major works there [and] bring him up here on his off day,” McGaughey said. “Then we’d have a week for him to acclimate before we breezed him and then another week after that. We felt like we were getting so much done, and he was improving so quickly down there, that let’s don’t change things.”

Orb, who finished fourth in the Preakness and third in the Belmont Stakes, shipped to Fair Hill on June 10, the day after the Belmont. He spent some time in the hyperbaric chamber at Fair Hill as well as in cold-water spa treatments.

“He was allowed to be a horse again, get turned out in the mornings in a round pen, and we were able to spend a lot of time with him,” McGaughey said. “We were able to put him in that cold-water spa. Also, the aqua treadmill helped build him up behind.”

Wired Bryan, Twang aim for Special

Satisfied with how his horse has bounced out of his victory in the Grade 2 Sanford Stakes three weeks ago, trainer Michael Dilger confirmed Wednesday that Wired Bryan will run back in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special at 6 1/2 furlongs.

“It was a nice work last Sunday; the horse is in good form,” Dilger said. “Back in 21 days, which is right there on the borderline. We’re happy with the way he’s doing, and we’ll take our chance. We thought he was a little bit ahead of the curve for his last race, and we’re hoping he still has that edge.”

Also confirmed for the Special on Wednesday was Twang, who won a maiden race here by 3 1/4 lengths July 27.

“He came out of the race fine,” trainer Al Stall Jr. said. “He’s a strong horse, short field, we’re going to take a shot.”