Whitney Pits Quality Road Against Five Challengers

The 83rd Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Saturday features the top older horse in the nation that has lived up to his namethis year — Quality Road.

The son of Elusive Quality, with three consecutive stakes victories, is one of three 4-year-old contenders in the $750,000 Grade 1 field that’s unbeaten in 2010. The others in the six-horse field have longer winning streaks dating back to last year.

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Haynesfield has captured four straight, all routes, after losing by a head in a minor 6 ½-furlong stakes race last fall at Belmont. The son of Speightstown on July 3 took the Grade 2 Suburban at the Elmont, NY, track by 2 ¾ lengths at 1 1/8 miles, the same distance as the Whitney.

On Tuesday the Steve Asmussen trainee breezed four furlongs in 49 seconds at Belmont’s training track.

Blame also won four straight, all stakes, since losing the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs by a 1 ¼ lengths late last summer at Louisiana Downs. The son of Arch on June 10 triumphed in the Stephen Foster by three-quarters of a length at nine furlongs.

The Albert Stall Jr. trainee breezed four furlongs in 49 seconds on Saratoga’s main track Monday.

Quality Road worked the same morning at Saratoga, going five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 breezing before being schooled at thegate.

Since the Whitney starts in front of the grandstand just ahead of the finish line, the Virginia-bred was accompanied by a pony to the gate, according to the Daily Racing Form. The colt, tacked up and with regular rider John Velazquez on his back, and two stablemates participated in the schooling.

The horse was turned over to assistant starter Guido Rouse, who will handle him on Saturday as he has in New York. Though hesitating a time or two, he didn’t act up.It was quite different than at post time for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita last fall when Quality Road threw a slight fit at the gate and was scratched.

“Couldn’t have went any better,” his trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Well behaved in the paddock, walked right into the gate three times with horses in, without horses. I was very, very pleased.”

The last time he was in a race that started in front of the grandstand was the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream last February. He didn’t balk and won by 12 ¾ lengths.“We just wanted to cover all of our bases,” Pletcher emphasized.

Quality Road, installed as the 2-5 morning line favorite,has raced twice at Saratoga, both times last August. He captured the Amsterdam at 6 ½ furlongs and finished third in the Travers at 1 ¼ miles in the slop.

Blame, the early 4-1 second choice, won his only outing at the track last August, the Curlin at 1 1/8 miles. Haynesfieldran third in his career debut last summer at the Saratoga Springs facility.

Two other horses are hoping to start winning streaks. Musket Man last won four stakes back at Tampa Bay Downs in February at seven furlongs. The son of Yonaguska had previously visited the winner’s circle in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne 15 months ago.

He finished third in the ’09 Preakness behind Rachel Alexandra after running third to Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, another Whitney runner that hasn’t scored since Louisville.

That long drought for the son of Birdstone covers six races. The gelding’s only outing this year in a new barn under trainer D. Wayne Lukas came after an eight-month layoff. He finished eighth in the Firecracker on July 4 beaten 7 ¾ lengths at a mile on the Churchill Downs turf course.