Saratoga Strong

2020 chestnut Thoroughbred colt

About Saratoga Strong

• Foaling Date 5/8/2020
• Wicked Strong x Real Dee by Pollard’s Vision.
• A++ True Nicks rating
• 20/20 glGold mine rating
• Breeders Cup Nominated
• Registered NY Bred
• Trainer – Ray Handal
• SOLD OUT

Saratoga Strong is a double cross to the prolific stallion, Danzig and hails from the family of Hard Spun and Blind Luck. Saratoga Strong is going to be a winner!

Toga began his training with the Grade 1 winning trainer, H. James Bond. He has now transitioned to the talented and graded stakes winning trainer, Ray Handal. With Toga’s positive attitude, large stride and desire to be in lead of the herd, we expect wicked great things from this good looking son of Wicked Strong!

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Saratoga Strong in training at the Saratoga Oklahoma training track

Wicked Strong

Career summary: Source: the Bloodhorse

One of the top runners of his generation, Wicked Strong won the Twinspires.com Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in stakes-record time at Aqueduct Racetrack and captured the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) over Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tonalist .

Graded stakes-placed at 2 when third behind Honor Code  in the Remsen Stakes (G2), he was second, a nose behind stablemate V. E. Day  the next summer in the Travers Stakes (G1). He turned in strong showings in the 2014 classics, finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) won by California Chrome and running in a dead heat with California Chrome for fourth in the Belmont Stakes, less than two lengths behind Tonalist.

Wicked Strong competed in 14 consecutive stakes at 3 and 4, 10 of them grade 1s. During his 4-year-old season, he had four stakes placings, including a second to Tonalist in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) and a third behind Liam’s Map  in the Woodward Stakes (G1), and concluded his 19-start career with a fourth in the Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) won by Liam’s Map. Racing for Centennial Farms and trainer Jimmy Jerkens, he was retired as the richest son of Hard Spun  to stand at stud with a record of 3-4-3 and earnings of $1,994,460.

Pollard’s Vision

Career summary: Source: the Old Friends website.

Pollard’s Vision was bred in Kentucky by Charles A. Smith out of the Dixieland Band mare Etats Unis. He became a consistent performer for owner Edgewood Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher, winning or placing 17 times out of 23 lifetime starts. The dark bay colt broke his maiden at 2 at Saratoga Race Course in his second start. At 3, he won the Illinois Derby after finishing third in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and earned a place in the Kentucky Derby but finished in 17th place. He went on to win that year’s Walmac Lone Star (G3) and Leonard Richards Stakes (G3) and was runner-up in the West Virginia Derby (G3). At 4, he won National Jockey Club Handicap (G3) and was second in the Pimlico Special Handicap (G1). He suffered a career-ending injury in 2005 in the Whitney Handicap (G1) at Saratoga and was retired with $1,430,311 in earnings.