High Oak became the first black-type winner for his sire Gormley when he powered to a 4 1/4-length victory Aug. 14 in the $200,000 Saratoga Special Stakes Presented by Miller Lite (G2) at Saratoga Race Course.
Fresh off a debut win by a neck in June, the 2-year-old colt left even less doubt in his stakes debut, overtaking Gunite when straightened for home and drawing clear in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles.
Co-owner Mike Francesa, the former WFAN sports talk star who races as JEH Racing Stable and co-owns the colt with LRE Racing, gave props to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott after the win.
"I think he's going to get better as he goes longer. He's made to go longer," Francesa said. "I give Bill (Mott) all the credit. This horse can be rambunctious, but Bill prepared him brilliantly."
With Junior Alvarado in the irons, High Oak stalked the pace as Gunite led the 10-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in :21.82 with 3-2 favorite Doctor Jeff poking his head in front for the half in :44.93 over the fast main track.
Gunite, ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., was kept to the inside out of the turn, but Alvarado maintained High Oak three-wide heading into the top of the stretch, providing an open lane to overtake both Doctor Jeff and Gunite before surging to the wire.
The final time was 1:16.53.
"He broke very sharp today," said Alvarado. "He was a whole different horse today. He was mentally prepared and sharp. To be honest, I was just a passenger today. He put me in the spot that I wanted and he took me all the way around. When I turned for home, I just had to ask him a little bit and he took off.
"He broke great so I wasn't hustling to get there, but I wasn't going to slow him down either," the jockey added. "He was going in a good rhythm for my horse. I know they were going fast but my horse was in a nice rhythm, and he wasn't going as fast as he can go. He was pretty happy there. He finished up strong and galloped out great."
High Oak, bred in Kentucky by Catherine Parke out of the Elusive Quality mare Champagne Sue, notched a first-out win going 5 1/2 furlongs nearly two months ago over a fast Belmont Park track and handled the slight stretch out in distance to improve to 2-for-2.
"We were just off the pace so he was right behind them," Mott said. "He was running plenty fast enough himself. When they hung up those fractions, I thought he'd have to be pretty good to hang in there himself."
Sent off at odds of 10-1, High Oak returned $22.40 on a $2 win wager and improved his career earnings to $159,500.
High Oak could next target the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) Oct. 2 at Belmont, which offers a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" berth to the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) Nov. 5 at Del Mar.
"You certainly would look at him and say that a one-turn mile is going to be OK," Mott said. "I guess you find all those things out as you go along. It's usually guesswork until you do it."
Gunite was 3 1/4 lengths clear of Nakatomi to finish second in his stakes debut.
Nakatomi, making his third career start and first since running eighth in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot in June, acclimated back to the United States with a third-place effort for trainer Wesley Ward, outkicking Double Thunder by three lengths.
High Oak was a $70,000 purchase by LRE Racing from the Lane's End consignment to the 2020 Keenland September Yearling Sale. He also went through the ring as a weanling at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where he sold for $37,000 to Donarra Farm when consigned by Valkyre Stud. He is the first black-type winner out of his dam, who has produced three winners from four starters. She has a yearling Super Saver colt and was reported bred to Instagrand for 2022.
Gormley, a son of Malibu Moon, stood the 2021 season at Spendthrift for an advertised fee of $5,000 live foal stands and nurses. His first foals are 2-year-olds this year.
