The last time Early Voting and Epicenter met, the scene was the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course for the May 21 middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
Things went Early Voting's way that afternoon in Baltimore as Klaravich Stables' 3-year-old broke sharply, chased a longshot from second, then took charge under urging from jockey Jose Ortiz in the stretch and powered to a 1 1/4-length classic victory for trainer Chad Brown.
Meanwhile, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter, coming off a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), was expected to be part of the early pace scenario but the Not This Time colt broke sluggishly under Joel Rosario, quickly ran into traffic issues, and was next-to-last after the opening half-mile before rallying to finish second.
In the July 30 $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course, the fireworks on the front end that fizzled out in the Preakness may finally erupt as the two rivals return to the races in a field of five 3-year-olds for the 1 1/8-mile test that also includes Zandon , who will be making his first start since finishing third in the Kentucky Derby.
With no clear-cut leader of the 3-year-old male division after three different winners of the Triple Crown races, the Jim Dandy, the time-honored prep for the Aug. 27 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at the Spa, promises to shine a little more light on which horses figure to be the leading contenders for championship honors.
Early Voting, with his win in the Preakness, certainly fits that bill.
"He's breezed super for the Jim Dandy," Brown said about Early Voting, who has not raced since the Preakness, just his fourth career start. "He's developed nicely since the Preakness."
Early Voting is a son of the record-breaking stallion Gun Runner , who, in showing how horse racing can be a small world, raced for Winchell Thoroughbreds. Early Voting was bred by Three Chimneys Farm, which also raced and now stands Gun Runner. Owner Ron Winchell retained a 50% share of Gun Runner's breeding rights, easing some of the pain of Epicenter's Preakness loss.
A winner of three of those four career starts with earnings of $1,311,500, Early Voting, out of the Tiznow mare Amour d'Ete, was bought for $200,000 by Triphammer Farm from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Epicenter, with seconds in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and wins in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) for trainer Steve Asmussen, is also in that picture, provided he can finally capture an elusive grade 1 win.
"It demonstrates the cruelty of the racing gods that Epicenter is not a grade 1 winner yet," said David Fiske, racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds.
Epicenter was the 4-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby, but his tactical speed worked against him when brutal fractions of :21.78 and :45.36 were reeled off. Moving into those suicidal slits, Epicenter charged to the lead in the stretch, but could not fend off the late bid of 80-1 shot Rich Strike . Though second by a little less than a length, Epicenter was the only horse closer than 13th after the record-breaking opening quarter-mile to finish in the top eight.
Bred by Westwind Farms out of the Candy Ride mare Silent Candy, Epicenter was a 6-5 favorite two weeks later in the Preakness when the rough start compromised his chances.
Like Early Voting, Epicenter has not raced since the Preakness and his connections are hopeful that the Jim Dandy will provide a better battleground for the two speedsters and perhaps reinject Epicenter's name in Eclipse Award conversations.
"In a small field it takes on some of the characteristics of a match race. It's a rider's race and the chips are going to fall where they may. Hopefully we can get a clean run," Fiske said. "Eventually these 3-year-olds will sort themselves out, but at the moment you can be the champion if you win one more big race. Everyone is neck and neck. It's chaos, though Epicenter is doing great. He's like he's always been. No one sees any difference in him between the spring and now. He's the same guy."
Epicenter, a $1,940,639 earner, sold for $260,000 from the Bettersworth Westwind Farms consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
If a lively speed duel ensues, it should benefit Jeff Drown's Zandon and Peachtree Stable's Tawny Port.
Winner of the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1), Zandon was Epicenter's main rival in the stretch of the Run for the Roses—until Rich Strike came on the scene—but could not get by him and finished three-quarters of a length behind Epicenter in third.
A son of Upstart bred by Brereton Jones out of the Creative Cause mare Memories Prevail, Zandon will be making his first start since the May 7 Kentucky Derby and the sixth in his career for Brown.
"I love the way he's moving," Brown said. "So I'm expecting him to pick right up where he left off."
Grade 3 winner Tawny Port was seventh in the Kentucky Derby after racing in 14th during the early stages. Emerging from his first try in a grade 1 stakes, the Pioneerof the Nile colt rebounded by winning the June 25 Ohio Derby (G3) for trainer Brad Cox.
Rounding out the small but classy field of five is September Farm, Union Park Thoroughbreds, Black Fern, Michael and Tammy Motley, and Storyteller Racing's Western River. A son of leading sire Tapit (Small World Part II: Winchell also raced and retained a 50% breeding share of Tapit) trained by Rodolphe Brisset, he comes off a 1 1/2-mile allowance win at Churchill Downs after finishing fourth in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, July 30, 2022, Race 9Entries: Jim Dandy S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Western River (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 118 Rodolphe Brisset 20/1 2 2Epicenter (KY) Joel Rosario 122 Steven M. Asmussen 3/2 3 3Tawny Port (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Brad H. Cox 8/1 4 4Early Voting (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 124 Chad C. Brown 8/5 5 5Zandon (KY) Flavien Prat 124 Chad C. Brown 2/1
