If the Saratoga Derby (G1T) mirrors the Belmont Derby (G1T), get ready for a sensational stretch battle.
The top three finishers in the July 4 turf stakes will be back on the turf at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 8 for a rematch in the $750,000 Saratoga Derby for 3-year-olds.
The trio of Title Role, West End Kid, and Remember Mamba staged a thriller last month at the Spa when Title Role grabbed a short lead in mid-stretch and then fended off a determined West End Kid by a nose with Remember Mamba, the 3-2 favorite, rallying from sixth to finish another neck back in third.
After battling over 1 1/8 miles in the Belmont Derby, they will travel 1 3/16 miles in Saturday's longer turf race.
Title Role, owned by Will Stroud and trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, made his American debut in the Belmont Derby and confirmed his solid overseas form that included a win in the German 2,000 Guineas (G2) in his previous start.
"His form is obviously very good and he's such a great mover," Stroud said about the Too Darn Hot colt. "The Crisfords were always very high on him. We always knew racing in America would suit him very well with how well he races around the turns, as opposed to the longer straights in Europe. He just really covers the ground so well around the turns and appreciates the ground here."
Mo Speed Racing's West End Kid was a hard-luck runner-up in the Belmont Derby as prior to the race a saddling mishap aggravated the colt. Then he stayed on his left lead throughout the stretch run and just missed in a tight photo.
"His chest is in front of the other horse, his jockey is in front of the other jockey, and it's just a matter of one head going down and one coming up," trainer Will Walden said about the son of Twirling Candy 's narrow loss. "In our minds, he's already a grade 1 winner. He just doesn't technically have it."
West End Kid brought a three-race winning streak into the July 4 race, including a victory in the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T).
He races with blinkers off in the Saratoga Derby.
C R K Stable's Remember Mama enters with three wins in five career starts. The son of Kitten's Joy, trained by Cherie DeVaux, was second in the American Turf (G1T) and won the Transylvania Stakes (G3T) prior to his third-place finish at the Spa.
Godolphin's homebred Pacific Avenue was entered in the Belmont Derby, but the son of Dubawi trained by Charlie Appleby will not run due to a foreleg injury.
The field also includes Dahman's Bottas, who rallied from seventh to wind up fifth in the Belmont Derby, beaten by only 1 1/4 lengths. The Vekoma colt trained by Miguel Clement was third in the Pennine Ridge and won the Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) last year.
He and the West Paces Racing, Rainbow's End Racing Stable, and Michael Lyden's Glavine, trained by Tom Morley, are cross-entered in the Aug. 7 Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) over a mile.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 8, 2026, Race 11Entries: Saratoga Derby S. Presented by Qatar Racing (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Glavine (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 124 Thomas Morley 12/1 2 2Heeere's Johnny (KY) Dylan Davis 124 Raymond Handal 12/1 3 3Remember Mamba (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 124 Cherie DeVaux 3/1 4 4Title Role (GB) John R. Velazquez 124 Simon Crisford 9/2 5 5Pacific Avenue (IRE) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Charles Appleby 5/1 6 6Glacius (GB) Luis Saez 124 Hugo Palmer 8/1 7 7The Big Con (GB) Tyler Gaffalione 124 Miguel Clement 15/1 8 8McCready (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 124 McLean Robertson 20/1 9 9Bottas (KY) Manuel Franco 124 Miguel Clement 10/1 10 10West End Kid (KY) Flavien Prat 124 William Walden 7/2
