Saginaw won his tenth race of the year in the Gravesand Handicap -Photo courtesy of Drawing Away Stable
The gelding Saginaw is like fine wine, getting better with age and owner Drawing Away Stable and trainer David Jacobson have turned this runner into one of the sharpest claims of 2012.
There are some trainers that would not dare dip in and take a runner from Rick Dutrow, but Jacobson is not shy about taking a horse from any barn and put in a claim slip on March 8, grabbing the gelding for $30,000. The gelding won that day in gate to wire fashion by 13 ¼ lengths.
He was making his first start that day for Dutrow, who had claimed him in his previous start from Dominic Schettino.
Schettino had claimed him from trainer Chad Brown in June of last year, and the gelding failed to win in six starts for the barn.
Dutrow apparently flipped the switch, as the gelding earned a career top speed figure in his lone start for the barn, and Jacobson has kept the gelding in tip top shape for the past nine months, winning nine of 11 starts for the barn.
The lone losses were a fifth in the Grade 1 Met Mile and a runner up finish on Oct. 20 in the state bred Hudson.
The gelding has won six stakes this year and has earned $507,650 in total purses. His last win came on Saturday in the $75,000 Gravesand Handicap.
Saginaw wins the 2012 Gravesand Handicap
The gelding’s 10 wins match the high this year by any horse. Clean Jean and Winning Dubai also each have ten wins.
Saginaw has his 10 wins in just 13 starts while the other two horses have each made 20 starts.
Clean Jean has won twice at Aqueduct and eight times at Finger Lakes. The filly was third in her last start on Nov. 29 against starter allowance foes at Finger Lakes. Her last win came on Nov. 6.
Winning Dubai has won all 10 of his races at Camarero in Puerto Rico, his last win coming on Dec. 13.
There are six other runners that have won nine races this year, and there are 14 that have won eight races in 2012.
In 2011 Rapid Redux led all runners with 19 wins in 19 starts with earnings of $212,854. A distant second was Don Pack, who was perfect in 11 starts, all coming at Camarero.
World Gone Wrong led all runners in 2010 with 13 wins in 18 starts, his wins coming at Laurel Park, Penn National, Pimlico, and Delaware Park.
We are going to see Saginaw one more time this year. Jacobson said the gelding would be pointed toward the state bred $75,000 Alex M. Robb on Dec. 26.
Drawing Away Stable is one of the most successful modestly priced partnerships in racing. The group won the owners title at the recently concluded Aqueduct fall meeting with 11 winners.
The group offers an affordable way to get involved in owning a racehorse. The cost of owning a racehorse is the percentage you own of the claiming price of the horse plus 15%. A horse claimed for $50,000 would have a cost for a 10% share of $5,750. That total includes all expenses.
Jacobson has become one of the most dominant trainers in New York. Over the past six months the trainer has won with 54 of his 205 starters (26%). First start off a claim the barn has won with 13 of 49 (27%).
In non-graded stakes Jacobson has won with seven of 18 starters (39%). Four of those wins have come with Saginaw.
Aqueduct is dark for the holiday and racing resumes on Dec. 26.
