Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: West Saratoga

Harray Veruchi’s West Saratoga picked up 10 points on the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby following his 1 3/4-length victory in the $300,000 Iroquois S. (G3) at Churchill Downs on Sept. 16. The winner clocked one mile on the fast main surface in 1:37.28 with Rafael Bejarano in the stirrups. 

His pilot said, “I thought I’d just let my horse settle and start to get going around the turn. I could tell at the three-eighths pole I had a lot of horse beneath me.”

Trained by Larray Demeritte, the gray debuted on April 7 and finished fourth in a maiden special weight dash at Keeneland. The son of Exaggerator went on to come home runner-up in a trio of races in succession prior to breaking through with a 1 1/4-length tally at Ellis Park on August 5. His career line now reads 6-2-3-0, $276,815.

West Saratoga was bred in the Bluegrass State by Two Hearts Farm II and attracted a final bid of $11,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is the first black-type victor produced from the unraced Uncle Mo mare Mo Wicked and hails from the same female line as Grade 1 heroine Wickedly Perfect. 

The winner has registered Brisnet Speed figures of 80-86-89 from his last trio of performances, with the last two coming in his pair of route assignments to date. He is surely eligible to continue to improve going forward. 

The $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 7 could be the next spot for West Saratoga.