Fri Jul 27 00:50:26 2007

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Top three from Foster to battle in Whitney Handicap

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Saratoga Springs, NY (Sports Network) - The three top finishers from last month's Stephen Foster Handicap head a field of 12 for Saturday's $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Race Track. The 1 1/8 mile race will be renewed for the 80th time.

Foster winner Flashy Bull will once again face Magna Graduate and Diamond Stripes, the second and third place finishers, respectively, from the Churchill Downs race.

Flashy Bull is the 4-1 second choice in the morning-line, while Magna Graduate is the 7-2 favorite. Diamond Stripes is 5-1 in the program, with Papi Chullo 9-2 and Oaklawn Handicap winner Lawyer Ron at 6-1.

Magna Graduate will be ridden by Garrett Gomez for trainer Todd Pletcher from post seven. Pletcher has also entered 20-1 long-shot Fairbanks and Lawyer Ron.

Owned by Elisabeth Alexander, Magna Graduate has won nine of 23 career starts for more than $2.2 million. Earlier this year he captured the Razorback and Excelsior Handicaps. The five-year-old failed by a head in the Stephen Foster.

Flashy Bull will be after his fifth straight win of 2007 and his third consecutive stakes win. For the Whitney he will be reunited with jockey Alan Garcia and break from the inside post.

Kiaran McLaughlin trains the four-year-old for West Point Thoroughbreds and likes how his horse is ready to run.

"He's doing great and he'll run well, but it's not like we're beaming with 'let's go get our picture taken,'" McLaughlin said. Flashy Bull is now the top handicap horse for McLaughlin since the retirement of Invasor.

Flashy Bull has earned $829,313 in his career with five victories in 18 starts. This year he also won the William Schaefer Handicap at Pimlico on Preakness Stakes Day.

Diamond Stripes is a four-year-old with just five lifetime starts and four wins. His only stakes victory was in last year's Pegasus Stakes at The Meadowlands. On Saturday he will start from post nine with Edgar Prado returning to ride.

The four-year-old is owned by Four Roses Thoroughbreds and won a race here in 2006. He has $317,461 in earnings.

"He likes it up there (Saratoga) and hes trained good since the Foster," said trainer Richard Dutrow. "He's got no excuses going into it."

Here is the complete field for the Whitney in post position order: Flashy Bull, Papi Chullo, Brass Hat, Fairbanks, Wanderin Boy, Sun King, Magna Graduate, Student Council, Diamond Stripes, Dry Martini, Lawyer Ron and Awesome Twist.

The Whitney winner will automatically qualify for the Breeders' Cup Classic as part of the new "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

The race has a 5:46 p.m. (et) post-time for Saturday and will televised on ABC.