The Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up is 12-1 on the morning line.
There are three Grade I winners in the field, all at 5-1 as co-third choices.
A multiple stakes winner with almost $1 million in career earnings is 50-1.
For a $75,000 listed stakes.
Welcome to the 2011 edition of the James Marvin on the Schuylerville undercard today at Saratoga Race Course.
The Schuylerville is the feature, but the James Marvin has been drawing all the buzz this week, as a loaded field of 11 will converge for a seven-furlong stakes that sets up as a natural prep for the Grade I Forego on Sept. 3.
In fact, the fourth running of the James Marvin has drawn the 2010 Forego winner, Here Comes Ben, and he’s not even the favorite, but one of the three Grade I winners at 5-1.
“We expected it to come up tough,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who will saddle Caixa Eletronica and Aikenite. “It’s a race that’s gained momentum and should gain a purse increase, as well, and gain some graded status.”
“We thought we’d come up and get an easier race into him before the Forego, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen,” Here Comes Ben’s trainer, Charles Lopresti, told the New York Racing Association.
Caixa Eletronica is a tepid 7-2 favorite, and Pletcher seems more confident in Aikenite (4-1) because the distance suits him better.
Aikenite, third in the 2009 Hopeful for Dogwood Stable, has won two Grade II’s at seven furlongs this year, the Commonwealth on the Polytrack at Keeneland and the Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.
He was last seen finishing fourth to Tizway in the Met Mile.
“You take a horse like Aikenite who relishes seven furlongs, and it puts you in a position to have two races up here,” Pletcher said.
The 6-year-old Caixa Eletronica has had a long, useful career, but until this season, hasn’t been very productive as a graded-stakes horse.
Since being purchased by Mike Repole and sent to Pletcher, Caixa Eletronica won the Grade III Westchester at Belmont and was third in the Met Mile.
“The horse is doing well, and he’s probably at his best going a one-turn mile, but, obviously, that’s not an option up here,” Pletcher said.
The other Grade I winners in the field are Gayego and Jersey Town.
Gayego, third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last year, has experience at Saratoga, having won an allowance optional claimer in 2009 and finishing fourth in the six-furlong A.G. Vanderbilt last year.
His best race was a win in the Grade I Ancient Title in 2009.
Jersey Town was 0-3-1 in graded stakes since 2009 before breaking through in the Grade I Cigar Mile at 34-1 last November for trainer Barclay Tagg and owner Charles Fipke.
Jersey Town will break from the outside.
“He’s a neat horse,” Tagg said. “We really like him. He’s the gamest racehorse.”
Hamazing Destiny was second to Big Drama in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs.
The field also includes D’Funnybone, who won the 2009 Saratoga Special as a 2-year-old and is a four-time Grade II winner.
The longest shot on the board, Ravalo (50-1), is 15-9-9 from 43 lifetime starts for earnings of $992,115.
He won the Grade III Kennedy Road at Woodbine last year.
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