On a July 4th Friday that features five stakes contests at the Spa, the final race of the day kicks off our Midlantic breds for the meet with two Pennsylvania runners in the Harvey Pack Stakes.

The eleventh race on the card, the Harvey Pack is run at five and a half over the turf course for four year olds and upward. This year’s edition hosts a field of twelve entries including a main track only and sees the return of a familiar face. Breaking from the two hole, Our Shot will make his sixth career start over the Saratoga turf course, faring well so far with four finishes in the money and one win. Even with his strong performances at the Spa, this 10/1 morning line long shot will be overshadowed by our “other” entry Witty who breaks from post ten at 5/1. Both six year old geldings bred in Pennsylvania, these two runners may be on different trajectories at this point in their careers, but both have strong winning chances in what appears to be a very evenly-matched field.

Our Shot was bred by Dr. S. Mark Rayburg Inc. and is owned by Gatsas Stables, Steven Schoenfeld, and John Terranova II, who is also the trainer. A frequent visitor of Saratoga, Our Shot most recently ran on Belmont weekend in the Grade I Jaipur, failing to truly threaten at any stage in that sprint. Has has not been as sharp as usual this year, with his last winning effort coming in October in the Grade II Woodford at Keeneland. That try marked the most recent race that Luis Saez guided this gelding, who returns to the irons in this go around. Saez also rode Our Shot in last year’s Harvey Pack, narrowly missing by a head at the wire. By Kantharos – Fleetheart, by Northern Alfeet, Our Shot may need to prove that he is still capable of his best, but gets back his top rider and takes another stab at a familiar course where he has had plenty of success.

While Our Shot does prefer to run from off the pace, the 5/1 second morning line choice Witty takes that to a different level. Typically starting in last, this Elizabeth Merryman trainee has carved out a good career by conserving her energy and making a mad dash to the finish. With eleven top two finishes in fifteen turf tries, clearly that strategy has suited her well as she has specialized at the distance. Witty most recently started in seventh by eleven lengths in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico, closing to win by a comfortable three lengths at the wire. Now off a layoff from that try, this grey gelding by Great Notion – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats should be in a good spot to repeat that performance and have real winning chances here. Flavian Prat will jump off to ride the post time favorite Works for Me, but Dylan Davis takes over after a strong Belmont weekend last month at the Spa. With the right early set up and a traffic free trip, this Pennsylvania bred should be in top form to capture his first Saratoga turf win of his career. Witty was bred by his trainer Elizabeth Merryman who is also the owner along with Marc Detampel.

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