Eight entered for Jim Dandy Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Saratoga Springs, NY (Sports Network) - Eight evenly matched three-year-olds have been entered for Saturday's $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The 1 1/8-mile contest serves as the major local prep for the $1 million Travers on August 25.

Taking place one day prior to the Haskell at Monmouth Park, the Jim Dandy lost locally based colt, and possible favorite, Gemologist to the New Jersey track. However, the eight colts who will start are stakes tested with solid results.

Breaking from the inside post will be Godolphin Stable's Alpha with jockey Ramon Dominguez. The colt is making his first start since finishing 12th to I'll Have Another in the Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Alpha posted early victories this year in the Count Fleet and Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. He finished a neck behind in second to Gemologist in the Wood Memorial on April 7.

Alpha has earned $500,000 with three wins in seven career starts.

Working on a two race win streak is Teeth of the Dog, trained by Michael Matz. The colt will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post six.

Owned by J.W. Singer, Teeth of the Dog captured a pair of stakes at Belmont Park last month. On the Belmont Stakes undercard, he won the Easy Goer by 3 3/4 lengths over Jim Dandy starter Fast Falcon and three weeks later edged Fast Falcon by a neck in the Dwyer. The colt was third in the Wood and fifth in the Preakness.

Teeth of the Dog has three wins in seven lifetime starts for $346,450.

Trainer Nick Zito will send out Fast Falcon for a third try versus Teeth of the Dog on Saturday. Owned by Richard Pell, Fast Falcon will be ridden by Rosie Napravnik, who was aboard in the Dwyer, from post two.

"He showed he belonged," said Zito of the 11-1 longshot following the Dwyer. "Our horse looks like he's going in the right direction. We're happy about him."

The Hall of Fame trainer won the 1996 Jim Dandy with Preakness champ Louis Quatorze.

Here is the full field for the Jim Dandy in post position order: Alpha, Ramon Dominguez; Fast Falcon, Rosie Napravnik; Atigun, Julien Leparoux; Neck 'n Neck, Leandro Goncalves; My Adonis, Javier Castellano; Teeth of the Dog, Joel Rosario; Liaison, Martin Garcia and Prospective, John Velazquez.

The Jim Dandy has a scheduled post-time of 5:45 p.m. (ET).