Renegade Rallies From Far Back to Win Jim Dandy, Capping Five-Win Day for Pletcher
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. put their faith in Renegade, and the talented 3-year-old colt rewarded them with a dramatic stretch run to win the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, sending Pletcher into the Saratoga record books once again.
Despite a seeming lack of pace in the Jim Dandy, Pletcher and Ortiz let Renegade run his preferred late-running style in the $500,000 race. Ten lengths back with a half-mile to go, Renegade rallied down the center of the main track to catch Commandment and win by a half-length.
The victory was Pletcher’s fifth on the card, equaling a feat he first achieved on Aug. 30, 2004. Trainer Chad Brown has also won five races on a single Saratoga card twice, on Aug. 25, 2021 and Sept. 2, 2024.
Four of Pletcher’s five wins came for owner Mike Repole, including 2-year-old colt Pinpoint, 2-year-old filly Life Changing, and $100,000 claimer Tuscan Sky. Pletcher also won an allowance race with Sassmaster for owner Mark Breen. The five-win day brought Pletcher’s career total to 5,997 victories.
Pletcher started the meet just 3 for 22 but is now 12 for 48, sitting in second place in the trainer standings, one win behind Chad Brown.
“I’d rather stay steady,” Pletcher said. “We felt like we had a pretty good hand coming into today, but it’s pretty hard to project you’re going to win five races at Saratoga. It doesn’t happen very often.”
The win was Pletcher’s ninth in the Jim Dandy, and his third in the last four years. The last three winners — Forte, Fierceness and Renegade — were all owned, wholly or in part, by Repole, who also teamed with Pletcher for a 2011 Jim Dandy win with Stay Thirsty. Renegade is also owned by Robert and Lawana Low
Renegade, winner of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, earned some redemption for himself and his connections. After finishing a neck behind Golden Tempo in the Kentucky Derby, Renegade went off as the favorite in the Belmont Stakes. Kept closer than usual to a slow pace by Ortiz, he failed to deliver his usual late punch, finishing beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Golden Tempo and four lengths behind runner-up Commandment.
The Jim Dandy presented a similar pace puzzle. Only Chip Honcho appeared to have any real speed, but Ortiz said he and Pletcher agreed beforehand to simply let Renegade run his own race.
“I want to let him be him,” Ortiz said. “I just want him to be where he wants to be and make a run. I think that’s the way he wants to run. It worked out great.”
Though Renegade broke sharply, Ortiz took hold of him as Chip Honcho, Silent Tactic and Commandment ran together into the first turn. Chip Honcho and Silent Tactic dueled on, covering the quarter in 23.46 seconds and the half-mile in 47.82, while Commandment, under Flavien Prat, settled into third. Renegade trailed by another eight lengths.
Silent Tactic, under Luis Saez, sat within a half-length of Chip Honcho through six furlongs in 1:12.30, as Commandment began making a three-wide move. By the top of the stretch, Commandment had taken a short lead from Silent Tactic, and the two battled through the stretch.
Ortiz, who had saved ground on Renegade around the turn, angled his colt out to the center of the track before straightening him out in the stretch. Renegade ran down Commandment and Prat in the final 30 yards to win.
Commandment finished second, two lengths ahead of Silent Tactic in third. It was 12 lengths back to Chip Honcho in fourth. Asked and Answered finished last.
Pletcher admitted he had some early concerns despite the pre-race plan.
“I was concerned that he was so far back, but that was part of the strategy that Irad and I talked about, was let him be him, not overthink the pace scenario, don’t take him out of his style, let him do his thing,” Pletcher said. “Hats off to Irad, when you have that much confidence in a horse to allow him to get that far back and still ride him patiently — glad it worked out.”
Renegade, a son of Into Mischief, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.08 and paid $4.72 as the second choice. He is now expected to face Golden Tempo for a third time in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers.
Commandment, winner of the Grade 1 Florida Derby, wore blinkers for the first time. Trainer Brad Cox said the equipment change largely had the intended effect, though jockey Flavien Prat told him he hadn’t seen Renegade coming on the outside.
“He said he never saw the horse coming on the outside, once he did and felt him and kind of saw him he kind of re-engaged and went back after him,” Cox said. “Good run, came up a little short. I like the trip he got, I like the way he traveled in the blinkers. Flavien said he felt a little more forward and carried himself really well with the blinkers, not over the top. I thought that was something that pushed him forward. Just second-best.”
Silent Tactic was making his first start since finishing second to Renegade in the March 28 Arkansas Derby. A foot issue had forced him to scratch from the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Mark Casse said he adjusted Silent Tactic’s running style to suit the pace scenario and was pleased overall with the effort.
“I have to tell you I am so proud of him because he never gave up,” Casse said. “If there were any horse that needed a race it was him because he’s not easy. He’s a big, robust horse. I got what I wanted.”
On Saturday, Pletcher got what he wanted — five times over.
