A Hopeful Note at Saratoga

Some of the best 2-year-olds not named Officer will get together in the $200,000 Hopeful Stakes today at Saratoga, which concludes its meet Monday. Two of the seven entrants are in the Grade I because they didn’t want to face Officer, the brilliant son of Bertrando who has yet to be tested in three starts, in Wednesday’s Del Mar Futurity. That pair are Came Home, the winner of the Hollywood Juvenile Championship in his most recent start on July 15, and Roman Dancer, a son of Polish Numbers who won his debut at Del Mar on Aug. 4. Trained by Paco Gonzalez for owners John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery, Came Home, a son of Gone West, will break from post four in the seven-furlong Hopeful and Chris McCarron will ride. Came Home has won his two starts by a combined 12 lengths. Roman Dancer drew the rail and Jorge Chavez as he seeks to make a successful stakes debut for owners Rod and Lorraine Rodriguez and trainer Chris Paasch. The field also includes Mayakovsky, who eclipsed the track record at Saratoga for 5 1/2 furlongs in his debut on July 25, and Jump Start, a son of A.P. Indy who is perfect in two starts for owner Bill Young’s Overbrook Farm and trainer Wayne Lukas.

Race of the day: Tranquility Lake is the 5-2 favorite and the comebacking Tout Charmant the 3-1 second choice in the $150,000 Palomar Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The winner of the Clement L. Hirsch Handicap on the main track in her last start, Tranquility Lake will be trying to become the first two-time winner of the Palomar. Tout Charmant has been idle since winning the Matriarch at Hollywood Park late last fall.

Who’s hot: McCarron. Before leaving for New York, the rider won twice on Thursday and earned his first stakes victory when Nepenthe won the $75,000 CTT and TOC Handicap.

Who’s not: Bimbo’s Kiss. The 6-year-old mare, 15-1 in today’s first at Del Mar, is working on a 35-race losing streak.

Exotically speaking: An exacta box in the fifth using Bonotto, Canaletto and Go.