Invasor, With Jara Aboard, Takes the Whitney

With less than two weeks of the meet at Saratoga complete, young jockey Fernando Jara already has two Grade I victories.

Seven days after the 18-year-old Panamanian guided Angara to victory in the $500,000 Diana, Jara, whose name came to prominence when he won the Belmont Stakes with Jazil in June, won another thriller Saturday, taking the $750,000 Whitney Handicap with Invasor.

An Argentine bred owned by Shadwell Stable and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the 4-year-old Invasor won for the eighth time in nine starts, holding off 6-1 longshot Sun King by a nose in 1:49.06 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Never challenged in five victories in Uruguay before suffering his first loss in the United Arab Emirates Derby earlier this year, Invasor had won his first two races in this country by a combined 5 1/2 lengths, but was fully extended as the 17-10 second choice on Saturday. In the end, he had won a third consecutive Grade I. He had previously taken the Pimlico Special in Maryland and the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park.

“When he got to the lead, I thought he was waiting on horses,” Jara said. “Once Sun King got to him, he just gave me more. He never let him by after the finish line. I’m very happy for the horse and Kiaran.”

Flower Alley, who had won the Jim Dandy and Travers in his first two races at Saratoga in 2005, finished seventh as the 3-2 favorite.

“I had him where I wanted him to be,” jockey John Velazquez said. “He just gave me nothing. He was empty.”

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Swap Fliparoo, who was making her first start in a Grade I, rallied along the rail to win the $250,000 Test by two lengths at Saratoga.

Owned by breeder Hobeau Farm and trained by Allen Jerkens, the 3-year-old gray daughter of Exchange Rate won for the fourth time in 16 starts in her first collaboration with jockey Eibar Coa.

Far back early while eventual runner-up and 34-1 longshot Original Spin, who was ridden by Jara, carved out 22.02, 44.67 and 1:10.03 fractions, Swap Fliparoo was going away at the finish and was taken in hand near the wire by Coa, who was winning the Test for the first time. Swap Fliparoo had never won any graded stakes before Saturday.

“The race was kind of the way I thought it was going to be,” Coa said. “The plan was to stay back there and let the speed go and, hopefully, the speed would start backing up. I never panicked. I saved ground, thinking I was going to swing out at some time, but the rail was open, so I just stayed there. Everything worked out beautifully.”

Misty Rosette, a 23-1 longshot, finished third, one length behind Original Spin. Ready To Please, the 3-1 favorite, finished last in the field of 13.

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Untouched Talent, who dominated a weak field in her career debut in the Juan Gonzalez Memorial on July 1 at Pleasanton, had no trouble with her six opponents in the $150,000 Sorrento at Del Mar.

A $500,000 purchase at the Barretts sale in March by trainer Jeff Bonde for a partnership, the 2-year-old Storm Cat filly, who paid $5, showed she didn’t have to be in front to succeed and kicked away from 3-2 second choice Outofthepast in the stretch to win easily under jockey Victor Espinoza. She ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:18.20 over a track that played slow all day. Smart n’Quiet, a 32-1 longshot who set the pace, finished third.