BOPPY O TAKES WITH ANTICIPATION STAKES

Breeze Easy’s and John Oxley’s Boppy O established himself among the upper ranks of North America’s turf juveniles with a game victory in the With Anticipation Stakes (G3) at Saratoga on August 31.

Trying turf for the first time, Boppy O broke quickly to sit off the pace of early leader El Conejito through fractions of :24.93 and :50.9 over the rain-softened track. Boppy O had taken the lead heading into the finishing stretch, but as the field straightened for home, a wave of pursuers threatened to swamp him. However, Boppy O found another gear to quicken again, and then dug in bravely to deny the late charge of Battle of Normandy.

After the race, jockey Dylan Davis said that Boppy O was always traveling well, and although he still showed signs of inexperience he had plenty left in the tank.

The With Anticipation was the third start for the Mark Casse trainee. He scored convincingly over five furlongs on dirt at Gulfsteam Park on his debut, but was then unhappy with the kickback when running from deep in the field in the Sanford Stakes (G3) over six furlongs at Saratoga. Boppy O will now target the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), with a run in the Bourbon Stakes (G2) at Keeneland en route.

A $190,000 Keeneland September yearling, Boppy O is from the first crop of exciting young sire, Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro). His dam, the graded stakes placed Scat Daddy maer, Pappascat, has previously produced the current three-year-old Pappacap, winner of the Best Pal Stakes (G2), and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) and American Pharoah Stakes (G1).