Group One Triumph for Grand Slam

24th August 2008

Exciting colt Visionaire (3c Grand Slam x Scarlet Tango, by French Deputy) scored an amazing last to first win in the Group One King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.

Suited by the hot pace up front, Visionaire was allowed to settle out the back for jockey Alan Garcia and circled the field turning for home, before cruising away for a brilliant victory, carving out the seven furlongs in 1:21.94 with the winning margin two and a quarter lengths.

“I didn’t know if he was going to win, but I knew then he’d make a run of it,” said winning trainer Michael Matz.

“The horse has just one style of running and it can get a little nerve-wracking. All these horses were real good. They all had big numbers. We just had a horse with a lot of heart and he proved it today.”

It was the first Group One victory for Visionaire, who has found his forte over the shorter journeys and is raced by Team Valor International and Vision Racing.

Visionaire’s previous best effort was a win in the Group Three Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, his overall record now standing at five wins from 10 starts with prizemoney of $462,287.

Bred by Reiley McDonald, Visionaire was bought for $220,000 at the Ocala Breeders June 2YO Sale and is from stakes-placed Scarlet Tango, a daughter of tough and talented performer Silver Tango, a stakes-winner of 17 races.

Visionaire becomes the third Group One winner for his sire Grand Slam, who has posted over 100 winners in North America this year with prizemoney in excess of $4million.

Grand Slam also had a couple of smart winners at Saratoga on Saturday with smart performances from Slambino (3c Grand Slam x Bloomy, by Polish Numbers) and Big Stick (3c Grand Slam x Jeanne Jones, by Nijinsky).