The prestigious Saratoga Race Course summer meet wrapped up over Labor Day weekend. Over the course of eight weeks, we saw countless memorable racing performances from a bevy of talented horses.

Two-year-olds often take center stage at Saratoga. It’s a proving ground for some of the best young horses in training. And with the 2024-25 Road to the Kentucky Derby about to begin, now is the perfect time to reflect on Saratoga’s 2024 meet and highlight five promising juveniles with possible Triple Crown aspirations next spring:

Chancer McPatrick

Janet Napolitano/NYRA

Saratoga’s historic Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes dates back to 1903 and has been won by legendary horses like Man o’ War (1919), Whirlaway (1940), Native Dancer (1952), Nashua (1954), Secretariat (1972), and Affirmed (1977). The recent roster of winners is also strong, with future champions Jackie’s Warrior (2020) and Forte (2022) on the list.

The latest Hopeful hero is Chancer McPatrick, who sold for $725,000 as a 2-year-old in training to Sean Flanagan of Flanagan Racing, who recently spoke with Tom Pedulla about the purchase and his colt’s bright future. A son of four-time Grade 1 winner McKinzie, Chancer McPatrick debuted in a maiden special weight sprinting 6 ½ furlongs (13/16 miles) on July 27 at Saratoga. He failed to show any early speed, dropping more than nine lengths behind early pace fractions of :21.90 and :45.34. Chancer McPatrick was still eight lengths behind with an eighth of a mile remaining, but the bay colt absolutely gobbled up ground to win by one length in 1:17.99.

Chancer McPatrick employed similar tactics to win the Sept. 2 Hopeful. A troubled start caused jockey Flavien Prat to briefly lose his left stirrup, and Chancer McPatrick dropped 9 ½ lengths behind an opening quarter-mile in :22.76. But the Chad Brown-trained juvenile gradually gained ground and forged ahead close to the finish line to win by half a length in 1:23.44.

With two wins from two starts, Chancer McPatrick ranks among the (very early) favorites for the 2024 Kentucky Derby.

Dapper Moon

Eclipse Sportswire

A Louisiana-bred son of Malibu Moon, who sired 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb, Dapper Moon started twice during the Saratoga meet and ran well on both occasions.

Dapper Moon debuted on July 20 in a maiden special weight sprinting three-quarters of a mile. Despite breaking slowly, he rallied from nearly eight lengths off the pace to finish second by 2 ½ lengths against Incentive Pay, who returned to finish third in the Hopeful Stakes. Dapper Moon was gaining ground meaningfully down the homestretch, and he might have finished even closer with a better break from the starting gate.

As if to prove that point, Dapper Moon easily prevailed when getting off to a good break in his second start, an Aug. 31 maiden special weight sprinting seven-eighths of a mile. Showing much-improved early speed, Dapper Moon raced in third place behind splits of :22.78 and :46.62 before taking over and powering clear to win by five lengths in 1:25.04.

Dapper Moon is conditioned by Dallas Stewart, the trainer of Kentucky Derby runners-up Golden Soul (2013) and Commanding Curve (2014). Perhaps Dapper Moon has the talent to go one better and give Stewart his first win in the run for the roses.

Ferocious

Eclipse Sportswire

Every year, Saratoga hosts many quality maiden special weights for juveniles. The most impressive maiden winner of the 2024 meet was arguably Ferocious, a son of Flatter who sold for $1.3 million as a 2-year-old in training to a partnership that includes Ramiro Restrepo and Gustavo Delgado Jr., part of the ownership group that campaigned 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage.

Ferocious debuted over three-quarters of a mile on Aug. 3 and left no doubt about his superiority. Racing for jockey Javier Castellano and trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr. – who were also part of Team Mage last year – Ferocious tracked fractions of :22.06 and :45.61 before taking over and powering clear through a fast final eighth of a mile in :11.86 to dominate by 7 ¾ lengths in 1:09.65.

This runaway victory stamped Ferocious as a heavy favorite to win the Hopeful Stakes. He couldn’t quite get the job done under new rider Irad Ortiz Jr., finishing second by half a length against Chancer McPatrick, but Ferocious did well to re-rally after appearing beaten at the top of the homestretch.

The Hopeful was a reasonably quick race, so Ferocious still has long-term potential. Can he give Delgado a second Kentucky Derby win? Only time will tell, but there’s definitely talent here.

Showcase

Chelsea Durand/NYRA

Two starts, two victories. $300,000 yearling acquisition Showcase has done nothing wrong for two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, and the future looks bright for this unbeaten colt.

A son of Pletcher’s champion juvenile Uncle Mo (the sire of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist), Showcase emerged in a July 6 maiden special weight dashing 5 ½ furlongs (11/16 miles) at Aqueduct’s Belmont at the Big A meet. Under five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Showcase pressed the pace in second place before launching a fast finish to win by 7 ½ lengths in 1:04.50.

Showcase was every bit as impressive when making his stakes debut in the Aug. 10 Saratoga Special Stakes traveling 6 ½ furlongs. After rating in fifth place, he found himself stuck in traffic and had to wait for an opportunity to rally. Once an opening appeared, Showcase flew past the pacesetter to win by 3 ¼ lengths in 1:16.40.

With an unencumbered trip, Showcase might have won by an even larger margin. He may be something special.

Uncaged

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

It’s typical for Pletcher to win a bevy of juvenile races at Saratoga each summer, and this year was no exception. Another eye-catching Pletcher trainee worth following is Uncaged, a stoutly bred son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of a mare by 2009 Kentucky Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile, best known as the sire of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

This beautiful pedigree is surely one reason why Uncaged sold for $450,000 as a yearling. Owned by the partnership of WinStar Farm (his breeder) and Repole Stable, Uncaged debuted in an Aug. 3 maiden special weight sprinting three-quarters of a mile. Possibly because his pedigree is geared toward success running one mile and farther, Uncaged wasn’t favored in the betting – in fact, he was the fifth choice in a seven-horse field.

But that didn’t stop Uncaged from visiting the winner’s circle. Never more than two lengths behind quick early fractions of :22.12 and :45.33, Uncaged rallied resolutely down the homestretch to prevail by 1 ¾ lengths in 1:10.55.

If this is how Uncaged performs over a distance likely shorter than his best, how good might he be running one mile and farther? Suffice to say, Uncaged is an exciting prospect for the 2025 Kentucky Derby.