Courtesy of NYRA

He didn’t want to make Saturday afternoon’s 24th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt look too easy.

So, he didn’t.

Instead, the favorite tested the patience of Saratoga Race Course’s 27,297 fans as well as jockey Alan Garcia’s resolve before finally getting his act together to win the six-furlong sprint by 2 ½-lengths over First Defence in 1:10.23 on the fast main track.

The 5-year-old Carson City colt, benefitting from the absence of undefeated Bustin Stones, who was forced to scratch in the morning because of a deep stone bruise, recorded his fifth win in 13 starts, and automatically earned a berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at six furlongs at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet on Saturday, October 25.

It was no surprise that Garcia would take ABRAAJ back off of Sammarco’s pace of 22.06, 44.57 and 56.98, and the majority of Saratoga’s fans eagerly waited for a big run.

And waited. . . and waited. . .

“I wasn’t worried about the first quarter,” said 'ABRAAJ's trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin. “At the three-eighths pole, because Alan had to scrub on him a little bit to kick him in, I was worried. Once he started running, I thought the leader had to slow down. I felt good at the quarter-pole.”

Most of the fans felt better, too, as ABRAAJ kicked clear and returned $5.40 to win.

Since running eighth in the Vanderbilt in 2007, ABRAAJ has benefitted from time off and a spacing of races. He came back to the races in May, posted a win, and then was a game third in the Grade 2 True North at Belmont Park on June 7. Now, he automatically qualifies for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on October 25 because he won the A.G. Vanderbilt.

“ABRAAJ needed time off from the Vanderbilt last year,” McLaughlin said. “The time off did him good. He put on weight, he looks great and sound. We have two nice sprinters for the same owners; we are glad to have Lucky Island in the same barn waiting for the Forego (Grade 1, $250,000, seven furlongs, Saratoga, August 30). We might run them both in the Forego, we don’t know. It’s great for a trainer and owner to know that they are in (for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint). They don’t have to worry about points or graded earnings. When you’re in, you can adjust your schedule accordingly.”

Said Garcia: “I am very proud of my horse. He finished very strong. I don’t know why he wasn’t running smooth early. When I started riding him, he finally started to get going. Then, he just kept going and ran very, very good.”

First Defence, who won the Grade 3 Jaipur on the grass back at Belmont Park by a head, gave a solid accounting of himself in his return to dirt.

“I had a perfect trip,” said jockey Javier Castellano. “I had a beautiful trip. I was right where I wanted to be today - right off the speed.

“They went pretty fast and they came back to me. I think he ran a pretty good race. I think he was second -best today. I got the jump at the quarter pole and the other horse was just much the best. He went around me four- or five- wide on the turn and still he got to the wire in front.”

Sammarco held for third by a nose over Thor’s Echo, the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion, Black Seventeen and E Z Warrior.