Trainer Larry Demeritte, part of the Keeneland racing community for decades, has a chance to win one of the track’s signature races Saturday. His entrant, Harry Veruchi’s West Saratoga, has drawn post 5 in the field of nine 2-year-olds entered for the $600,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1), the ninth race with a post time of 5:14 p.m. Geraldo Corrales is the jockey.

“It means a lot to be in this race because Keeneland is like my second home,” said Demeritte (right). “I enjoy training horses here, and it would mean a great deal to win because it would mean he is the kind of horse I think he is.”

West Saratoga comes to the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity after winning the Sept. 16 Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs to give Demeritte the biggest victory of his career. The colt scored his first triumph on Aug. 5 at Ellis Park at 1 mile after three seconds and a fourth at shorter distances. 

On the 12^th and final day of Keeneland’s 2022 September Yearling Sale, Demeritte selected West Saratoga from the consignment of Hidden Brook, agent. The colt was Hip 4146 of the 4,164 horses in the catalog.

Demeritte said he saw something more than the flashy gray color of the colt, who is from the family of 2010 Darley Alcibiades (G1) winner Wickedly Perfect.

“He was really smart around the sale ring and real attentive,” he said. “You look for that in a quality horse. Some horses have ability, but if they seem nervous at the sale, that is not going to transfer well into being a good racehorse.”

On behalf of Veruchi, Demeritte had the final $11,000 bid on West Saratoga, who has now earned $276,815 and is set to become the trainer’s first starter in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity.

“You have to be around good horses to have something to compare them too,” Demeritte said. “The Breeders’ Futurity is a good test for him because a lot of these horses are going to wind up in the Kentucky Derby.”

Click here for a video interview with Demeritte.