SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. --- A Little Warm, a colt who was broken in Aiken by Ron Stevens, won the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.

• Photos

Associated Press

A Little Warm, ridden by John Velazquez, captures the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths over Miner's Reserve. The winning colt was broken in Aiken by Ron Stevens.

Advertisement

Dogwood Stable's Aikenite finished seventh in the field of eight.

A Little Warm, ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Tony Dutrow, wore down Miner's Reserve to prevail by 1 3/4 lengths at the end of 1 1/8 miles for his first graded stakes win. The finishing time was 1:47.98.

"I felt strongly he was going to run a terrific race, but I don't know if that was going to be good enough to win," Dutrow said. "We work so hard with these animals, and when you achieve a race like this, it's bigger than life."

The Jim Dandy was A Little Warm's third win in five starts this year, and although he did not compete in the Triple Crown, a victory at Saratoga firmly establishes him as a contender for the Travers Stakes on Aug. 28.

"Absolutely. If he comes out of this race great, count us in," Dutrow said.

A Little Warm won the Spectacular Bid in his 2010 debut at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 9 and was coming off a victory in an optional claiming race at Delaware Park on June 29.

In his other starts this year, he finished second to D' Funnybone in the Grade 2, $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 20 and he was second to Mission Impazible in the Grade 2, $750,000 Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds on March 27.

"You can place him wherever you want and let the speed go," Velazquez said. "When you ask him, he's there for you. That's what I like about him."

A Little Warm, a Virginia-bred son of Stormin Fever, earned $300,000 for owner Edward P. Evans' Spring Hill Farm and paid $10.20, $5.50 and $3.80. Miner's Reserve paid $13.60 and $7.90. Afleet Express returned $3.50 to show.

It was the fourth career win for A Little Warm, who increased his lifetime earnings to $608,880 in nine starts.

"We just got outrun at the end," said Calvin Borel, who was aboard Miner's Reserve. "I thought the colt ran a big race. With the way he had been working, he was coming into the race in good shape. I think he's a late developer and I think you will see a lot more from him."

Friend Or Foe, Belmont Stakes runner-up and 9-5 favorite Fly Down, Steinbeck, Aikenite and Stormy's Majesty completed the order of finish.

In another race on the card, Proviso took the $500,000 Diana Stakes on the turf for fillies and mares in a thrilling finish.

Proviso, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Mike Smith, dueled down the stretch with Shared Account and Forever Together before prevailing by a nose. She ran 1 1/8 miles over a firm turf course in 1:47.01 to earn $300,000 for owner Juddmonte Farms.

The Diana was the 5-year-old mare's third consecutive Grade 1 victory. She returned $6.40, $3.90 and $2.90, while Shared Account paid $9.40 and $4.20 and Forever Together returned $2.20.