Odds-on favorite Carl Spackler emerged from a close duel in
the stretch with pacesetter Talk of the Nation to earn a half-length
victory in the 10th running of the Grade 3 Kelso, the first of three graded
stakes on the Saturday card at Saratoga.

Click here for Saratoga entries and results.

The one-mile grass race was diluted with the morning-scratch
of program favorite Mysterious Night, a Grade 1 winner for trainer Charles
Appleby. That left only four older horses to race for the $175,000 purse.

Carl Spackler (3-4) stalked Talk of the Nation (8-5) through
early fractions of 24.47, 48.92 and 1:12.18 on the firm, inner-turf course. The
two 4-year-old colts drew even with about a furlong to go. Tyler Gaffalione took
the two path in the deep stretch to pass Talk of the Nation, who saved ground
with a rail-hugging ride by Irad Ortiz Jr. to hold second for trainer Todd
Pletcher.

Northern Invader (5-1) finished third and Call Me Harry
(10-1) last.

The winning time was 1:34.72. Now a three-time graded-stakes victor, Carl Spackler paid $3.50 and
$2.30, and Talk of the Nation returned $2.20 to place. There was no show
betting.

Owned by Gaffalione’s father-in-law Bob Edwards’s e5 Racing
Thoroughbreds, Carl Spackler is a son of Lope de Vega who is trained by Chad
Brown. It was the first Kelso victory for all the connections.

The Kelso is a prep for next month’s Fourstardave Handicap
(G1), which is a win-and-you’re-in qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Mile. The
race was known from 2014 to 2022 as the Forbidden Apple. The first five
runnings were at Belmont Park. Moved to Saratoga in 2019 and canceled by COVID
in 2020, the race was renamed in 2023 for five-time horse of the year Kelso.