Horse named after Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard dazzles in debut at Saratoga

By Barry Werner
Published

Noah Syndergaard and his flowing locks are approaching pop culture icon status in New York.

The Mets' righthander had a horse named after him and said colt made its racing debut on Monday at the Spa.

Syndergaard, the horse, has something in common with his namsake, and it isn't just a flowing mane. It's an affinity for speed.

He was touted as a good thing at the track and delivered in a big way, rolling to victory in a $73,000 maiden special weight race, the sixth at the Spa.

Track announcer Larry Collmus referenced his flowing mane, before capping the race call with "He met his competition and he struck them out."

Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, Syndergaard was sent off as the 4-5 favorite and returned $3.90 to win for a $2 bet.

Syndergaard was a $450,000 purchase as a yearling, so he obviously looked good at the sales, and now has made a great appearance on the track.