Saratoga: Opening Day Stakes Previews

Posted On 12 Jul 2022

By Mary Eddy —-

Trio of Pletcher fillies headline $135K Wilton

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send out three graded stakes-placed fillies to try and capture the inaugural running of the $135,000 Wilton, a one-mile test for sophomore fillies over the main track, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Wilton marks the return of dirt races at the mile distance over Saratoga’s main track for the first time since 1992 when 25 races started from the one-mile Wilson Chute. The chute was reconstructed over the winter and will see two other stakes conducted from it during the 40-day summer meet: the $125,000 Evan Shipman Handicap for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up and its female counterpart, the $125,000 Johnstone Mile.

Pletcher’s trio is led by the multiple graded stakes-placed Mineshaft filly Goddess of Fire, a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winner and stablemate Mind Control. Goddess of Fire looks to rebound from a last-out 11th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks when she raced far off the pace and never fired.

“She’s coming out of the Oaks, which obviously was a very difficult race,” said Pletcher. “She’s done well with a little time. She broke her maiden at Saratoga and we feel like she likes the track.”

A homebred for Red Oak Stable, Goddess of Fire was a debut winner in August at Saratoga sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs before trying graded company with a distant third in the Grade 3 Pocahontas stretching out to 1 1/16 miles in September at Churchill Downs. She followed with an off-the-board finish in the one-mile Tempted at Belmont to close out her juvenile season.

Goddess of Fire showed great improvement in the first half of her sophomore campaign, earning a trio of runner-up efforts in the Gasparilla at Tampa Bay Downs; the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds Race Course when defeated just a half-length by Turnerloose; and the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks where she was defeated 2 3/4 lengths by Kathleen O.

“I think she’s shown in the Gulfstream Oaks that she’s a nice filly,” said Pletcher.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride Goddess of Fire form post 1.

Grade 1-placed A Mo Reay will return to stakes company for owners My Racehorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm for the first time since finishing an even third in the Grade 1 Frizette as a maiden in October, defeated by subsequent 2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu and Grade 2 Mother Goose winner Gerrymander.

The dark bay Uncle Mo filly was last seen taking a first level allowance by 2 1/4 lengths on June 10 at Laurel Park after battling for the lead and running on gamely down the stretch under Victor Carrasco to secure her second win. The effort came on the heels of a 1 1/16-mile allowance in April at Keeneland when she raced towards the rear of the 10-horse field and was eased before being walked off.

“She came back well and we felt like this was a logical progression for her,” said Pletcher. “She’s Grade 1-placed and we would love to get some black type with her.

“I don’t know what happened at Keeneland,” Pletcher added. “That was bizarre, because she was training lights out. She was actually training with [Grade 1-winner] Nest, who won the Ashland later on the card. It was just one of those classic throw-out races that we had no explanation for.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call from post 9.

Stonestreet Stables’ Favor is in search of her third win this year after finishing off-the-board last out in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course when fifth behind the victorious Interstatedaydream.
Pletcher said the a wide trip throughout was difficult for Favor.

“I thought she kind of had a rough trip in the Black-Eyed Susan,” said Pletcher. “But she’s rebounded and trained good.”

A gray daughter of Pioneerof the Nile, Favor won her first two starts this year with a maiden-breaking score at second asking on January 9 in a one-mile maiden ahead of a 4 1/2-length romp in a first-level allowance over the same surface and distance. She then finished third in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks just 2 1/4 lengths behind Echo Zulu in her graded stakes debut.

“I think a mile is good for her,” said Pletcher.

A $500,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase, Favor is a half-sister to promising undefeated juvenile Gulfport, who captured the Bashford Manor sprinting six furlongs on July 4 at Churchill Downs.

Tyler Gaffalione will guide Favor from post 6.

LBD Stable, Manganaro Bloodstock and David Ingordo’s dual Grade 1-placed Tarabi makes her second start off a six-month layoff for trainer Cherie DeVaux. The daughter of First Samurai finished second in her sophomore debut sprinting seven furlongs in allowance company on June 18 at Churchill.

Tarabi’s juvenile season was highlighted by a pair of Grade 1 placings in the Frizette in October at Belmont when second to Echo Zulu, and in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Del Mar where she finished third, 5 3/4 lengths behind the same foe. She has a perfect in-the-money record of 4-1-2-1 and earnings of $296,000.

Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano, who has piloted Tarabi for 3-of-4 starts, will ride again from post 7.

Michael J. Ryan’s Sweet Solare enters from a third-place finish behind Hot Peppers in the Jersey Girl on June 12 at Belmont for trainer Horacio De Paz. The Into Mischief bay graduated at second asking in February in a six-furlong maiden over a sloppy and sealed Aqueduct main track ahead of an off-the-board finish in the Cicada and subsequent allowance win on May 7.

Sweet Solare, who is cross-entered in $150,000 Coronation Cup over the turf on Friday at Saratoga, will be ridden by Kendrick Carmouche from post 5.

Completing the field are two-time winners Gina Romantica [post 2, Flavien Prat] for trainer Chad Brown and Angitude [post 4, Joel Rosario] for conditioner Brad Cox; maiden winner St Maarten Girl [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for trainer Juan Vazquez, and the stakes-placed Let’s Be Clear [post 8, Jose Lezcano] for trainer Linda Rice.

The Wilton is slated as Race 7 on Thursday’s 10-race Opening Day card, which features the six-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 Schuylerville for juvenile fillies in Race 9. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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D. Wayne Lukas pursues a record seventh G3 Schuylerville win with Summer Promise

By Ryan Martin —-

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Graded stakes action for the 2022 meet at Saratoga Race Course kicks off with a field of nine juvenile fillies taking center stage on Opening Day Thursday in the Grade 3, $175,000 Schuylerville.

The six-furlong test over the main track features eight fillies who enter off a career debut maiden special weight triumph and will also see the return of legendary Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who will saddle royally-bred Summer Promise in attempt of a record seventh Schuylerville conquest. The six-time leading trainer at the Spa is currently on even terms with former protégé and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Todd Pletcher.

Owned by BC Stables, Summer Promise was a five-length debut winner going five furlongs on June 25 at Churchill Downs. Hustled out of the gate from the rail, the Uncle Mo filly garnered early command and extended her advantage throughout, producing a 69 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She was in the one-hole and a first time starter in the one-hole is never a good situation, but she handled it very well,” said Lukas. “They outbroke her by a half a stride or so, but she got into it really well. We never had any doubts that she was going to run a big race. She trained so forwardly and really done everything well. I didn’t know that she was going to win, but I did know that she would run a super nice race. She showed too much in the mornings.”

Acquired for $500,000 by Lukas from the Taylor Made Sales consignment at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Summer Promise is out of Grade 1-winning millionaire Dream of Summer, who also produced half-siblings by Giant’s Causeway in Grade 1-winners Creative Cause and Vexatious, as well as graded stakes winner Destin.

“She matched the pedigree,” Lukas said. “She had a good top line, and she was a nice balanced filly; not overly big, just a nice-sized, and very correct horse. She fit all of our parameters for what we like in a yearling.”

Lukas previously won the Schuylerville with Sacuhuista [1986], Over All [1987], Wonder Delight [1988], Golden Attraction [1995], Magicalmysterycat [1999] and Classic Elegance [2004].

Luis Saez, last year’s leading rider at the Spa, has the call from post 9.

Hall of Famer Mark Casse will saddle two first-out winning fillies and one maiden in pursuit of his second Schuylerville victory in Tracy Farmer’s Adora, D.J. Stable’s Me and My Shadow, and Janis Joplin, owned by Gary Barber.

Adora, a $450,000 purchase at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale, graduated at first asking on May 14 over Woodbine’s Tapeta surface. The Into Mischief bay captured her debut outing by 4 3/4 lengths, defeating next-out winning stablemate Cahira’s Blessing.

Boasting a rich pedigree, Adora was bred in Ontario by Sam-Son Farm and is out of the dual stakes-winning Speightstown mare Southern Ring. Her fourth dam Radiant Ring was a graded stakes winner and 2003 Canadian Broodmare of the Year.

“She was bought at Saratoga for a large amount of money,” said Casse, who won the 2018 Schuylerville with Catherinethegreat. “She trained really well into her first race and ran really well. The question for her is going to be how she handles the dirt. Her pedigree has some grass influences which always works well on the Tapeta.”

Me and My Shadow, purchased for $185,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, was a debut four-length winner on May 28 over the Tapeta at Woodbine. The daughter of Violence produced a field-best 78 Beyer from her last out win. She is the first offspring out of the Smart Strike mare Silhouette, whose fourth dam, Passing Mood, produced 1997 Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and 1993 Canadian Triple Crown winner With Approval.

“With both her and Adora, it’s going to be a matter of how they can take their form to the next level,” Casse said.

Casse also sends out the lone maiden in the field in Gary Barber’s Janis Joplin. The daughter of California Chrome was a late-closing third in a restricted maiden special weight on June 29 at Churchill Downs after breaking a step slow from the gate.

Dylan Davis will pilot Adora from post 3, while Tyler Gaffalione has been tasked aboard Me and My Shadow from post 6. Flavien Prat will ride Janis Joplin from post 5.

Trainer Butch Reid, Jr. will ship Vedareo by way of Parx Racing after a two-length win on June 14 the Bensalem oval. The Swilcan Stable-owned dark bay daughter of Daredevil is a half-sister to 2020 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Vequist, who also was trained by Reid, Jr.

“She looks a lot like her big sister Vequist, a tall, rangy filly and almost all black,” Reid, Jr. said. “She acts a lot like her too in the early stages of her career. She’s a very smart filly and does everything well, so we’re excited.”

With a maiden win in the rearview mirror, Vedareo is already one step ahead of where her champion older sister was at this stage. During Vequist’s 2-year-old season in 2019, she shipped to Saratoga as a maiden to capture the Grade 1 Spinaway two starts before winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland.

Reid, Jr. credited Dr. Barry Eisaman, who oversaw Vedareo’s pretraining in Ocala, Florida, for keeping the young filly in good shape.

“We made sure we broke our maiden before we came up,” Reid, Jr. said. “She was really, really ready early and came around pretty quickly. Barry Eisaman did a great job with her down on the farm. She came up and all I had to do was put the finishing touches on her and she was ready to go.”

Joel Rosario will pick up the mount from post 4.

Clarkland Farm homebred Just Cindy enters off a 2 1/4-length debut win on June 17 at Churchill Downs for trainer Eddie Kenneally. The daughter of first crop sire and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify produced a 70 Beyer for her triumphant first start.

Three-time Spa leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride from post 1.

Two years after capturing the Schuylerville with Dayoutoftheoffice, Ohio-based conditioner Timothy Hamm will send up Motown Mischief. The Malibu Moon filly, owned by Ramspring Farm and Blazing Meadows Farm, enters off a one-length debut win on May 31 over the synthetic at Presque Isle Downs.

Junior Alvarado, who piloted Dayoutoftheoffice in the 2020 Schuylerville, will join forces with Hamm once more and will guide Motown Mischief from post 7.

Completing the field are Sweet Harmony [post 2, John Velazquez], and Musicmansandy [post 8, Manny Franco].

Inaugurated in 1918, the Schuylerville honors a neighboring town located just 12 miles east of Saratoga Springs. The Schuylerville is carded as Race 9 in the 10-race Opening Day program at the Spa, which also will include the $135,000 Wilton for sophomore fillies going one mile out of the revitalized Wilson Chute in Race 7. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.