Saratoga, Race 1 – Sunday, July 23, 2023
Saratoga, Race 6 – Sunday, July 23, 2023
By 2YO EdgeMan
SAR1:072323 – 1 1/16 miles on the lawn. Now it’s time for the ladies to run long on the grass. Thirteen have passed through the entry box, but three will have to sit and wait to get in as ‘Also Eligibles’. Two of the ten in the main field have run one previous race (neither on the grass) and the other eight will be competing for the very first time. Excellent trainers abound on the docket, including Mott, Chad Brown, Donk, Tagg, Walsh, Clement, Pletcher, McPeek, Kevin Rice, and Mark Casse. Two from Winstar Farms Constitution and one each by English Channel, Justify, American Pharoah, Cairo Prince, and Street Sense are the stand-out sires in this one. The hits just keep coming and we’ve got tons of work to do, so let’s blast off…
#2 – Hard to Justify (7/2) – I know that all my Sharp Edgies have already determined that this filly is by Justify and she happens to be out of a Quality Road mare that was 2 for 8 and earned $93,000 while a racer. This gal – who is the Morning Line favorite – went through the sales ring last September at Keeneland and sold for $190K as a yearling (46/78). Chad Brown trains this First-Time Starter for Wise Racing and he’s given her nine total works with the last eight coming at Saratoga (only the last was over the main oval). Her best morning move was on 6/5/23 when she went 3f in 37.32 (4/48). Flavien Prat has been asked to be in charge aboard this filly.
#4 – Katherine Thomas (6/1) – Triple Crown champ, American Pharoah, is the pops to this FTS filly who was thrown by a Giant’s Causeway mare who did some terrific running in her day, all on the turf. Although her record was 4 for 22, she won her second and third start as a 2YO – was first in a MSW at AQU in November when she blitzed a 104 EBSF and then scored in an AOC at Gulfstream Park in December. Today’s runner has a 3YO full sis that has won $130K by going 2 for 6 so far, like mama, all on the grass. Seven works at Belmont, then one here at SAR on the main track is the work tab for this filly. Ironically, her best was probably her very first, all the way back on 5/25/23 when she completed three poles in 36.55 seconds (1/5). Conditioner Barclay Tagg has put the call out to Javier Castellano to ride.
#6 – Makia (9/2) – Christophe Clement minds this filly who is by Street Sense, out of a Malibu Moon mare, and she’ll be making her first start today. $200K was the price tag for her as a yearling at the Keeneland September Sale (18/52). On the track, mama was 3 for 11 and banked almost $100K, with a top E-Speed Fig of 95 – this is her first foal. She’s only logged five works, all at the Spa, but one of those was a solid bullet move of 47.69 seconds for four furlongs from the gate on the main track (1/28). Joel Rosario will handle the leather.
#7 – Appellate (4/1) – Yet another First-Time Starter, this filly is trained by TAP and is the first of two from Constitution. Her dam was a monster, actually earning Champion 3YO Filly honors in Canada. Her race resume is ultra impressive – nine wins from 18 starts, a G2 score, $778K earned, and a career-high EBSF of 111. Her first foal was a filly by Uncle Mo who brought home $100K with a record of 3 for 8 and 1 for 4 on the turf. She started her workouts down in Florida at Palm Beach Downs back in late April and then has followed that up with nine more at Monmouth, with the last eight being at a ½ mile. None of her works have jumped off the page. Irad is slotted as her guide.
#10 – Sintra (6/1) – This filly has started one time – it was back in mid-June on the dirt at Ellis Park. On that day, she went off at odds of 18/1 and broke last before doing a bit of running in the lane, but didn’t come close to scaring any of the horses that finished in the money. She’s the second gal by Constitution in here and although her mom won twice, it was in seven tries and she won a total of $30K. However, she has produced an excellent runner – 3YO Blazing Sevens – who won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes last year and has pocketed a cool $895K. Today’s filly is a Tracy Farmer homebred who is prepped by Mark Casse. She does not show any works on her line since her race. Dylan Davis picks up the mount.
Pick – #7 Appellate – TAP is 18 of 82 (20.95%) with 2YO MSWs at Saratoga in July the previous eleven years (2012 thru 2022). Constitution is absolutely a reliable sire and has done well at The Spa on both the dirt and the turf. I have to think Todd shipped her up here from MTH for a reason and I think she has a big chance in this one and 4/1 is certainly acceptable, although I don’t see her getting off at those odds. This gal is still in play in the Game of Silks and could be minted any day.
SAR6:072323 – Six furlongs over the dirt. Eleven fillies have been dropped into the hat to do battle in this affair. Six have the experience of having raced one time prior to today, the other five will give it a go for the first time. Check out the list of trainers: DeVaux, Asmussen, Lukas, Maker, Cox, Mott, Ward, Pletcher, and Gargan. Several classy stallions are well represented, too, including Twirling Candy, Liam’s Map, Tapit, Constitution (Winstar Farms), Collected, Classic Empire, Munnings, Curlin, and Dialed In. Also, Spendthrift’s exciting First-Crop Sire – Mitole – has two set to run. Great two-year-old action to close out the week here at the Spa. Ok, let’s go…
#1 – Candy Lover (10/1) – Based on the name, surely you guessed the sire for this filly – yes, it’s Twirling Candy. She’s one of the six that has raced before – her run was at ELP on 6/23/23 when she went off at 6/1 and worked her way up to finish in the show slot, 7+ lengths shy of the winner. She is the first foal to survive from her unraced dam, who is by Mineshaft. Trainer Cherie DeVaux has given her two 4f works since her race, the first at KEE and the most recent here at SAR when she covered four furlongs last Sunday in 48.60 (26/174). Ricardo Santana, Jr. will slip his feet into the irons.
#2 – Mystical Chant (5/1) – This filly is a product of Liam’s Map and was purchased by Ed & Susie Orr when they traveled to Ocala this past March to sign the ticket on this two-year-old in training and they spent $345K in doing so (5/20). She zipped two furlongs in her under tack performance in a swift 21.2 seconds. Her dam is unraced and hasn’t produced anything of significance from the three previous foals that she’s thrown. She also has a race under her belt having run in the same affair as the #1 horse above and she went off at odds of 4/1. Mystical Chant set the pace in that one, but was collared by the eventual winner, after putting up solid fractions of 22.91 and 45.83. Trainer Steve Asmussen has also put two works into her since that race, both at four poles, but neither was much more than maintenance. Joel Rosario picks up the opportunity to ride.
#7 – Alpine Princess (8/1) – This Classic Empire filly will have her first opportunity to earn money today and she’s trained by Brad Cox. She was procured a sharp group of owners who often pick up nice fillies – Full of Fun Racing – who now own this gal in partnership with Madaket Stables – the cost of the purchase was $190K back when she was a yearling at the KEE Sept Sale (3/48). Her mom was winless in seven attempts on the track. Cox has brought this juvenile along patiently, having given her five works at Keeneland and five more at Churchill before her lone spin earlier this week, here at SAR over at Oklahoma. Her best move was under the Twin Spires on 7/4/23 when she went 5/8 in 1:00.2 (1/16). Florent Geroux has been secured to be her pilot.
#9 – Sam’s Treasure (6/1) – Wesley Ward sends this filly out for her second afternoon action in this one for Breeze Easy LLC. This gal, by Munnings, ran back on 5/11/23 at Belmont over the turf and she only got beat by one horse and that was a very good filly named Cynane. Sam’s Treasure went off at 2/1 that day and was second the whole way around over the five-furlong distance while posting a fine EBSF of 74. Mom was winless in five tries before being turned out as a broodmare. Today’s runner was a superstar in the auction ring selling for $700K as a yearling (FT SAR Aug) – the most of 91 in her class last year by her sire. After her race, Ward brought her to KY for four works (the last three covering 5/8th and then shipped her back to NY where she’s got in one five-furlong maintenance work over at Oklahoma. Jose will take over the jockey duties from has bro who rode her last time.
#10 – Camera (5/2) – The Morning Line favorite is this race is trained by none other than TAP and produced by Curlin. His mama, by Flatter, banked $238K with two wins from seven outings. One of the wins was first out here at SAR in a Maiden Claiming event in August of her 2YO year (75 EBSF) and she also ran third in two Grade 1 events over her career with an E-Speed Fig top of 94. Camera was sold at the FT Saratoga Select Yearling Sale last November for the tidy sum of $1.05 million (6/60). Todd’s drilled her seven times, all at Saratoga over at Oklahoma, with the one exception being her most recent over the main strip when she rifled off a five-furlong bullet – 1:00.55 from the gate (1/31). This work goes with two other bullets. You guessed it, TAP has Todd in the saddle.
Pick – #7 Alpine Princess – The one sold really well and her five-furlong work at CD was quite impressive. Cox is likely going to continue to build on his success in these baby races at SAR and he may just snag this one at 8/1. Best of luck to owner Bulle Rock Farm & Racing in the Game of Silks.
I’ll be on the ground at Saratoga next week, so obviously want to make sure that I drink it all in. I want to learn as much as possible (so I can share it all with you), so unfortunately I will not be able to provide this article while I’m up there. I’ll be back with you when I return on Tuesday, 8/1/23. Please continue to read the great website – www.PastTheWire.com – while I’m away. I really appreciate all of your support – take care, be well and safe, my Edgie Followers.
