Saratoga, Race 5 – Thursday, August 17, 2023
By 2YO EdgeMan
SAR5:081723 – Six furlongs on the dirt. Nine lovely ladies’ names have passed through the entry box and we’ve got a nice field assembled in this ‘Auction Restricted’ race. One of these fillies has two races of experience, two have been out one time and the other six are new to the game of racing. Although we don’t have a full complement of ‘A List’ trainers, Kenny McPeek, Dallas Stewart and Joe Sharp will all sling the saddle across one gal each. West Coast, Not This Time, Munnings and Upstart are some of the better know sires, along with one each from the Spendthrift Farm’s First-Crop Sires, Maximus Mischief and Vino Rosso. Let’s have at it…
#2 – La Colorada (12/1) – This filly hammered down for a mere $11,000 earlier this year as a two-year-old (23/24), but she’s by Not This Time. Mom was only 1 for 9 on the track with earnings of $13,000, however she did throw three winners of more than $100K ($116K, 155K who won as a 2YO and $244K). Today’s competitor will be making her first start and she’s trained by Rafeal Romero. Her work tab only shows three workouts in the last 60 days – two at Parx, with one at Westampton Farms sandwiched in between those. Last out on 8/12/23, she put up a nice number, going a half mile in 48.05 seconds at Parx breezing from the gate (5/93). Ricardo Santana, Jr. is lined up to pilot her.
#4 – Ginuccha (3/1) – Robert Reid, Jr. will saddle this filly by the red-hot debut sire – Maximus Mischief – and she’s out of a winless Malibu Moon mare. She brought $39,000 as a weanling (15/27) and she has two half siblings that won over $100K, including a filly who won at Louisiana Downs as a 2YO. This gal has a race under her belt and it was right here at SAR. Back on 7/19/23, she tired a bit in the lane after chasing most of the way in second or third in a five and a half furlong affair on the dirt. Since then, she’s worked one time and went four furlongs in 49.44 seconds (22/56). Irad will ride her again.
#5 – Leslie’s Loot (5/2) – The Morning Line favorite is also the most experienced runner in the field having been out on two occasions in the afternoon. She ran second – beaten 6+ lengths – in here debut on 5/4/23 at BEL going five furlongs and then she was only bested by 2 ½ lengths, finishing third, only two weeks ago here at The Spa. This gal – sired by Fast Anna – has already earned five times the amount that her owners gave for her as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed sale – $5,000. Her Stormy Atlantic dam was able to get her photo taken twice in eight tries and banked $59,000. Today’s competitor – prepped by James Chapman (who also has some ownership in her) – has not had time to log any work in her since her last run. Jose will take the reins for the first time in this filly’s young career.
#6 – Accommodate Eva (5/1) – Dallas Stewart is in charge of the conditioning for this Munnings filly who will be making her first foray into racing. She was a $25,000 yearling pick up at Keeneland’s September sale last fall (86/91) and is out of a Pleasantly Perfect mare who never knocked heads in a race. However, mom has been strong in the breeding shed having tossed five offspring that have earned north of $100K, including a filly who went 7 for 26 earning just shy of $400K (and won at first asking as a 2YO at Ruidoso Downs). Today’s runner has had seven morning drills, all down in KY under the Twin Spires, and they include a bullet move of 36.2 seconds for 3f on 7/13/23 (1/17) and also a fine half mile work that she did in 47.8 seconds (3/46). Dallas has tapped Luis Saez to guide her around the oval.
#9 – Boxed Wine (8/1) – Appropriately named as a daughter of Vino Rosso, this filly is also making her very first racing start today. She went for $25,000 as a yearling at the FT Preferred NY Bred sale last fall (102/108). Her mama was a terrific race mare who brought home $415K by winning three events from the 14 that she attempted, including a score in her first race ever right here at SAR in August of her two-year-old year with a 92 Equibase Speed Fig and then she followed that up the next month with a victory in a stakes race at Belmont, posting a blazing 98 EBSF. Trainer Philip Antonacci has injected 18, yes 18 workouts into this filly, dating all the way back to mid-March. She started out with six down at Payson Park and then shipped up to Saratoga in late April / early May for 12 more across Union Ave at Oklahoma. None of her works have been overly fast, but she does win the award for total number of starts that I’ve seen leading up to a debut. Flavien Prat gets the call to throw a leg over her.
Pick – #6 Accommodate Eva – Although not a blazing percentage, Stewart has won with a total of 12 juvenile First-Time Starters in MSW races from 2018 thru 2022 (from 94 starts – 12.8%) – which includes one win in 9 tries here at SAR. This filly has been working well and I believe that Dallas has shipped her north with the purpose of winning this race. Luis Saez is a plus and I’m hoping that they can visit the Winner’s Circle after the race is over. All the best to her Game of Silks’ owner – Alpha Dragon Lair. Let’s win one!
It appears that we’ve only got a NY State Bred affair on here at Da Spa on Friday, but hoping for some unrestricted battles over the weekend. You know that we will be at your side no matter what, providing you with top notch insights and info. We’d love to hear your comments (it’s easy to do). So, please let us know what you like and also what we could do better – what would you like to see more of from us on the topic of our terrific two-year-olds? Come on, don’t be shy, my Edgie Amigos!
