Aspen Grove wins the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) July 8, 2023, at Belmont Park (NYRA/Coglianese)
Vive Veuve Could Point to G3 Lake George
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier’s Grade 1-winner Aspen Grove breezed Friday in preparation for next Friday’s Grade 1, $750,000 New York presented by Rivers Casino, a 1 3/16-mile turf test for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.
With exercise rider Amanda Oster aboard, the 4-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Hall of Famer Justify worked a half-mile solo in 48 and 2/5ths over the Oklahoma training turf.
“She came home in 11 and 4,” trainer Jack Sisterson said. “She could have went a lot quicker if we wanted her to, but we don’t really want to work them too fast. Down on the rail is probably slower, but that’s what we wanted to do. On the gallop out, she probably could have went around there twice again. Her ears were pricked at the wire which is the sign of a happy filly.
“She looks like a faster filly this year to last year,” added Sisterson. “She’s really matured and is bigger and stronger. We’re over the moon with that work.”
Aspen Grove launched her career in her native Ireland with trainer James Stack, taking the 2022 Group 3 Irish EBF as a juvenile over good going at The Curragh and landing third in the Group 3 Cornelscourt on soft ground last May at Leopardstown.
She shipped to New York last summer and captured the 10-furlong Group 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational over firm going at Belmont Park and followed with a fifth-place effort in the Spa’s Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational.
Aspen Grove has hit the board in both starts this campaign while contesting nine-furlong graded events on turf, finishing a close second in the Grade 2 Hillsborough over firm ground in March at Tampa Bay Downs and third beaten one length by Fast as Flight in the Grade 3 Modesty over yielding going in May at Churchill Downs after closing from last-of-11.
Sisterson said Aspen Grove will be ready to roll regardless of the footing next Friday.
“Throw whatever weather at her, she’ll handle anything,” Sisterson said.
Sterling Stables’ Vive Veuve notched a pair of turf wins at Gulfstream this winter, graduating in February traveling one-mile and following with a three-quarter length score in the 7 1/2-furlong Sanibel Island in March.
Last out, Vive Veuve stretched out to nine furlongs under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in the Grade 2 Wonder Again at Belmont at the Big A, rallying wide through the final turn to reach second position but could not sustain her bid and finished third one length back of the victorious Segesta.
“We were worried about the nine furlongs going into it. Maybe she had to go a bit wide on the far turn, but Javier really rode a perfect race,” Sisterson said. “If someone said she’d have run that race going into it, we would have took that.”
Sisterson said he will now consider a turnback to one-mile for Vive Veuve in either the Grade 3, $175,000 Lake George on July 20 here with the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap on the same day as another option.
“She’s home here now in Saratoga, so one of the two,” Sisterson said.
Vive Veuve, a $30,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, has banked $145,262 through a 7-2-0-2 record.
