Saratoga Week 4 stakes probables
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Lothenbach Stables’ Bell’s the One earned an 89 Beyer for her triumphant Saratoga debut in Wednesday’s Grade 2 Honorable Miss.
Trained by Neil Pessin, the daughter of Majesticperfection added a fourth graded stakes victory to her resume with a wide, last-to-first move under Corey Lanerie and battled to the outside of graded stakes winner Lake Avenue down the stretch to close for the neck-length score.
“She had a little more energy this morning than I expected,” Pessin said. “She was pretty proud of herself this morning. A race always takes something out of them but she’s not acting like it took a lot out of her.”
Pessin said Bell’s the One will ship out of Saratoga on Thursday evening and will target the Grade 2, $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America on October 9 at Keeneland en route to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar. She finished third in last year’s Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland.
Pessin said he was thrilled to see Bell’s the One in the Saratoga winner’s circle.
“I’m more excited for her because she still hasn’t got the respect she deserves,” Pessin said. “I feel like she’s never got the justice that she’s due so maybe that will help get her there.”
Bell’s the One previously notched graded stakes scores in the Grade 2 Raven Run in October 2019 at Keeneland, the Grade 3 Winning Colors in May 2020 at Churchill Downs and Grade 1 Derby City Distaff in September at the Louisville oval.
Following the Honorable Miss, Pessin said Bell’s the One was the greatest horse to come up under his care in nearly four decades of training. He compared his star pupil to graded stakes placed Eden Prairie, who was a four-time stakes winner at Fair Grounds and also was owned by Lothenbach Stables.
“When they give you 110 percent every time they run, whether they have the ability or not, you got to love them,” Pessin said. “Good horses lay it down every time, Eden did that, and Bell’s has done that. They give you more than you ask of them.”
Pessin said Bob Lothenbach, owner of Lothenbach Stables, was excited to see his mare put up such a performance and looks forward to the possibility of another start in the Breeders’ Cup.
“He was very excited last night when I talked to him, he’s looking forward to the Breeders’ Cup,” Pessin said. “He has a place in California so I’m sure he’ll be overjoyed to be out there with a good chance to win.”
Saratoga Week 4 stakes probables, Wednesday, August 4 to Sunday, August 8
Wednesday, August 4
$120K Shine Again
Probable: Aunt Kat (Bill Mott), Bayerness (Cherie DeVaux), Bronx Beauty (Anthony Margotta, Jr.), Casual (Steve Asmussen), Honor Way (Charlton Baker), Piedi Bianchi (Carlos Martin), Whispering Pines (Horacio DePaz)
Possible: Club Car (Ben Colebrook)
$150K NYSSS Statue of Liberty
Probable: Big Time Lady (Rudy Rodriguez), Funwhileitlasted (Kent Sweezey), Show me the Honey (Michelle Nevin), Simply Ravishing (Kenny McPeek), Sport Model (Christophe Clement)
Possible: Adriatic Rose (David Donk), Byhubbyhellomoney (Bob Dunham)
Thursday, August 5
$120,000 Birdstone
Probable: Colonelsdarktemper (Joe Sharp), Lone Rock (Robertino Diodoro), Moretti (Todd Pletcher), Rocketry (Jimmy Jerkens)
Possible: Ry’s the Guy (Ian Wilkes), Shooger Ray Too (Tyler Servis), You’re to Blame (Orlando Noda)
Friday, August 6
G2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame
Probable: Annex (Mott), Easy Time (Mark Casse), Next (Wesley Ward), Original (John Terranova), Public Sector (Chad Brown), Shawdyshawdyshawdy (Jorge Abreu), Wolfie’s Dynaghost (Tom Albertrani)
Possible: In Effect (Jack Sisterson)
G3 Troy presented by Horse Racing Ireland
Probable: Bound for Nowhere (Ward), Carotari (Lynch), Casa Creed (Mott), Classy John (Dallas Stewart), Fast Boat (Sharp), Fiya (Albertrani), Front Run the Fed (Caio Caramori), Imprimis (Joe Orseno), Lazuli (Charlie Appleby), Whisper Not (Richard Baltas)
$120K Alydar
Probable: Art Collector (Mott), Bourbon War (Wilkes), Core Beliefs (Brian Lynch), Doubly Blessed (Mike Maker), Empty Tomb (Maker), Jesus’ Team (Jose Francisco D’Angelo), Math Wizard (Saffie Joseph, Jr.), Prioritize (Jimmy Bond)
Saturday, August 7
G1 Whitney BC WAYI
Probable: By My Standards (Bret Calhoun), Knicks Go (Brad Cox), Maxfield (Brendan Walsh), Silver State (Steve Asmussen), Swiss Skydiver (McPeek)
Possible: Happy Saver (Todd Pletcher), Informative (Uriah St. Lewis)
G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational
Probable: Bolshoi Ballet (Aidan O’Brien), Cadillac (Harrington), Cellist (Rusty Arnold), Du Jour (Mott), Flashiest (Leonard Powell), Hard Love (Jonathan Thomas), King Fury (McPeek), Palazzi (Casse), Secret Protector (Charlie Appleby), Soldier Rising (Clement), State of Rest (Joseph O’Brien), Yes This Time (Kelly Breen)
Possible: Original (Terranova), Tango Tango Tango (Sisterson)
G1 Longines Test
Probable: Always Carina (C. Brown), Dayoutoftheoffice (Tim Hamm), Illumination (Bob Baffert), Make Mischief (Casse), Obligatory (Mott), Ova Charge (Jose Camejo), Search Results (C. Brown), Souper Sensational (Casse), Zaajel (Pletcher)
Possible: Bella Sofia (Rudy Rodriguez)
G2 Glens Falls
Probable: Call Me Love (Clement), Dalika (Al Stall, Jr.), Enjoyitwhilewecan (Maker), My Sister Nat (C. Brown), Orglandes (C. Brown), Temple City Terror (Walsh), War Like Goddess (Mott)
$120K Fasig-Tipton Lure
Probable: Ballagh Rocks (Jeffrey Englehart), Field Pass (Maker), Sacred Life (C. Brown), Smile Bryan (Noda), South Bend (Mott)
Possible: Fighting Seabee (McPeek), Logical Myth (Sharp), Tell Your Daddy (Tom Morley)
Sunday, August 8
G3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational
Probable: Con Lima (Pletcher), Creative Flair (Appleby), Gam’s Mission (DeVaux), Higher Truth (Chad Brown), Messidor (Joseph O’Brien), Out of Sorts (Brittany Russell), Rocky Sky (C. Brown)
Possible: Oyster Box (Graham Motion), Plum Ali (Clement)
G2 Adirondack
Probable: Boss Lady Kim (Gregg Sacco), J L’s Rockette (Mott), Mainstay (Butch Reid, Jr.), Microbiome (Tom Amoss), Ontheonesandtwos (Norm Casse), Wicked Halo (Asmussen)
$120K Fasig-Tipton De La Rose
Probable: Belle Laura (N. Casse), Hendy Woods (Casse), Shifty She (Joseph, Jr.), Star Command (Shug McGaughey),
Possible: Raven’s Cry (Cox), Stop War (Clement), Viadera (C. Brown)
NYRA Press Office
Photo: Bell’s the One nosing the wire in the Honorable Miss. (NYRA/Susie Raisher)
