Grade 1 winner Usha, shown winning the La Brea at Santa Anita under Juan Hernandez, headlines Wednesday’s $200,000 Johnstone at Saratoga for trainer Bob Baffert. (Benoit Photo)
Keith McCalmont
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Grade 1-winner Usha headlines Wednesday’s $200,000 Johnstone, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 4-year-old Tiz the Law chestnut made the grade in the seven-furlong Grade 1 La Brea in December at Santa Anita Park. There, Usha was steadied down the backstretch and traveled in seventh position through an opening quarter-mile in 21.85 seconds. Usha advanced with purpose into the turn, splitting rivals to take command nearing the quarter-pole and putting 3 1/2-lengths on her rivals at the stretch call en route to a 5 1/4-length score. She stopped the clock in 1:21.68 and earned a career and field-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure in victory.
Baffert said there was a lot to like about the La Brea score, particularly after the filly was off-the-board in the Grade 2 Raven Run in October at Keeneland in her prior start.
“When you buy these horses, you’re hoping they’re all superstars,” Baffert said. “She ran really well in the La Brea. That was one of her best races. She was doing great going into it.
“She didn’t ship well into Keeneland for some reason and didn’t run well there,” Baffert added. “She’s been a little hot and cold, but she’s doing really well right now. I think that’s a good spot for her. She’s a very nice filly.”
Usha’s sophomore efforts earned her dual NYTB honors as Champion 3-Year-Old Filly and Female Sprinter.
Usha [post 6, Flavien Prat] has made all three starts this campaign at Churchill Downs, including her seasonal debut on May 2 when a four-length third in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Derby City Distaff won by R Disaster over next-out Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses presented by Boldyn Networks winner Ways and Means.
Usha exited that effort to win the six-furlong Grade 3 Winning Colors in prominent fashion by a neck over Grade 2-winning millionaire Zeitlos on May 25, stopping the clock in 1:10.21 to earn a 92 Beyer. Last out, Usha failed to fire after prompting the pace en route to a seventh-place effort in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Chicago on June 20.
Usha has worked back four times over the Churchill dirt, including a half-mile breeze July 30 in 48.20.
“She worked well, and she’ll be heading up there this weekend,” Baffert said. “When she shows up, she’s really good.”
Usha, out of the stakes-placed Leroidesanimaux mare Animal Appeal, was bred in the Empire State by Esler and Raine. She was purchased for $600,000 at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 9 4/5.
Iron Orchard [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] won her first three outings for trainer Danny Gargan, including a 6 3/4-length romp versus fellow state-breds in the Seeking the Ante here ahead of a rallying nose score in the Grade 1 Frizette on October 4 at Belmont at the Big A.
The Authentic dark bay was then purchased for $2.5 million by KatieRich Stables at the Fasig-Tipton Mid-October Digital Sale and subsequently was off-the-board in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on October 31 at Del Mar. Her campaign was capped with NYTB honors as Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.
Iron Orchard was transferred to Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen for her sophomore campaign and faded to finish ninth after setting the pace last out in her seasonal debut in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 10 here.
Bred by Pine Ridge Stable, Iron Orchard is out of the dual stakes-placed Brethren mare Onebrethatatime, a half-sister to Grade 3-winner Wonderlandbynight.
Winning Move Stable, John C. Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Silverwood Stables, and Sanford H. Robbins’ multiple stakes-winner With the Angels [post 5, Jose Ortiz] returns to the main track after landing an even fourth in her turf debut last out in the state-bred John Hettinger on June 28 at Belmont at the Big A.
“She does not move up on the grass, so we’re back on the dirt where she belongs,” trainer Linda Rice said. “It’s a nice group of fillies and she’s a nice filly as well. It’s a horse race and anything can happen.”
The 4-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach has banked $520,700 through an 11-7-2-0 record that includes a trio of state-bred stakes scores as a juvenile and an open-company stakes win in the Correction in March at Aqueduct Racetrack.
With the Angels entered the Hettinger from a 2 1/2-length fourth as the mutuel favorite in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Vagrancy on May 3 at Belmont at the Big A.
Bred by Joseph DeRico, With the Angels was a $350,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 9.4. She is out of the winning Pulpit mare Sister Margaret, who also produced stakes-placed Maggy’s Palace. Her second dam is the multiple stakes-winning Disco Rico mare Dance Gal Dance, who won 6-of-9 starts led by four New York-bred stakes wins. With the Angels earned NYTB honors in 2024 as Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.
Rice will also saddle Team Spoor’s Munnings Express [post 3, Manny Franco], who sports a perfect 11-5-3-3 in-the-money record and will make her stakes debut in search of her first win at the Spa.
The 4-year-old Munnings bay has made her last four starts in open optional-claiming company, including a pair of wins at the Big A. She arrives from a five-length third after leaving post 1-of-8 on July 23 here.
“She’s a New York-bred and won all of her conditions, more or less. She’s got a lot of speed,” Rice said.
Munnings Express, a $325,000 purchase from the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale, is out of the multiple stakes-winning Freud mare Freudie Anne – a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Frostie Anne.
Lael Stables’ Landed [post 2, John Velazquez] has won 2-of-3 starts at the Spa, taking a pair of state-bred stakes in 2024 in the seven-furlong Bouwerie and nine-furlong Fleet Indian.
Trained by Wesley Ward, the 5-year-old Omaha Beach bay has hit the board in 11-of-13 stats, including an additional stakes score in the seven-furlong Broadway last February at the Big A. She cuts back in distance after a pair of nine-furlong starts, including a distant sixth in the state-bred Critical Eye in June here.
Bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, Landed was a $500,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Glory Gold, making her a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed millionaire Venti Valentine and multiple stakes-winner Espresso Shot.
Ward will also send out Averill Racing, James Cestaro and Chris Armbrust’s stakes-placed Naive Melody [post 8, Dylan Davis], who has won 4-of-5 starts with her lone miss coming when a pacesetting third in the state-bred East View last February at the Big A.
The 4-year-old dark bay faced open-company for the first time last out, taking the nine-horse field gate-to-wire to capture a 6 1/2-furlong optional-claimer by three-quarter lengths on June 6 here.
Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds, the $220,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is by Complexity and out of the Paynter mare Goods and Services, making her a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Domestic Product.
Also entered are multiple stakes-winner Sunday Girl [post 4, Katie Davis], who was off-the-board last out against state-breds on turf in the John Hettinger for trainer David Duggan; and the Jorge Abreu-trained stakes-winner Bam’s Bliss Kiss [post 1, Jaime Rodriguez], who saw a six-race win streak come to an end last out on June 27 in the Alma North at Laurel Park when eased.
The Johnstone is slated as Race 9 on Wednesday’s 10-race card which kicks off with the Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial steeplechase in Race 1. First post on the 10-race card is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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