Kingsolver graduates in the Schuylerville (Joe Labozzetta)
Keith McCalmont/NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Kingsolver, with Flavien Prat up for trainer Rodolphe Brisset, graduated in style in Friday’s Listed $150,000 Schuylerville, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies on Day Two of the July 4th Racing Festival, at Saratoga Race Course.
Kingsolver entered from a 2 3/4-length fifth in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden sprint on June 11 at Churchill Downs. However, the talented dark bay, out of the Speightstown mare Famous Writer and named for the Pulitzer Prize-winning American essayist Barbara Kingsolver, was poetry in motion down the lane to score a memorable maiden win.
“We did a canoe trip with Barbara Kingsolver, probably 20 years ago. I had just read her book Demon Copperhead right before we bought her. I saw Famous Writer, Kentucky connections, we’ve got to name her Kingsolver,” said Mary Nixon of Storyteller Racing, who campaign the filly in partnership with Michael Schroeck, Open Gate Horse Ventures, Brian Cahoe, Scott Catlett, Dave Russel, Matthew Ransdell, Michael Motley and Joel Braun.
Kingsolver broke alertly from post 2-of-6 and won the battle for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in 22.35 seconds over the fast main track, fending off a trio of rivals down the backstretch, including Evolution, who bobbled at the break, first-time starter Bay Yaupon and mutuel favorite My Sweetheart, who spurted away from the pack to show the way approaching the turn.
The Frankie Dettori-piloted My Sweetheart, a maiden winner on turf, opened up through the turn and established a one-length lead at the stretch call after a half-mile in 46.39. Kingsolver was a clear and chasing second down the lane and gamely wore down the leading My Sweetheart to win by two-lengths in a final time of 1:13.17.
KINGSOLVER breaks her maiden in the Schuylerville Stakes with Flavien Prat aboard for trainer @BrissetRodolphe. pic.twitter.com/b8wjKpU869
— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) July 4, 2025
My Sweetheart completed the exacta by three lengths over Simone, with Miss Magical, Bay Yaupon and Evolution completing the order of finish.
Prat said he wanted to maintain his forward position despite the early pace duel.
“When I had pressure from the outside, I did not want to come back so I kept her engaged,” Prat said. “When Frankie went in front of us it felt like he was opening up enough and I thought turning for home she could have a chance, and she dug in.”
Brisset said he was pleased with the maiden effort [68 Beyer Speed Figure] from Kingsolver, despite not threatening the victorious Smell the Lilies, who earned a 75 Beyer in victory.
“We always liked her. The first race was the best maiden for 2-year-old fillies we saw all spring at Churchill,” Brisset said. “The number came back strong. She got bumped, got a little green and that’s typical for a 2-year-old for us. We were hoping she could run a couple lengths better. She did get tired today. The main track maybe was a little heavier than what we have been experiencing in Kentucky. She could end up on the grass at one point, but you’ve got to take a shot sometimes and we felt like that was the right race to take a shot.
“I can say in the past five years, you can notice our horses are jumping forward big time from [their] first and second race, so we were hoping for [this],” he added. “We have to wait to see what the number is going to come back – they walked home, so everybody was getting tired at the end. Like I said, she may end up on the grass, but she’s an Omaha Beach and I bought her for Storyteller in March. She’s a stakes-winner now, so value [wise], we are where we want to be and now, we can have fun the rest of the year.”
Dettori said runner-up My Sweetheart, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, would also benefit from a surface switch next out.
“We were going up there crazy,” Dettori said of the early battle for the lead. “I was pulling so hard, I thought I don’t want to go four-wide, so I let her get a bit of rein, cut the corner, still got an easy lead. She is just a grass filly. We tried. Unfortunately, didn’t get to the line. On grass, we would’ve done it, but she is nice.”
Kingsolver, a $95,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale purchase, is out of the aforementioned Speightstown mare Famous Writer, a half-sister to stakes-placed Cyber Ninja. Her second dam, the graded stakes-placed Kitten’s Joy mare Famous Alice, is a half-sister to Venezuelan-bred Group 3-winning millionaire Piacenza.
Bred in Kentucky by George Krikorian, Kingsolver banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 2-1-0-0. She returned $8.90 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday for Day Three of the July 4th Racing Festival with a 12-race card highlighted by the Grade 1, $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational [Race 11]. The stacked program is supported by the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford [Race 3] and the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso [Race 10]. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
Statistics for the 37-day Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet will include the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
