Maida sprang to the lead and dug in under Sheldon Russell to repel favored Grand Job and win the Grade 2 Honorable Miss by 1 1/4 lengths at Saratoga. (NYRA Photo)
Christian Abdo
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – G. Harry Papaleo’s Kentucky homebred Maida took early command and refused to relinquish her lead in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Honorable Miss presented by Mionetto, a six-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Brittany Russell and piloted by her husband Sheldon Russell, the 4-year-old Improbable bay earned her first graded score in her second career attempt, fending off sustained pressure from 2-5 favorite Grand Job to post a frontrunning 1 1/4-length victory at odds of 6-1.
Maida entered from a 10 1/2-length wiring of the 6 1/2-furlong Alma North on June 27 at Laurel Park when making her seasonal debut. She posted a 3-for-5 record last year to launch her career, including an eight-length romp in Laurel’s Weather Vane ahead of a slow-starting sixth in the Grade 2 Raven Run, won by returning rival Kappa Kappa, to cap her season in October at Keeneland.
“We had it on our radar, obviously,” Brittany Russell said of the Honorable Miss. “I just wanted to see how she came out of the last one. There was a race at Colonial but off of a big run like that we wanted to take a big swing somewhere.”
Maida exited the inside post sharply, as did Grand Job from post 6, but with little movement from Russell, Maida jumped to a 2 1/2-length advantage over that rival through an opening quarter-mile in 22.20 seconds over the fast dirt.
“She’s lightning fast – I don’t even think I could sort of make her get away slow, so I think Brittany was confident in that stance, I couldn’t mess it up,” said Sheldon Russell, with a laugh. “I appreciate Harry giving me the opportunity. Brittany at this stage is getting decent horses – they sort of get to that stage in their career where they have to go into a deep river, and there was never a doubt that I was going to keep the mount, so I appreciate it, especially to see her win.”
Maida held her lead into the turn followed by Grand Job with Striker Has Dial saving ground in third position. Haulin Ice and Kappa Kappa stalked further off-the-pace as the field entered the bend.
The Hall of Famer Bill Mott-trained Grand Job, with Junior Alvarado up, ranged up alongside Maida who refused to yield and kept her head in front as the half-mile elapsed in 44.95. The pair continued to duel into the lane before Maida repelled her challenger inside the final eighth.
Haulin Ice rallied in the final sixteenth under Flavien Prat, but could only cut into Maida’s margin of victory as she stopped the clock in 1:10.43.
“She’s always sort of been pretty classy,” said the riding Russell, who secured his first Saratoga victory. “She’s done everything right. The only bad race was the Keeneland race, and for whatever happened, she didn’t get away good. If you watch the race, she still tried, it just wasn’t her day. Since she’s come back off the layoff, she’s been flawless, stronger, better, faster. I was hoping for a big run, but today was awesome.”
One length behind Haulin Ice was Grand Job, who held third by a nose over Striker Has Dial. The slow-starting Kappa Kappa, Going Steady and Do Gooder completed the order of finish.
“To have Bill Mott’s filly come up to her, I said, ‘well, here’s the test.’ She’s never had a horse like that come to her. When she dug in, it makes you feel pretty good,” said the winning trainer.
Russell was noncommittal on a next start, but a logical step up in class for female sprinters could be the Grade 1, $500,000 Resorts World Casino Ballerina on August 29 here, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in October at Keeneland.
“I’ll enjoy today. I’ll just try and keep this filly healthy and hope she can continue to stay on this path,” said Russell, whose lone prior stakes victory at the Spa was with Wondrwherecraigis in the 2021 Tale of the Cat.
Prat said the Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained dual Grade 3-winning millionaire Haulin Ice finished well to secure place honors.
“She ran super,” Prat said. “They went fast and I thought I had speed, just couldn’t get myself any closer. I was traveling well down the backside and around the turn, she wasn’t traveling as good as she was on the backside. Then she came back and made a good run. I thought it was a good race.”
Alvarado said Grand Job, who entered from a pair of nose defeats in the Grade 1 Madison in April at Keeneland and the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses presented by Boldyn Networks on June 5 here, came up empty late.
“I had a good spot. Turning for home, I thought I had the horse on the lead, but she couldn’t go by and then she started getting a little flat at the end,” Alvarado said. “Before I got to the horse on the lead, I had to smooch her a couple times. Normally, she does that on her own without me smooching her or making any movement.”
Maida, out of the Grade 3-winning Five Star Day mare Eve Giselle, earned $137,500 in victory while improving her record to 7-5-0-0 while returning $15.64 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Wednesday at Saratoga with an eight-race card, featuring the Listed $150,000 Curlin presented by Casamigos in Race 6. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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