Manama Gold captures the UAE Oaks (G3) Feb. 23 at Meydan (Dubai Racing Club)
Agate Road Likely to Contest G3 West Virginia Derby
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Victorious Racing’s Group 3-winner Manama Gold will make her first start on turf in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Lake George, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Manama Gold made her first start for her Hall of Fame conditioner last out when second to Almostgone Rocket in the Listed Jersey Girl sprinting six furlongs here on June 6. The Louisiana-bred daughter of Star Guitar stalked a close third early after a stumbling start under returning Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez. She recovered well to move into second position at the stretch call but was no match for Almostgone Rocket and was defeated six lengths. The effort was awarded an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I thought it was good,” Pletcher said. “She broke sharply and then that second step kind of bobbled a little bit. It was a solid effort.”
Manama Gold was previously undefeated in three starts on dirt in Dubai when in the care of conditioner Fawzi Nass, including a strong 1 1/4-length score in the Group 3 UAE Oaks traveling 1 3/16 miles in February. She is a full sister to turf graded stakes-winner Ova Charged, who is currently amidst a seven-race win streak that includes a triumph in the Grade 3 Unbridled Sydney sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over the Churchill Downs turf on May 3.
Pletcher said the filly’s breeding led him to breeze her over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training turf on June 28, where she covered five furlongs in 1:00.60 in company with 5-year-old multiple turf graded stakes-winner Emmanuel.
“She worked in company with Emmanuel, and she stayed right with him, which is encouraging,” Pletcher said. “She has a full sister who has had quite a bit of success on the turf, so it seemed like a logical thing to try. We thought it was worth breezing her on it, and we saw the breeze we were wanting to see. The options were fairly limited on the dirt, and we felt this was a good time to try it. We aren’t committing to stay on the turf, but the timing of this was good.”
Manama Gold will emerge from post 3 in rein to Velazquez with a morning line assessment of 5-1 in the overflow field of 10, which is headed by the pair of Oversubscribed [post 2, Joel Rosario, 5-2] and Sweet Rebecca [post 6, Tyler Gaffalione, 7-2] for trainer Chad Brown.
Pletcher added that Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Agate Road, who is nominated to the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun on July 27 here, is likely to head to Mountaineer instead for the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby on August 4 for another try on dirt.
The son of Quality Road finished off-the-board in his last two outings over turf but won the Grade 2 Pilgrim as a juvenile over the Aqueduct Racetrack green. His best finish in a dirt stakes was a runner-up effort to No More Time in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis in February at Tampa Bay Downs.
