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Mythical wins the Adirondack (G3) Aug. 3 at Saratoga (Susie Raisher)
Keith McCalmont/NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Arindel’s Florida homebred Mythical brings a perfect 3-for-3 record to Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway, a seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies, at Saratoga Race Course. The Spinaway offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.
Trained by Jorge Delgado, the St Patrick’s Day bay has posted all of her wins in frontrunning fashion under Emisael Jaramillo while progressing up the distance and class ladder. She debuted in April at Gulfstream Park, scoring by 8 1/2-lengths in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden before a pair of local starts that saw her take the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Tremont over males on June 5 and the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Adirondack against her own kind on August 3.
The Monmouth Park-based Delgado said he is humbled to be bringing Mythical [post 4, Emisael Jaramillo] back to Saratoga for a third time.
“It’s special to have a horse to be good enough to go to Saratoga and compete in these kind of races. We’re just trying to embrace the moment,” Delgado said.
Mythical’s connections entered in the Tremont rather than take on fillies in the Astoria on the same card as they felt Mythical would be the controlling speed. That decision proved correct as she held a two-length advantage at the stretch call and crossed the wire in a final time of 1:03.57, 3 1/2-lengths better than Blinging It Back with another 7 3/4-lengths back to Romeo, who would win the Listed Bashford Manor next out and subsequently sell for $1.7 million at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale. That effort earned a field-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
In the Adirondack, Mythical showed the way through splits of 21.99 seconds and 44.86, stopping the clock, while kept to task, in a final time of 1:17.20 to score over returning rival Meringue.
Delgado said Mythical’s natural speed is an important asset.
“It’s crazy how she does it. She’s a small filly with a big heart. Once the bell rings, she just wants to go,” Delgado said. “She loves to run, and she does not want to get passed. She likes to win, and she knows where the wire is and enjoys it. She has really good chemistry with the jockey, who is a really good jockey from the gate – it’s a perfect match.”
Delgado said he is hopeful that Mythical can continue to stretch her speed as she now tries seven furlongs for the first time.
“The way she trains and the way she gallops out in her breezes suggests she won’t have any problem for only another half-furlong,” Delgado said. “We’ve increased [distance in her races] gradually. We knew after the Tremont that this was the ultimate goal for the summer. For this race, I’ve been working with her to stretch her, and she’s been responding really well.
“In the gallop out of the Adirondack, she kept opening up lengths and she kept going easy,” Delgado added. “In the head-on [replay], you can see her open up a good six lengths from the second place and she did it easy.”
While Mythical did turn her head towards the grandstand in the stretch run of the Adirondack, Delgado said it was indicative of her curious nature and didn’t hamper the outcome.
“She likes to observe everything around her. When she walks in the shedrow, she looks at every horse and every gap. she likes to see what’s going on,” Delgado said. “When she goes to the track for training, she’ll stop a good three times to see what is going on. She’s very smart – she knows what’s going on and sometimes she knows too much. So, the jockey has to keep her mind on it – she runs straight, she doesn’t lug out or in, she’s pretty much like an arrow.”
Delgado said he expects Mythical will once again be on the lead in Saturday’s Grade 1 tilt.
“We know what our game plan is, and I think everyone else does. Whoever wants to go with her, they’re welcome, but I don’t think it’s the best idea,” Delgado said.
Mythical is out of the winning Brethren mare Lailoni. Her second dam is the Grade 3-winning New York-bred Dat You Miz Blue.
Hat Creek Racing’s Percy’s Bar [post 5, Luan Machado] arrives from a five-length romp in the six-furlong Listed Debutante on June 29 at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Ben Colebrook and piloted by returning rider Luan Machado, the Upstart bay rallied to a four-length victory in her April debut at Keeneland sprinting 4 1/2-furlongs. She followed with another strong effort, closing four-wide through the turn to take command at the top of the lane and power home to victory in a final time of 1:09.71. The winning effort earned a 70 Beyer.
Percy's Bar stays perfect in the Debutante at @churchilldowns! @luanmachado85 was in the saddle for trainer Ben Colebrook!
— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) June 29, 2025
TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/wJry2f5yVZ
Percy’s Bar has trained into this event at Keeneland where she worked a half-mile in 47.80 August 16.
The $52,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Super Saver mare Honestly Deb, a half-sister to Listed stakes-winner Praetereo [82-11-12-18, $715,319].
AMO Racing and Mark Marxer’s Ornellaia [post 1, Dylan Davis] broke awkwardly under Flavien Prat in her August 2 debut here before rallying from 8th-of-10 to post a visually-impressive 2 1/4-length victory over returning rival Steer Clear.
Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Girvin dark bay raced in the three path from the top of the lane before angling out wide and powering past four rivals to secure the win in final time of 1:11.57 for six furlongs. She earned a 72 Beyer in victory.
Ornellaia closes strong under Flavien Prat to score on debut in R6 at Saratoga!
— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 2, 2025
Chad Brown trains the 2YO filly by Girvin. pic.twitter.com/yN0jbs3zFV
Ornellaia was purchased for $1.1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale where she worked in 10.1.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send out a pair of contenders in Spendthrift Farm’s Kentucky homebred Tommy Jo [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche] and Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable’s Steer Clear [post 7, Jose Lezcano.] Pletcher and the late D. Wayne Lukas share the record for most Spinaway wins with six apiece.
Tommy Jo earned an 85 Beyer for her 3 3/4-length debut score sprinting six furlongs on July 26 here. The Into Mischief bay settled quickly and took the lead inside the five-sixteenths, opening up by five-lengths at the stretch call and crossing the wire under a hand ride in a final time of 1:11.24 – good for an 85 Beyer.
Tommy Jo dominates in R7 at Saratoga under @ljlmvel for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner/breeder @spendthriftfarm! pic.twitter.com/5osoqKeLWO
— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 26, 2025
“I thought she was impressive. She’s a nice filly who has trained very well,” Pletcher said.
Tommy Jo, who posted a half-mile breeze in 49.49 August 23 over the Spa main track, is out of the multiple Grade 1-placed Pioneerof the Nile mare Mother Mother, a half-sister to 2014 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby runner-up Commanding Curve.
Steer Clear, by Street Sense, pressed the pace in the aforementioned August 2 maiden sprint but was collared late by Ornellaia. The $575,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase, out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Simply Sunny, is a half-sister to Group 3-winner Fore Left.
A talented field includes maiden winners Sina [post 6, Jaime Rodriguez] for trainer Brett Brinkman, Meringue [post 2, Luis Rivera, Jr.] for trainer Rodolphe Brisset, and the Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained trio of Spirit Doll [post 9, Edgard Zayas], Rileytole [post 3, Reylu Gutierrez] and Day to Day [post 10, Ricardo Santana, Jr.].
The Spinaway is slated as Race 11 on Saturday’s 13-race card, which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Prioress in Race 7 and the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl, a ‘Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in Race 10. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
