My Mane Squeeze victorious in the Eight Belles (G2) May 3 at Churchill Downs (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
Misty Veil Opting for Sunday’s G2 Shuvee
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— William Butler and WinStar Farm’s graded stakes winning New York-bred My Mane Squeeze has been working towards a next start after a last-out fourth in the nine-furlong Grade 1 DK Horse Acorn on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course. Trainer Mike Maker said the Audible dark bay is pointed towards the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Test presented by Ticketmaster on August 3 here.
Maker said that My Mane Squeeze’s two-length victory in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Eight Belles on May 3 at Churchill Downs is the reason for the cutback in distance, along with avoiding multiple Grade 1-winner Thorpedo Anna, who is unbeaten in 2024 and entered in Saturday’s nine-furlong Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks.
“She won a Grade 2 on Kentucky Oaks day,” said Maker regarding the return to a sprint distance. “She’s been running well around one-turn and we didn’t feel like taking on Thorpedo Anna again.”
My Mane Squeeze went wide in the stretch of the Grade 1 Acorn as Thorpedo Anna drew off to an impressive 5 1/2-length victory over Leslie’s Rose. Maker said that in defeat, the three-time state-bred stakes-winner showed she can compete with the best in the country.
“She ran a great race. Obviously, this horse is at the top of her class,” said Maker. “It just didn’t look like one mile and an eighth was going to be her best distance.”
She has since worked four times at Churchill Downs, including a trio of five-furlong breezes over the past three weeks, most recently in 1:01.20 on July 14.
Out of the three-time winning Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama, My Mane Squeeze is a half-sister to the Maker-trained Butler homebred Rotknee, who is graded stakes-placed. She holds an impressive 9-5-0-2 record with $634,110 in earnings.
Per Maker, Resolute Racing’s Misty Veil will run in Sunday’s Grade 2 Shuvee here after cross-entering in Saturday’s Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park. Ramon Vazquez is set to ride from post 4 in the nine-furlong test for older fillies and mares, tabbed at a morning-line assessment of 4-1.
