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Saratoga Race Course’s 135th season gets underway on Wednesday, July 23rd, and its schedule of 35 stakes will total $8,975,000 in purses.
Here is a look at the Opening Week stakes schedule:
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23: The Grade 2, $150,000 Schuylerville for two-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Expected for the Schuylerville are Ashado, Be Gentle, Bikini Wiggle, Feline Story, Hermione’s Magic, Maple Syrple, Sweet Vision and Unbridled Beauty.
Be Gentle is undefeated in two starts for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and won the Grade 2 Debutante at Churchill Downs on July 4th. Lukas’ former assistant, Todd Pletcher, exits a record-setting meet at Belmont Park and will go with Ashado and Hermione’s Magic, both of whom won their only starts. Feline Story is unbeaten in two tries for trainer Stanley Hough and was an easy winner of Belmont’s Astoria on June 29th.
THURSDAY, JULY 24: The Grade 2, $150,000 Sanford for two-year-olds at six furlongs. Expected for the Sanford are Blushing Indian, Chapel Royal, Flushing Meadows, Heckle, Pretty Wild Again and Rubi Echo. Questionable are Boston Brahim, Bustin’ Out and Royal Force.
Pletcher again will be a factor with Chapel Royal, a Montbrook colt who easily won both his starts, including Belmont Park’s Grade 3 Flash on June 6th, and Heckle, winner of two of three starts, including Belmont’s Tremont on June 28th.
FRIDAY, JULY 25: The Grade 2, $150,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap for three-year-olds and up at nine furlongs on the turf. Expected for the Bernard Baruch are Dr. Kashnikow, French Charmer, Patrol, Saint Verre, Slew Valley, Tap The Admiral, Trademark (SAF) and Union Place. Questionable are Better Talk Now, Epicentre, Freefourinternet and Rock Slide.
Tap The Admiral won the Grade 2 Firecracker Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs on July 5th. Trademark was just beaten a half-length by War Zone in Belmont’s Grade 3 Poker Handicap on July 5th, with Saint Verre a half-length back in third.
SATURDAY, JULY 26: The Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Handicap for fillies and mares, 3 and up, at nine furlongs on the turf. Expected for the Diana are Heat Haze (GB), Riskaverse, Snow Dance, Voodoo Dancer and Wonder Again. Questionable are Delta Princess, Dress To Thrill (IRE) and Pertuisane (GB).
Voodoo Dancer lost the Diana last year by a nose to Tates Creek. While Tates Creek is not back, trainer Bobby Frankel is on a three-race win streak with Heat Haze, whom he inherited from fellow Hall of Fame trainer Andre Fabre. This will be Heat Haze’s Saratoga debut. Riskaverse and Wonder Again are Grade 1 winners, while Snow Dance was a beaten a length for it all while running third in last year’s Diana.
Also on Saturday is the Grade 1, $250,000 Test for three-year-old fillies at seven furlongs. Expected for the Test are Bird Town, Chimchurri, Country Romance, Double Scoop, Halory Leigh, House Party, Lady Tak and Molto Vita. Questionable are Ebony Breeze and Follow Me Home.
Owned by socialite Marylou Whitney and trained by Nick Zito, Bird Town is the leader of her division with victories in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and Belmont’s Grade 1 Acorn. Fourth in the Acorn, House Party rallied to win the Grade 1 Prioress at Belmont Park for Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens. Lady Tak was beaten a head in the Acorn.
SUNDAY, JULY 27: The Grade 1, $250,000 Go for Wand Handicap for fillies and mares, 3 and up, at nine furlongs. Expected for the Go for Wand are Call An Audible, Forrest Secrets, She’s Got The Beat and Sightseek. Questionable are Alexine (ARG), Imperial Gesture, Miss Linda (ARG) and Nonsuch Bay.
After three straight runner-up finishes, Sightseek has turned in back-to-back Grade 1 victories for Frankel in the Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs and in Belmont’s Ogden Phipps Handicap.
MONDAY, JULY 28: The Grade 3, $100,000-added Lake George for three-year-old fillies at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. Expected for the Lake George are Aud, Beautiful America, Broadway Lady, Film Maker, Gal O Gal, Indy Five Hundred, and Ocean Drive. Questionable are Betty’s Wish, Hanselina, Impolite and U K Trick.
Ocean Drive has won five of six starts for Pletcher, and broke her maiden last September 2nd on the Saratoga turf.
Saratoga Race Course’s 135th season gets underway on Wednesday, July 23rd, and its schedule of 35 stakes will total $8,975,000 in purses.
Here is a look at the Opening Week stakes schedule:
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23: The Grade 2, $150,000 Schuylerville for two-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Expected for the Schuylerville are Ashado, Be Gentle, Bikini Wiggle, Feline Story, Hermione’s Magic, Maple Syrple, Sweet Vision and Unbridled Beauty.
Be Gentle is undefeated in two starts for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and won the Grade 2 Debutante at Churchill Downs on July 4th. Lukas’ former assistant, Todd Pletcher, exits a record-setting meet at Belmont Park and will go with Ashado and Hermione’s Magic, both of whom won their only starts. Feline Story is unbeaten in two tries for trainer Stanley Hough and was an easy winner of Belmont’s Astoria on June 29th.
THURSDAY, JULY 24: The Grade 2, $150,000 Sanford for two-year-olds at six furlongs. Expected for the Sanford are Blushing Indian, Chapel Royal, Flushing Meadows, Heckle, Pretty Wild Again and Rubi Echo. Questionable are Boston Brahim, Bustin’ Out and Royal Force.
Pletcher again will be a factor with Chapel Royal, a Montbrook colt who easily won both his starts, including Belmont Park’s Grade 3 Flash on June 6th, and Heckle, winner of two of three starts, including Belmont’s Tremont on June 28th.
FRIDAY, JULY 25: The Grade 2, $150,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap for three-year-olds and up at nine furlongs on the turf. Expected for the Bernard Baruch are Dr. Kashnikow, French Charmer, Patrol, Saint Verre, Slew Valley, Tap The Admiral, Trademark (SAF) and Union Place. Questionable are Better Talk Now, Epicentre, Freefourinternet and Rock Slide.
Tap The Admiral won the Grade 2 Firecracker Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs on July 5th. Trademark was just beaten a half-length by War Zone in Belmont’s Grade 3 Poker Handicap on July 5th, with Saint Verre a half-length back in third.
SATURDAY, JULY 26: The Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Handicap for fillies and mares, 3 and up, at nine furlongs on the turf. Expected for the Diana are Heat Haze (GB), Riskaverse, Snow Dance, Voodoo Dancer and Wonder Again. Questionable are Delta Princess, Dress To Thrill (IRE) and Pertuisane (GB).
Voodoo Dancer lost the Diana last year by a nose to Tates Creek. While Tates Creek is not back, trainer Bobby Frankel is on a three-race win streak with Heat Haze, whom he inherited from fellow Hall of Fame trainer Andre Fabre. This will be Heat Haze’s Saratoga debut. Riskaverse and Wonder Again are Grade 1 winners, while Snow Dance was a beaten a length for it all while running third in last year’s Diana.
Also on Saturday is the Grade 1, $250,000 Test for three-year-old fillies at seven furlongs. Expected for the Test are Bird Town, Chimchurri, Country Romance, Double Scoop, Halory Leigh, House Party, Lady Tak and Molto Vita. Questionable are Ebony Breeze and Follow Me Home.
Owned by socialite Marylou Whitney and trained by Nick Zito, Bird Town is the leader of her division with victories in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and Belmont’s Grade 1 Acorn. Fourth in the Acorn, House Party rallied to win the Grade 1 Prioress at Belmont Park for Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens. Lady Tak was beaten a head in the Acorn.
SUNDAY, JULY 27: The Grade 1, $250,000 Go for Wand Handicap for fillies and mares, 3 and up, at nine furlongs. Expected for the Go for Wand are Call An Audible, Forrest Secrets, She’s Got The Beat and Sightseek. Questionable are Alexine (ARG), Imperial Gesture, Miss Linda (ARG) and Nonsuch Bay.
After three straight runner-up finishes, Sightseek has turned in back-to-back Grade 1 victories for Frankel in the Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs and in Belmont’s Ogden Phipps Handicap.
MONDAY, JULY 28: The Grade 3, $100,000-added Lake George for three-year-old fillies at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. Expected for the Lake George are Aud, Beautiful America, Broadway Lady, Film Maker, Gal O Gal, Indy Five Hundred, and Ocean Drive. Questionable are Betty’s Wish, Hanselina, Impolite and U K Trick.
Ocean Drive has won five of six starts for Pletcher, and broke her maiden last September 2nd on the Saratoga turf.
