Saratoga: Spinaway value awaits those who look beyond obvious favorites

Tom Keyser

Trainer Steve Asmussen said he's confident Teen Pauline will run in the Spinaway rather than the Sorority at Monmouth.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While Stonestreet Stable would seem to hold a strong hand in Sunday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway regardless of whether it runs Teen Pauline, Dreaming of Julia, or both, there are others to consider in the seven-furlong race who should offer greater value.

On their own, Teen Pauline and Dreaming of Julia did enough in their respective debuts to warrant favoritism. It was unclear as of Friday afternoon if both horses would run. Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Teen Pauline – who is cross-entered in Sunday’s Sorority at Monmouth – was confident his filly was running at Saratoga. Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Dreaming of Julia, was less certain of his filly’s status.

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Still, the presence of Seasoned Warrior and So Many Ways make this race more than a one-way street.

After finishing second to Spinaway entrant Baby J in her debut at Belmont, Seasoned Warrior won a six-furlong maiden race here by 3 3/4 lengths on Aug. 12. She is by Majestic Warrior, who won the then-Grade 1 Hopeful here in 2007. Majestic Warrior is out of the dam Dream Supreme, who won the Test and Ballerina – both Grade 1 races at seven furlongs at Saratoga. Dream Supreme was the lone foal produced by Spinning Round, also a Ballerina winner.

For her third straight race, Seasoned Warrior has the outside post and she figures to lay off what looks like a possible hot early pace under Junior Alvarado.

“With as much speed as is in there I don’t think it’ll be any problem getting her to rate,” said Bill Mott, who trains Seasoned Warrior for Live Oak Plantation. “There’s plenty of speed on the inside. I’m sure they’re going to let them run on out of there. … We think she’s a nice filly. From what she’s shown so far she certainly seems stakes caliber.”

So Many Ways is 2 for 2, having won a maiden race at Parx and then the Grade 3 Schuylerville here on opening day. In the Schuylerville, So Many Ways came from next-to-last to get the win.

“It looks like there’s lot of speed in here. Lots of these young horses are not going to get their way,” said Tony Dutrow, trainer of So Many Ways. “My filly has proven she’ll sit and finish so I have to take that as a positive. At the same time, I know that some of those horses are real horses. But I have to feel good about how my filly’s doing and the distance.”

One of those real horses is Teen Pauline, who set a five-furlong track record of 56.53 seconds winning her five-furlong debut here on July 25 by 4 3/4 lengths.

“She’s a special filly,” Asmussen said. “Obviously, not thrilled with the one hole. I do expect her to overcome it. I thought her debut was extremely impressive.”

Julien Leparoux rides Teen Pauline from the rail.

If Dreaming of Julia does not run, Pletcher will still be represented by Corail, a front-running debut winner going 5 1/2 furlongs here on Aug. 1.

Baby J and Sweet Shirley Mae, third and fifth, respectively, in the Schuylerville, look to be part of the hot early pace.