Saratoga: Tapitsfly gets green light for Diana

Barbara D. Livingston

Tapitsfly works five furlongs at Saratoga on Saturday in preparation for next weekend's Grade 1 Diana.

Tapitsfly, front-running winner of the Grade 1 Just a Game at a mile on Belmont Stakes Day, worked five furlongs in 1:01.33 Saturday morning in preparation for a start in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Diana at 1 1/8 miles.

Under Tammy Fox, Tapitsfly broke off quickly, going in fractions of 11.75 seconds, 23.36, and 35.44.

“She went very well, looked good doing it. Made me think about running her back on the dirt, but that can wait,” trainer Dale Romans said.

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Romans admitted to being concerned about Tapitsfly’s ability to get 1 1/8 miles, but said if she runs in the Diana like she did in the Just a Game he thinks she can get it done.

“The whole key to her is if she’s going to relax as well as she did in the Just a Game,” Romans said. “My plan for her this year was to get her to really relax and come from a little off the pace and we got to the Just a Game – a Grade 1 – with no speed so we threw that out the window. I doubt there will be enough speed to run with her here so she’ll probably do the same thing.”

The field for the Diana is expected to include the Grade 1 winner Winter Memories and the consistent Hungry Island. A decision on whether Zagora will defend her Diana title will be made after the filly’s next work. Other possibilities include Dealbata, Dream Peace, Hard Seven, Law of the Range, and Quiet Oasis.

At Churchill Downs on Saturday, two of Romans’s stars put in workouts over the main track. Dullahan went five furlongs in 59.80 seconds in preparation for the $1 million Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 29. Romans said Dullahan could van to Monmouth on Sunday or Monday.

Shackleford, the Metropolitan Handicap winner, went five furlongs in 1:01.40. He is expected to make his next start in the Grade 1 Forego here on Sept. 1.

Violette’s got another runner

Trainer Rick Violette has another good 2-year-old in the barn.

Sixteen days after sending Carried Interest out to a sharp debut victory at Belmont Park, Violette and his owners Seth Klarman and William Lawrence, unveiled Spurious Precision, who won Saturday’s second race by 3 1/2 lengths, defeating a field of highly touted runners.

Under Alan Garcia, Spurious Precision chased the pacesetting Exploring, collared him in upper stretch, and drew away late.

Spurious Precision, a son of High Cotton, ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.49.

“He was ridden hard out of there and I think he wants to go further and sometimes that takes its toll,” Violette said. “I thought somebody would make a run at us and he drew off. That was pretty cool. . . . It’s nice having another nice colt.”

Violette plans to run Carried Interest in the Saratoga Special on Aug. 12. Spurious Precision will likely run in the Hopeful on Sept. 3.

Klarman and Lawrence won last year’s Hopeful – when it was a Grade 1 – with Currency Swap.

Stephanie’s Kitten heads Lake George

Stephanie’s Kitten, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner, tops a competitive eight-horse field entered for Wednesday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Lake George Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf.

Stephanie’s Kitten will be ridden by John Velazquez, who was named on two mounts on Wednesday’s card. It will mark Velazquez’s first action since June 16 when he sustained a broken collarbone in a spill at Churchill Downs. Velazquez is also named on a 2-year-old maiden, Lucky Friend, in the fifth.

Stephanie’s Kitten, who won the Edgewood at Churchill on Oaks Day, is one of six graded stakes winners entered in the Lake George.

Centre Court, winner of the Grade 3 Regret; Better Lucky, winner of the Grade 2 Sands Point; Dancing Solo, winner of the Grade 3 Boiling Springs; and Samitar, winner of the Group 1 Irish Guineas, and Somali Lemonade, who won the Grade 3 Jessamine at 2 are the others. Elusive Rumor and Medolina complete the field.