08/28/2012 3:34PM

Saratoga: Zagora sets her sights on Spinster

By David Grening
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Tom Keyser
Zagora, winner of the Ballston Spa, is being considered for the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 7.

Zagora, who set a Saratoga inner-turf course record winning the Ballston Spa Stakes on Saturday, could make her next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 7.

Though Zagora has never raced on a synthetic surface, Brown said “keeping her at the right distance at this stage of her career” is important. Brown believes 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/8 miles “is her best trip.”

“Giving her a try on the synthetic, we got nothing to lose,” said Brown, who trains Zagora for Martin Schwartz. “She has experience over the track. She’s trained at Keeneland at three different meets, and I’ve never seen her not train well over it.”

Brown noted that a race like the Flower Bowl at Belmont Park, run at 1 1/4 miles, is too far for Zagora. Further, she has shown a dislike for the turf course at Woodbine where the E.P. Taylor is held.

Brown said Zagora came out of the Ballston Spa in great shape and needed to be walked twice Monday because “she was so full of herself.”

Zagora ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.07 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 102.

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raj More than 1 year ago
Instead of trying to manufacture a Juvenile Turf division; the Breeders Cup should allocate the funds to a Filly Mare race at one mile and sixteenth and see if they can get Kee to move the QE to opening weekend
akhiym james More than 1 year ago
Don't overstand these beyer figs. The horse crushes the field in track record time and oly gets a 102. Usually that would be at least a 107 with horses back in the day but that's why I don't rely on them at all. I look at them sometime but it's very rare
rdeeps52 More than 1 year ago
The figs to me, seem to be pretty useless in turf racing. Don't know why, just something that I noticed, atleast in my handicapping