Asmussen sends another strong filly

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The second half of this Saratoga meeting could very well begin the way the first half began: with a freaky filly trained by Steve Asmussen winning the stakes race for 2-year-old fillies.

While Asmussen will not be sending out Schuylerville Stakes winner Hot Dixie Chick in Wednesday's Grade 2, $150,000 Adirondack Stakes, he will saddle the impressive debut winner Dashing Debby in the 6 1/2-furlong race. Dashing Debby, who will break from the rail, will face eight challengers.

Dashing Debby, a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, was purchased by Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stables and transferred to Asmussen following her 10 1/4-length debut victory in the J J's Dream Stakes at Calder on July 11.

In that race, Dashing Debby broke a step slow but quickly assumed the command and ran very fast early fractions before running six furlongs in 1:12.19.

"I think she's still learning," Asmussen said. "She has a lot of talent, she's still a baby though."

Dashing Debby shipped up to Saratoga in time to begin working on July 20. She has worked five times here including a three-furlong blowout over the main track in 38.12 seconds on Monday morning.

"I think she enjoyed the weather immediately, she felt pretty good early because it was so much cooler right away," Asmussen said. "After her first breeze here she's just been super."

Dashing Debby's chances were enhanced on Tuesday with the news that Beautician, second to Hot Dixie Chick in the Schuylerville on opening day, will scratch after developing a bout of colic on Monday.

Trainer Ken McPeek said Tuesday that he had to treat Beautician medically for the colic, necessitating the scratch.

"She's fine this morning," McPeek said Tuesday. "She was really uncomfortable late morning and early afternoon yesterday and we had to do what was right. In the short run it's a setback, but in the long run we'll be okay."

McPeek said he would wait to get Beautician back in training before determining where to run her next.

Decelerator, the Grade 3 Debutante winner at Churchill, will try to bounce back from a sixth-place finish in the Schuylerville.

Babai Baby, who beat colts while racing on the lead in her debut at Belmont, will likely be an off-the-pace factor in here, according to trainer John Kimmel.

"We wanted to teach her to sit behind horses and see how she handles that," Kimmel said. "We don't want to be committed to showing that much speed with her."