Big guns loaded for Schuylerville

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Trainers Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen have combined to win nine of the last 15 runnings of the Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes and both trainers will be well represented again in the $150,000 co-feature on Friday’s opening-day card at Saratoga.

Pletcher, who won his record-tying sixth Schuylerville in 2016 with Sweet Loretta, will send out the debut-winning Stainless on Friday. Asmussen, who has won three Schuylervilles, has the uncoupled entry of Buy Sell Hold and Laudation in the six-furlong stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Buy Sell Hold, a daughter of Violence, is 2 for 2 having won a maiden race at Keeneland in April before wheeling back two weeks later to beat males in the Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill Downs.

“Off of her maiden win, I was either going to run her back at Churchill or the Astoria at Belmont,” Asmussen said. “She’s very small. Being at Churchill I thought it would be easier than shipping her to Belmont.”

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Buy Sell Hold breaks from post 2 under Florent Geroux.

Laudation, a daughter of Congrats, was compromised by a slow break from the rail position when she finished third in her debut at Churchill Downs on June 9. She wheeled back in 15 days to win a maiden race by three lengths. Laudation will break from post 7 under Javier Castellano.

Asmussen is hoping the fact both of his fillies have two starts under their belt will give them an advantage over horses like Stainless and Snowfire, who both have raced just once.

“A couple of races have always been beneficial given how loose the racetrack can be opening week,” Asmussen said.

Mel’s Gone Wild, a sharp debut winner at Parx for Kathleen Demasi, drew the rail for the Schuylerville. Outside of Buy Sell Hold are Best Performance, Dream It Is, Limited View, Pacific Gale, Laudation, Snowfire, and Stainless.

Chad Brown, who last year set a record for victories at a single Saratoga meet with 40 victories, goes for his third straight victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George Stakes when he sends out Fifty Five in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies.

Eleven fillies were entered but Corporate Queen will run only in the event the race comes off the turf and is run on the main track.

Fifty Five, who won the Grade 3 Florida Oaks in March while in the barn of Tom Bush, is coming off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont on June 8. Brown had Fifty Five entered in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational, but scratched to await this spot.

“I think it was the right move for that filly at this point in her career,” Brown said.

In the Wonder Again, Fifty Five was second to New Money Honey, who came back to win the Belmont Oaks.

Fifty Five drew the rail and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

The Mark Casse-trained pair of Victory to Victory and Dream Dancing drew posts 10 and 11, respectively. Dream Dancing finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Fifty Five when third in the Belmont Oaks. Victory to Victory stretches out in distance after finishing fifth in the six-furlong Alywow at Woodbine in June.

Sweeping Paddy, winner of the Grade 3 Regret Stakes, and Party Boat, winner of the Memories of Silver at this distance in April at Aqueduct, are also top contenders.

The field, from the rail out, is: Fifty Five, Fizzy Friday, Defiant Honor, Chubby Star, Corporate Queen (a main track only runner), Super Marina, Party Boat, Proctor’s Ledge, Sweeping Paddy, Victory to Victory, and Dream Dancing.

First post for Friday’s opening-day card is 1 p.m.

The weather forecast calls for intervals of clouds and sun, and a high of 87 degrees with a stray shower or thunderstorm possible.