Blue Prize drops in class for Summer Colony Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Ignacio Correas IV has seen enough of Elate this year that he doesn’t want to run his mare Blue Prize against her again. At least for now.

So instead of running against Elate – and Midnight Bisou – in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign, Correas has found some class relief in Sunday’s $100,000 Summer Colony Stakes at Saratoga. The Summer Colony, run at 1 1/8 miles, is restricted to fillies and mares who have not won a graded stakes in 2019. Thanks in large part to Elate, Blue Prize is winless in three graded stakes in 2019.

Blue Prize, who won last year’s Grade 1 Spinster, finished second to Elate in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill in June and third behind Elate and Escape Clause in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap in July.

“I want to put her back, if it’s possible, on a winning streak,” Correas said. “Running against Elate I don’t think is going to get it done. This is about winning races, so we need to put her in a place where she can win.”

Blue Prize had a terrific 5-year-old season, going 4 for 7. She finished a solid fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, beaten only 1 1/2 lengths by Monomoy Girl.

Correas is hoping Blue Prize – beaten a nose in the 2017 Summer Colony – runs well enough Sunday to warrant a trip back to the Spinster in early October at Keeneland.

“If we do it, we do it and that will take care of where we go next,” said Correas, referring to a potential start in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

By running in the Summer Colony, Correas also gets Jose Ortiz to ride Blue Prize. Ortiz, the regular rider of Elate, won two stakes on Blue Prize last year.

Blue Prize is not the only mare seeking class relief.

Pacific Wind, third behind Blue Prize in last fall’s Spinster, has run in seven consecutive graded stakes, with a victory in the Grade 2 Ruffian at Belmont in May 2018 her only success. Most recently, she finished last of five in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps.

“She just didn’t fire that day, not exactly sure why,” trainer Chad Brown said. “She’s come back and has trained well the last couple of works. We were trying to find a little easier spot, it came up a little tougher than I thought, but it seems like the right type of race for her right now.”

Vexatious returns to dirt – a surface on which she won a maiden race in her second career start – after racing in six consecutive graded stakes on turf. Vexatious fired a bullet half-mile work in 47.47 seconds over Saratoga’s main track last Sunday.

Alberobello, Tweeting, and possibly Skeptic loom the potential speed in the field. Breaking Bread, fourth to Midnight Bisou in the Molly Pitcher, completes the lineup.