Break Even to make turf debut in Coronation Cup
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There are nine talented 3-year-old fillies entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Coronation Cup at Saratoga, although the potential matchup between the streaking pair of Break Even and A Bit of Both would be worth the price of admission itself.
If it happens.
Break Even is perfect in five career starts but would be making her turf debut if the Coronation Cup goes as scheduled at 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass. A Bit of Both has won her last four starts by a combined margin of 18 1/2 lengths, including the Honey Bee in her turf bow last month at Monmouth Park.
Unfortunately, trainer Jason Servis also has A Bit of Both entered Sunday in the Blue Sparkler Stakes at Monmouth. On Friday, Servis said he was leaning toward keeping her at home rather than shipping the former claimer to Saratoga for a confrontation with the likes of Break Even.
“A Bit of Both is at Monmouth, so that makes it easier just to keep her there and lead her over out of her own stall,” Servis said at Saratoga on Friday. “It’s only a $25,000 difference in the purse, too, so if you win it and take out the expense of paying the jockey, trainer, and for the shipping, it’s like only an $11,000 difference to the owner.”
Servis also said that despite her relatively easy win in the Honey Bee, he believes A Bit of Both is a better horse on dirt than turf.
“To tell the truth I wasn’t all that thrilled about her race on turf, even though she did win,” said Servis. “She ducked out a little and and drifted through the stretch and probably won on pure speed and talent.”
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Break Even has used her abundant speed to post five consecutive main-track victories to launch her career. Her wins include a 5 1/2-length tally in the Grade 2 Eight Belles over a sloppy strip at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day and a three-quarter-length triumph after overcoming an eventful start in the Jersey Girl last month at Belmont Park for which she earned a career best 99 Beyer Speed Figure.
“The race is there and we’ve always wanted to try her on turf,” said trainer Brad Cox. “We tried to start her career on turf and it came off. I guess we’re experimenting a little bit. I think her biggest weapon is just how fast she is out of the gate. I would have to think she’s going to have a little advantage going 5 1/2 furlongs.”
Cox said win or lose, Break Even could return to the main track for the Grade 1 Test or Prioress later this season.
Eyeinthesky has won only 3 of 12 starts coming into the Coronation Cup, but she is a proven commodity on grass and is tactical enough to take advantage of what figures to be a competitive pace scenario. A stakes winner on turf at Aqueduct in April, Eyeinthesky finished fourth, beaten nearly four lengths by A Bit of Both in the Honey Bee, a race marred when the pace-pressing Orra Moor fell near midstretch.
“Her last race was just a debacle,” said trainer Mark Casse. “She reared at the start, her rider lost his irons and then there was the incident down the lane where [Orra Moor] broke down and horses were going every which way. It just wasn’t a true indication of her ability. I’ve always felt like this filly was a bit of an underachiever and that she’s a lot better than what she’s shown so far.”
My Galina is another member of the Coronation Cup lineup who does her best running on the front end. She registered a wire-to-wire victory to launch her career over the Aqueduct turf course in April before returning to finish a tiring third when stretching to seven-eighths in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly five weeks later.
Lyrical Lady will be making her first start on grass in the Coronation Cup after finishing far back of Break Even over a wet track in the Eight Belles.
Recent winners I’llhanalthecash and Bohemian Bourbon and restricted stakes winner Midnight Fantasy complete the field. Abyssinian was entered but will scratch after running in the Quick Call Stakes on opening day.
– additional reporting by David Grening
