Calistoga can give Mott early birthday present in Honorable Miss
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott won’t be able to win a race on his birthday this year, something he has done 15 times here since 1992. Mott turns 61 on Tuesday, a dark day at Saratoga.
Perhaps Mott could celebrate a day early when he sends out Calistoga in Monday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga.
With several early-speed types such as La Verdad, R Free Roll, and Red Velvet lined up in the Honorable Miss, Calistoga could very well sit a great stalking trip under Joel Rosario.
“Hopefully, it could set up for her,” Mott said. “She seems to be able to close.”
Calistoga, a daughter of Speightstown, had shown speed in winning the first two starts of her career last year. But in her last two races, an allowance win at Belmont in the slop and a third in the Bed o’ Roses Handicap on June 21, Calistoga showed the ability to rate.
In the Bed o’ Roses, Calistoga was last of 10 early after hitting the gate at the start. She was three-to-four wide down the backstretch, four-to-five wide around the turn, and rallied six wide in the stretch. She was beaten four lengths by Hot Stones, who nosed out Merry Meadow. Hot Stones was entered to run in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee, while Merry Meadow is among the contenders in the Honorable Miss.
“The last time, she didn’t have a good exit from the gate,” Mott said. “It seemed like she broke into the side of the gate. I thought it was a very good race.”
Calistoga has never raced at Saratoga, but her last two works over the Saratoga training track have been very good.
La Verdad has won 9 of 11 career starts and 8 of 9 at the Honorable Miss’s distance of six furlongs. She has brilliant natural speed, but that will be tested Monday with the presence of Florida shipper R Free Roll in the field.
For the third time in the last four races, La Verdad drew the rail.
“I’m not crazy about drawing the 1 hole,” trainer Linda Rice said. “I don’t think she has to have the lead, although she seems to always find herself on the lead. We’ve attempted to rate her in the past, but she has such natural gate speed, she ends up on the lead. Given the 1 post position, we may have to commit to that.”
Key contenders
La Verdad (Last 3 Beyers 99-93-99)
* New York-bred filly has an impeccable record, winning 9 of 11 starts, including her last four. She is already a Grade 2 winner, having won the Distaff in April at Aqueduct.
* After enjoying a terrific hot streak in the middle of the Belmont meet, Rice entered Saturday on a 2-for-33 skid over the last 30 days. The wins came with La Verdad (1-5) in the Dancin Renee and Kid Cruz (3-5) in the Dwyer.
Calistoga (Last 3 Beyers 86-83-70)
* Was stopped on by Mott after her first career defeat in the Grade 3 Eight Belles in May 2013.
“She was moving a little scratchy, so we just turned her out,” Mott said.
My Wandy’s Girl (Last 3 Beyers 92-98-71)
* Beat La Verdad by a length in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie, but she probably prefers seven furlongs to Monday’s six-furlong distance, at which she is 0 for 2.
* After running third in the Grade 2 Ruffian going a mile, this looks like a prep for the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 23.
“It’s a little more than I’d like to cut back,” said trainer Mike Hushion, noting that he chose to run in here “instead of breezing four more times.”