Cavorting caps sensational meet for connections in Prioress
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Cavorting capped an excellent meet for herself and all of her connections by exploding early and late, and taking Sunday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Prioress Stakes by three lengths at Saratoga, setting her up for a run at the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in late October.
Cavorting won the Prioress four weeks after taking the Grade 1 Test over this track. For her owners, the Stonestreet Stables, it was their fourth graded stakes of the summer. For trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, it was his 12th win and fourth stakes victory of the meet. For jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., the win all but clinched his first Saratoga riding title.
Ortiz leads Javier Castellano, 57-50, going into Monday’s closing day 11-race card. No rider has ever won more than six races on a Saratoga card.
“It means a lot for anyone even for Javier and Johnny [Velazquez] all those guys - Hall of Famers, no Hall of Fall of Famers - that meet means a lot for anyone,” said Ortiz, who finished second to Castellano last year.
Things are going so well for Ortiz at this meet that the gate doors opened just as Cavorting charged toward them and she broke on top.
“One second more and she breaks last,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz reined Cavorting in to sit just behind the speed as Ekati’s Phaeton ran a quarter in 22.35 seconds and a half-mile in 45.37 being chased by Sky Gold, Tricky Zippy, and Promise Me Silver.
Cavorting was swung six wide turning into the stretch and as fast as she broke was as fast she finished, seizing command outside the eighth pole and drawing clear to win authoritatively.
Bar of Gold, second to Cavorting in the Test, rallied to be second by 2 3/4 lengths over Fusaichi Red in the Prioress. She was followed, in order, by Paid Up Subscriber, Tricky Zippy, Irish Jasper, Clothes Fall Off, Sky Gold, Ekati’s Phaeton, and Promise Me Silver.
Cavorting, a 3-year-old daughter of Bernardini, covered six furlongs in 1:09.47 and returned $4.30 as the even-money favorite.
McLaughlin said he wasn’t too concerned about the wide trip despite the fact the dirt course on Sunday appeared to be favoring the inside paths.
“When you’re even-money you think you’re the best, you hope for a good trip. Irad rode her great kept, her out of trouble and in the clear,” McLaughlin said.
With two races under her belt in four weeks, Cavorting will now 55 days to the Breeders’ Cup.
“Now we have plenty of time to the Breeders’ Cup. She likes a lot of time, so it worked out good,” McLaughlin said.
Cavorting will be one of at least three Breeders’ Cup contenders that emerged this summer for Stonestreet Stables. Rock Fall won the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt and is on target for the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Rachel’s Valentina won Saturday’s Grade 1 Spinaway, thus earning a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Overall, Stonestreet went 7 for 14 at the meet with four graded stakes wins and the memorable last-to-first debut of Jess’s Dream, who like Rachel’s Valentina, is out of 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra.
“Great meet,” said Barbara Banke, the head of Stonestreet Stables who flew here Saturday after her daughter had a baby on Friday. “Two spectacular fillies. They are really good. We’re trying to get them pointed the right way. A Grade 1 for Rachel’s baby, that’s great, another graded stakes for Cavorting, that’s awesome.”