Cavorting earns another win for Stonestreet Stables in Adirondack

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Stonestreet Stables maintained its recent string of success in Saratoga’s Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack Stakes on Sunday when Cavorting edged away from favored Angela Renee in deep stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Angela Renee, the 9-5 favorite, finished second by 2 1/4 lengths over a traffic-troubled Wonder Gal. She was followed, in order, by Vivian Da Bling, Take Charge Brandi, Phoenix Park, and Empressive Humor.

This was the third win in the Adirondack in the last four years for Stonestreet Stables, which won the race in 2011 with My Miss Aurelia, trained by Steve Asmussen, and 2012 with Kauai Katie, trained by Todd Pletcher.

Cavorting is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, who recently began an association with Stonestreet, which includes being the conditioner of the stable’s royally bred colt Jess’s Dream, a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra.

The McLaughlin-Stonestreet relationship got off to a terrific start when Cavorting won her debut at Belmont by 11 lengths July 3. That was against three rivals. The Adirondack promised to be much tougher.

Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Cavorting was up to the task despite racing five wide down the backside. Entering the far turn, Ortiz moved Cavorting to the inside to save a little ground. She split horses around the turn but went four wide again for the stretch run.

Cavorting hooked up with Angela Renee at the eighth pole, and the two ran alongside each other until the sixteenth pole when Cavorting began to pull away. Cavorting, a daughter of Bernardini out of the Grade 2 stakes-winning mare Promenade Girl, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.49 and returned $7.50. The final time was 0.30 seconds faster than the time of I Spent It in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special for 2-year-old males run 30 minutes later.

“At the half mile, I had to cut the corner. I know we were going too wide,” Ortiz said. “I asked her a little bit, and I got horse when I asked her.”

McLaughlin said Ortiz rode to instructions by keeping her wide.

“Irad rode a great race. We wanted to keep her clean faced, and it worked out very well,” McLaughlin said. “She’s a very talented filly.”

McLaughlin said the Grade 1 Spinaway here Sept. 1 may be too quick back and he could wait to run her back in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont on Oct. 4.

As part of a New York Racing Association incentive, Cavorting earned Stonestreet a $100,000 bonus since she won a graded stakes race at a NYRA track after winning a maiden race at Belmont Park’s spring-summer meet.

While Cavorting had an unimpeded trip, Wonder Gal had to steady sharply in the stretch when the pacesetter Vivian Da Bling – who ran the opening half-mile in 45.72 seconds – tired and veered in on her, forcing Taylor Rice to take up. Wonder Gal ultimately did get through but finished third, beaten four lengths.