SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Chop Chop appears to have found her niche as a marathon turf runner and will seek a second win at 1 1/2 miles when she starts as the potential favorite in Thursday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga. In her last three starts, Chop Chop won the Grade 3 Bewitch at Churchill Downs, was beaten a half-length in the Keertana at Keeneland, and beaten one length by War Like Goddess in the Grade 3 Robert Dick Memorial at Delaware Park. Two of those races were at 1 1/2 miles, the Robert Dick was at 1 3/8 miles. “It’s definitely opened up a different avenue for her and she seems to like it,” trainer Brad Cox said of stretching Chop Chop out in distance. In the Robert Dick, Chop Chop was pressing the modest pace set by Alpha Bella, overtook that one in upper stretch but was run down by War Like Goddess, a now 10-time graded stakes winner to whom Chop Chop was somehow conceding six pounds. “Got beat by a Grade 1 winner,” Cox said. “She ran a great race, [War Like Goddess] is probably the best in the division.” Chop Chop, a 4-year-old daughter of City of Light, is coming back on three weeks’ rest, but Cox likes the idea of running her out of her own stall. She has been based in Saratoga since early June. :: Gain a competitive edge at Saratoga with DRF's premier handicapping data — purchase our meet packages today and bet with confidence. “I just feel like it was a soft pace last time, she quickened, finished up running,” Cox said. “I love the way she physically looks. It was either this spot, or looking at going to Colonial or waiting for Kentucky Downs. . . . I thought running out of her own stall would be a little bit easier on her.” Frankie Dettori will ride Chop Chop. On Sunday, Dettori was aboard the filly when she worked a half-mile in 47.53 seconds, the fastest of 67 works over the Oklahoma turf course. “But she was in hand, doing it the right way,” Cox said. “Broke off a little sharp. She’s always like that.” Chop Chop will have a familiar rival in the Glens Falls in Atomic Blonde. Chop Chop beat Atomic Blonde in the Bewitch and was beaten a half-length by her in the Keertana. Atomic Blonde ran fourth, 2 1/4 lengths behind Chop Chop in the Robert Dick. Christophe Clement, trainer of Atomic Blonde, said running back in three weeks is somewhat a product of a lack of opportunities at this distance. “You don’t want to run her back so quickly, but she’s really doing well,” Clement, a four-time Glens Falls winner, said. “There is rain in the forecast, which should be okay for her.” Clement also sends out Parnac, who won last year’s Grade 2 Flower Bowl here. In her lone start this year, Parnac finished last behind Royalty Interest in the Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay at Aqueduct. “She ran a little bit below form last time in New York,” Clement said. “I had a question mark if she was quite tight enough. She’s training well, she’s sound, she looks great, she loves Saratoga, why not?” McKulick, trained by Chad Brown, has two wins and two seconds from five starts at Saratoga, including a victory in last year’s Glens Falls. After that win, she finished second to Parnac in the Flower Bowl. McKulick is coming off a fifth-place finish in the 13-horse Grade 1 New York Stakes last out. “Very tough race,” Brown said of the New York. “I think getting her to three turns is going to be a better situation for her.” Brown also sends out Royalty Interest, who won the Sheepshead Bay on the front end before finishing 10th in the New York. :: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports straight from the morning workouts at the track. Available every race day. Eternal Hope won the Grade 3 Jockey Club Oaks and Grade 2 Sands Point in a four-week span last fall at Aqueduct. She has not started since October. Eternal Hope goes out for trainer Charlie Appleby and will be ridden by Flavien Prat, a trainer-jockey combo which has gone 6 for 8 in the U.S. this year, including a victory with Silver Knott in Sunday’s Grade 2 Bowling Green. The Glens Falls goes as race 9 on a 10-race card that begins at 1:10 p.m. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.