Coronation Cup has no shortage of speed

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Mellon turf course might not be wide enough to handle all the horses who look like they want to go to the lead in Wednesday’s $100,000 Coronation Cup at Saratoga. With that in mind, handicappers might be wise to look for a closer, or perhaps a stranger, in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Two of the more interesting horses in the race would be Stars Above Me, a Britain-bred filly who only recently came to the United States and trainer Graham Motion, and Scatcapade, a late-running daughter of Scat Daddy trained by Christophe Clement.

Stars Above Me won once from five starts for trainer Roger Charlton in Britain, the win coming almost 11 months ago in the second start of her life.

Stars Above Me has a second and a third in three starts this year but appears to have kept decent company. Nova Champ, the filly who beat Stars Above Me on May 3, came back to win in Europe, as did Extortionist and Speed Hawk, the two fillies who finished ahead of Stars Above Me on June 21 at Newmarket. Extortionist won a Group 3 stakes at Sandown on July 5.

Motion, who has won seven stakes in the last 30 days, said he only received the filly within the last two weeks.

“They sent her to me with the idea of running in this race,” Motion said.

Scatcapade is cutting back in distance after a fourth-place finish going seven furlongs at Belmont on June 18. Her lone win came going a mile at Gulfstream in April.

“The distance is too short,” Clement said. “She should probably run six or seven furlongs, but at Saratoga, it’s 5 1/2 or a mile and a sixteenth, so let’s run her. Hopefully, she can come from off the pace sprinting and see what happens. She’s a very honest filly.”

Go West Marie, the filly to whom Scatcapade finished second in a May 23 allowance at Belmont, won last Saturday’s $200,000 Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar.

Some of the speed horses entered might not run Wednesday. Hot Squeeze just won a first-level allowance race for New York-breds last Wednesday. Isabelle, a statebred stakes winner on dirt, and Elena Strikes, a recent allowance winner on dirt, would both be trying turf for the first time and drew posts 9 and 10.

Key Contenders

Stars Above Me

◗ In her last start, she finished third behind Extortionist, who came back to win a Group 3 stakes at Sandown on July 5.

◗ Formulator Fact: Over the last five years, Motion is 17 for 57 (2 for 7 in stakes) with a $3.41 return on investment with horses making their first start for him.

Scatcapade (Last 3 Beyers: 75-77-70)

◗ Though Clement fears that the distance might be too short for this filly, there appears to be ample speed to set up her late kick.

◗ Formulator Fact: Over the last three years, Clement is 8 for 21 in non-graded turf-sprint stakes with a $2.06 ROI.

◗ His most recent turf-sprint stakes win came with Pure Sensation in last week’s Quick Call.

Recoupe (Last 3 Beyers: 75-48-76)

◗ She is 3 for 3 on turf, and all three wins were in front-running fashion at five furlongs.

◗ Formulator Fact: Trainer Mike Trombetta is 4 for 31 over the last three years in turf-sprint stakes (0 for 3 here) with a $1.61 ROI.