Dayatthespa, Pianist may return from eight-month layoff in De La Rose
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Neither Dayatthespa nor Pianist has started since finishing fourth and seventh, respectively, in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes eight months ago at Santa Anita. But layoffs of that nature usually are not an issue for trainer Chad Brown, who plans to start both mares in Saturday’s $100,000 De La Rose Stakes at Saratoga if the turf course is firm.
A field of nine filly and mare grass specialists was drawn for the De La Rose, which will be decided at one mile on the inner turf course.
Dayatthespa was beaten a length in the Matriarch to close out a 2013 campaign that was highlighted by a pair of stakes victories, including the Yaddo for New York-breds here last summer. Dayatthespa became a Grade 1 winner at 3 by capturing Keeneland’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.
Pianist is a two-time Grade 3 winner of just under $500,000. She suffered a frustrating setback here a year ago when beaten a neck by Laughing following a nearly race-long duel. She finished a ground-saving seventh, 1 1/2 lengths behind Dayatthespa, in the Matriarch.
“Both will run, weather permitting,” Brown said. “If the turf came up soft, I might give a second look to what I’d do. Both horses came out of the Matriarch with different little issues that needed time. We’re definitely getting them started later than we’d like, but they’ve both been training pretty well.”
A solid case can be made for the majority of the starters. Joy is coming off an easy stakes win over yielding turf at Belmont in her last start and was a stakes winner last summer at Delaware. Alaura Michele, the 2012 Nani Rose winner, exits a third-place finish in a Grade 3 stakes at Parx. Baffle Me is a multiple stakes winner. Ready Signal won a pair of stakes this winter at Gulfstream Park. Filimbi has won three of her last four starts, including a high-level optional-claiming race at Belmont Park for her first U.S. victory.
Key contenders
Dayatthespa (Last 3 Beyers: 95-98-86)
** She is perfect in three starts over the local turf course.
** Far and away the class of the field, being a Grade 1 winner.
** Runs well fresh, having returned from a 5 1/2-month layoff to capture an overnight stakes in May 2013 at Belmont Park and a 4 1/2-month break to win the Riskaverse Stakes later that summer at Saratoga.
Pianist (Last 3 Beyers: 91-98-96)
** She gets some significant class relief after making her last six starts against graded stakes competition.
** Should have no problem with the distance, having won 4 of 6 starts at a mile.
** Owns two bullet works over the Oklahoma turf course within the past four weeks.
Filimbi (Last 2 Beyers: 89-88)
** Has adjusted well to racing in the U.S. and looks like a young, lightly raced filly with a lot of upside.
** Would certainly be at home over less-than-firm ground, having won over soft and heavy courses in France at 3.