Dayoutoftheoffice impressive in $41 Schuylerville stunner; favored Beautiful Memories pulled up

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - When Junior Alvarado came to the paddock before the Grade 3, $100,000 Schuylerville Stakes, he asked trainer Tim Hamm where he would like him to position Dayoutoftheoffice going into the far turn.

“I said ‘third, right outside the speed,’ ” Hamm said.

Going into the far turn of the Schuylerville, Alvarado had Dayoutoftheoffice third, right off dueling leaders Make Mischief and Hara. In upper stretch, after Hara dropped back, Dayoutoftheoffice overtook Make Mischief and cruised to a six-length victory in the Schuylerville, the co-feature on the opening day card at Saratoga. Sent off at 19-1 odds, Dayoutoftheoffice returned $41.60 to win.

Make Mischief finished second by one length over Hopeful Princess. It was 10 lengths back to Hara, who was followed, in order, by Queen Arella and Quinoa Tifah. Beautiful Memories, the 1-2 favorite, was pulled up by jockey Jose Ortiz at the top of the stretch. Sunny Isle Beach scratched.

Ortiz noted that Beautiful Pleasure stumbled out of the gate, then reacted to having dirt in her face.

“She was a little weird about it going into the turn,” Ortiz said. “She switched leads, I noticed she wasn’t traveling well behind so I decided to take care of her. She had a cut over her right knee, I think I did the right thing for the horse.”

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Hamm did the right thing by sending Dayoutoftheoffice to New York from Gulfstream. Hamm, who is part-owner of the filly with Siena Farm, said the manner in which she won her debut is why he sent her here.

“You have to give her the chance,” he said. “As far as being overly confident, no. As far as knowing she deserves the chance, yes.”

Alvarado put Dayoutoftheoffice in a stalking third as Hara and Make Mischief dueled through a quarter in 22.29 seconds. Make Mischief began to tire before the half was completed in 45.57 and Dayoutoftheoffice was ready to pounce. Dayoutoftheoffice took control at the three-sixteenths pole and completed the six furlongs in 1:10.43.

“My goal was to get a good position, I knew she was going to handle the distance fine,” Alvarado said. “Once she broke good and put me in a good spot, I was for sure a smiling person all the way around. I knew what I had under me and she responded very well when I asked her turning for home.”

Alvarado said two reasons he looks forward to coming to Saratoga is to find young horses like Dayoutoftheoffice and to ride in front of and interact with fans.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans are not allowed to attend the races at Saratoga and the track was empty on opening day.

“There’s nothing like the fans at Saratoga,” Alvarado said. “Even when you don’t win a race, you come back, people congratulate you and they give you high fives, it keeps your spirits up. That’s one of those things for sure we’re missing and hopefully [won’t] take for granted anymore.”

Hamm, who won his first race at Saratoga after 10 previous starters, said accomplishing that was awesome.

“I wish there were 100,000 people here to enjoy it with,” he said.

Hamm said Dayoutoftheoffice would not be based in Saratoga, but is likely to come back for the Grade 1 Spinaway here on Sept. 6.