Dazzling Blue meets other speed in five-horse Prioress
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Dazzling Blue didn’t win her first try in a graded stakes, but her performance in the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes on July 8 at Belmont Park made trainer Brad Cox excited to give her another shot at winning one.
That attempt comes in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress Stakes, when Dazzling Blue meets just four rivals in the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga.
Dazzling Blue, a daughter of Into Mischief, won her first three starts before running into the then-undefeated Maple Leaf Mel in the Victory Ride. Dazzling Blue was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Maple Leaf Mel, while finishing 1 1/2 lengths in front of Vahva, who came out of the Victory Ride to win the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks last time out.
“I thought she ran very, very well, it was her second run off the layoff, thought it was a very good effort,” Cox said of Dazzling Blue’s Victory Ride. “Excited about giving her another chance, pointed to this race since that one.”
Dazzling Blue shows a string of solid works over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track for the Prioress.
“I think she’s set up to run big,” Cox said.
In a race where most of the runners want to be forward – including Dazzling Blue – Cox likes being drawn on the outside giving jockey Joel Rosario a read on the race at the break.
“She’s shown the ability to sit off horses and finish up,” Cox said. “She ran well enough last time. We need to take a step forward. I think we can off the way she’s been working.”
Alva Star, drawn in post 4, comes in off a dominant 6 3/4-length victory in the Dashing Beauty Stakes on July 8 at Delaware Park.
Brett Brinkman, the trainer, co-breeder, and co-owner of Alva Star, said that was the first time since her debut that Alva Star was able to run out of her own stall. He shipped her to Saratoga 10 days out from this race in order to get a work over the track and under rider Jose Lezcano, who will be aboard her in the race.
“Being who we are, nobody knows us, wanted the same person who was going to ride her to work her and have the same confidence in her that we have,” Brinkman said. “He was all smiles and very complimentary.”
Brinkman said Alva Starr was a little short when she ran second in an Oaklawn allowance in May. She shipped in from Evangeline Downs for that race.
“We needed a jumping off point for the year,” Brinkman said. “We were excited how she ran from where we had her fitness-wise.”
Brinkman has won a bevy of listed stakes, but is still in search of his first graded win.
Jersey Pearl, trained by Darrin Miller, defeated Alva Star in a Churchill allowance and then came back to win an allowance at Ellis Park by 9 1/2 lengths on July 8. Most recently, she finished fifth in the Grade 1 Test Stakes here.
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Jersey Pearl from the rail.
Unified Alliance, winner of the off-the-turf Coronation Cup, and Unsung Melody, third to Randomized in the Wilton Stakes, complete the field.
The Prioress goes as race 5 on the 12-race card.
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