Explora makes statement with victory in Test Stakes
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Although Explora finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and won the Grade 3 Honeybee earlier this season, both races at 1 1/16 miles, she has become a force in the filly and mare sprint division following her extremely impressive, five-length victory over Percy’s Bar on Saturday at Saratoga in the $500,000 Test Stakes.
Explora began her conversion back to sprinting following her fourth-place finish last spring at Churchill Downs in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, starting the transformation with a victory in the seven-furlong Leslie’s Lady one month later. Trainer Bob Baffert used that race as a perfect steppingstone for his filly into the Test.
“After the Oaks, Flavien (Prat) said to just keep her at one turn for now. If not for that it would have been the Acorn instead,” Baffert explained. “And once we decided on one turn, we thought all right, it’s the Test!”
And not only did Prat’s suggestion to turn Explora back to seven furlongs prove prophetic, he also orchestrated a picture-perfect trip for the filly in the Test. Explora stalked the leaders from easy striking distance down the backstretch, moved strongly out in the better footing near the middle of the track to wrest control in early stretch, then drew off with complete authority at the end.
Percy’s Bar, winner of the Grade 1 Ashland at 1 1/16 miles in April, was reserved at the rear of the pack for the opening half-mile, advanced near the inside on the final turn, and continued willingly to easily best the others while never threatening the winner. Goodall, who prompted the early pace and briefly stuck her head in front approaching the quarter pole, was a tiring third.
Explora, who became a Grade 1 winner for the first time with her performance in the Test, is owned in partnership by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. She completed the distance over a fast track in 1:22.42 seconds and paid $5.74 as a tepid favorite over Movie Night.
“Actually, she was losing it a little bit in the paddock," Baffert said. "I didn’t get a chance to school her here, she can be a little on her toes and she was getting a little bit warm. But luckily, once we hosed her, she settled back down. And I told Flavien ‘she’s already warmed up. You can just take her to the gate now.’”
Baffert agreed that everything went perfectly after that.
“Great jockey, perfect post (7), perfect trip, finally we didn’t have the one hole. It’s nice” Baffert said. “I’m also so grateful she won that race because Mike (Pegram) flew all the way up here. I think the last time he came (to Saratoga) was for McKinzie. It’s also great to get a Grade 1 here. That’s what it’s all about.”
Baffert said in light of her performance in the Test that the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland is the target at the moment. How he plans to get her there, however, was still to be determined.
“I haven’t done any thinking about that yet. I barely got her up here,” he said with a laugh.
Prat reiterated his earlier opinion that one turn is really Explora’s best game now.
“I thought she ran well in the Kentucky Oaks, but today she went back to what she wants to do,” Prat said. “She jumped well and I wanted to get her involved, and she switched off nicely. I didn’t want to move too early. I was trying to hold her together. When I turned for home I asked her, and she responded very well.”
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