Fingal's Cave still perfect, Fleet Indian Stakes is next

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Going a mile and one-eighth around two turns against older, open-company allowance horses wasn’t exactly what trainer David Donk had in mind for the third career start of his undefeated New York-bred filly Fingal’s Cave.

But despite the added distance and big jump in class, the results were pretty much the same as in her first two starts sprinting against statebred competition. Fingal’s Cave led throughout under Jose Ortiz to register a convincing 3 3/4-length victory over Spiked and the even-money Insignia in a prep for her first major goal, the $200,000 Fleet Indian here on Aug. 26.

“She’s okay,” Donk dead-panned in the winner’s circle after the race. “I didn’t really have a lot of options. The two other than statebred race didn’t fill. I contemplated being crazy and running her against the boys. This race was here.

“The objective is the Fleet Indian in four weeks, so running her a mile and one-eighth and finding out it was the right thing. I thought it probably was, but the proof is in the pudding.”

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Donk said he had a lot of confidence Fingal’s Cave would handle the added distance off her most recent work, six furlongs in 1:13.40 with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard on July 21.

“She had a really good work last week, she galloped out really well,” said Donk. “I usually don’t put a rider on [in the morning] but at the last minute it just happened. Jose was around, he got on her, and I think it gave him a lot of confidence too the way she galloped out so well after working three-quarters.”

Despite stepping into open company and winning off so impressively, Donk said the nine-furlong Fleet Indian against 3-year-old New York-bred fillies, will remain Fingal’s Cave’s next goal.

“The way she won the first two times didn’t surprise me, especially against New York-breds, because she trained really well and showed that kind of talent,” Donk said. “She showed how really nice she was today beating much better competition, especially Brad’s [Cox] horse [Insignia] who I had a lot of respect for.

“But she’s a 3-year-old filly who started a little later in the year than the rest of them. You’re still trying to develop them, so we’ll continue to just take it one [race] at a time.”