Flattermefabulous takes giant step off claim

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Flattermefabulous is stepping up in class and switching surfaces off a claim, and Mecke’s Madalyn is coming home to face statebreds after acquitting herself respectably against open company on the road. The questions surrounding these two are keys to an intriguing puzzle in the $100,000 Saratoga Dew Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares Monday at Saratoga.

Flattermefabulous is making her stakes debut off a $35,000 claim by trainer Carlos Martin and owner Matthew Schera, having wired a turf event by 2 1/4 lengths on July 28. She matched her career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 84, also the top last-out number in this field. Although she has been a respectable allowance competitor against open company, Flattermefabulous has done all her best work on turf, and the Saratoga Dew is run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

Saratoga’s leading rider Jose Ortiz was aboard Flattermefabulous for her last-out win, and keeps the mount here. They drew post 6 in the seven-horse field.

Mecke’s Madalyn, who also was entered in Monday's $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes at Finger Lakes, drew just inside in post 5 under Jose Lezcano. She will be making her first start of the year against New York-breds. Trained by Corby Caiazzo, she spent the early part of the season running at Laurel and Delaware, where she was most recently second in a three-horse allowance field on July 24. Mecke’s Madalyn won the Shesastonecoldfox at Finger Lakes as a juvenile in 2015, and last year finished second by a head to Super Allison in the New York Oaks at Finger Lakes, and second in the Empire Distaff Handicap against older competitors at Belmont. Bar of Gold won the Empire Distaff by 18 lengths and is Grade 1-placed.

Super Allison is looking to rebound in the Saratoga Dew, having finished fifth off a long layoff in both her starts this year. Jc’s Shooting Star, third in the 2016 edition of the Saratoga Dew, is also looking to get back on track. Jc’s Shooting Star, a stakes winner in 2015, is winless this year, but has never missed the board at Saratoga. She was most recently third facing open company in an optional claimer on a sloppy, sealed track here July 24.

The stakes-placed Literata, fifth in this race last year, is coming off a dominant allowance win at Finger Lakes with a Beyer of 77, the second-highest last-out number in the field. Jcs American Dream and Legally Bay complete the field.

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