Free as a Bird tops deep Smart N Fancy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The $100,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga on Monday, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares, will give bettors a lot to think about, and the wagering should reflect the depth of the field.

The 12-horse lineup includes two main-track-only entrants, but the weather forecast here does not call for rain through Monday.

The race includes five returnees from the Aug. 1 Caress Stakes, which had the same conditions as the Smart N Fancy; the winner of the July 30 Coronation Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, who will now be facing older rivals; and a stakes-class sprinter who will be making her first turf start since 2012.

The Smart N Fancy is race 9 and goes off at 5:26 p.m. Eastern.

Key contenders

Free as a Bird (Last 3 Beyers: 89-89-87)

* Last year at 4, Free as a Bird won once and had four seconds or thirds. This year, she has won four races and finished second twice from six starts.

“Her improvment has a lot to do with maturity,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “We’ve also got her back to a distance she is comfortable with, anywhere from 5 1/2 to seven furlongs.”

* Free as a Bird was off a bit slowly and in traffic early in the Caress but found her best stride late and flew by the leaders late to win by three-quarters of a length.

Stars Above Me (Last Beyer: 83)

* After making three Newmarket starts this year, she was sent to trainer Graham Motion. There was just over five weeks between her last Great Britain start and her Coronation Cup victory.

* She was bumped at the start of that race, had to await running room in the upper stretch, swung to the rail, and then finished well to score by 2 1/4 lengths.

“I’m a little concerned about running a 3-year-old filly against older mares, but there really aren’t a lot of other options for her right now,” Motion said. “She’s kind of a nervous filly, and I like the situation of being able to ship her up here and then run her out of her stall.”

Speedinthruthecity (Last 3 Beyers: 94-90-80)

* She raced on both synthetic and turf early in her career but has made 9 of her last 10 starts on dirt.

* Speedinthruthecity was beaten three lengths over a sloppy track by the front-running R Free Roll in the Honorable Miss last time out.

* She is tough when she fires and may enjoy this return to grass.

Goldstryke Glory (Last 3 Beyers: 81-82-67)

* She is fast, but maybe not as fast as Believe in Charlie, who cut out a half in the Caress Stakes in 43.98 seconds. A third speed in the race worth mentioning is To My Valentine, who in her last start July 2 went wire to wire in a high-level optional claimer at Belmont Park.

* Goldstryke Glory was third to Ageless and Sky Treasure in her last start, the Grade 3 Royal North at Woodbine. Ageless has now won five of her last six starts, including three stakes. Sky Treasure returned to win a second-level optional claimer by 2 1/2 lengths.