If everything stays cool, Luminous Beauty has a shot in Schuylerville
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Luminous Beauty has the advantage of experience, a win over the track, and a nice outside draw that may give her an edge in what looks to be a competitive+ renewal of the $200,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies, one of three stakes scheduled for Friday’s 11-race opening-day card at Saratoga.
An extreme heat warning is in place for much of the Northeast, which could make for an uncomfortable day of racing and possibly spark talk about canceling the card. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures are forecast to be in the high 90s and the heat index is forecast between 105 and 111. Under New York State Gaming Commission rules, a heat index of 105 triggers certain protocols, including cancellation.
Should racing occur, Luminous Beauty will seek to build on her impressive 6 1/2-length maiden victory here June 4. That was her second start, which followed a game second-place finish behind Pierette when both debuted at Churchill on May 15. Pierette came back to win Sunday’s Debutante at Churchill Downs.
“She ran a really good first race that was probably underappreciated,” trainer Jena Antonucci said of Luminous Beauty. “I was really proud of what she got mentally out of that first race more than anything. Obviously, you expect a young horse to get a lot out of it physically, but I think mentally we watched her really grow and come forward out of that race.”
Antonucci acknowledged that Luminous Beauty took advantage of a speed-favoring surface when she won here four weeks ago. But with Luminous Beauty drawn in post 8, Antonucci believes Flavien Prat can ride her based on how the six-furlong race shapes up inside of him.
“She’s a very clever filly. She can be in front, she can sit off it. She’s not sensitive in that way, which is nice,” Antonucci said. “Obviously, Flavien can watch what happens and make a decision.”
Washton overcame some significant bumping in the stretch when she rallied along the rail under Keith Asmussen to win her debut, run on a sloppy track, at Churchill Downs on May 22. As the father of the jockey, trainer Steve Asmussen said the bumping incident in that race “scared the bejesus out of me.”
“We did expect her to win,” he added. “She’s one tough little girl.”
Asmussen thinks that Washton, a daughter of Mitole out of a Noble Mission mare, may ultimately wind up as a turf sprinter. Tyler Gaffalione rides Washton on Friday.
Prime Aurora, a New York-bred daughter of Mind Control, showed an impressive turn of foot after rallying through an opening along the rail and winning her debut going 4 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park by 8 3/4 lengths. Abraham Gardea trains Prime Aurora for Majestic View Farms International.
“I was expecting her to run a decent race. She kind of surprised me the way she won,” Gardea said. “She was training good leading up to it. She really showed a lot of promise when she got through that opening along the rail. I believe she’s going to get better as she stretches out, too.”
Voyager, a daughter of Justify trained by Mark Casse for D. J. Stable, is a maiden who finished second on debut after breaking slowly. Casse said he’s treating the race like a win.
“She broke a little slow and then threw her head up and did something, then she made this huge middle move,” Casse said. “I thought she ran well. I wish she hadn’t drawn the one-hole [Friday].”
Costa Linda, a daughter of Frosted trained by John Robb, won her debut at Laurel by 7 3/4 lengths on May 1 despite lugging in on two different occasions in the stretch. Each of the four horses she beat that day has run poorly in subsequent starts.
Harper’s Corner, a daughter of Speaker’s Corner trained by Cal Lynch, won her debut by 7 3/4 lengths at Laurel on June 12 and will be the first horse from that race to run back.
Pot’s Right, a debut winner on dirt at Keeneland before running fourth in a turf stakes at Gulfstream, and Madeleine Swann, a five-length debut winner at Monmouth, complete the field.