Lady Montdore, Santa Monica, once again meet in Glens Falls

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Lady Montdore and Santa Monica, the one-two finishers last year, are back to battle each other in Saturday’s 24th renewal of the Grade 3 Glens Falls Stakes, 1 3/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares that is worth $250,000.

Lady Montdore, a 5-year-old mare trained by Tom Albertani, is winless in four starts since the Glens Falls. One of those losses was a fourth-place finish to Santa Monica in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont in May.

In addition to the Sheepshead Bay, Santa Monica won the Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream in March. Most recently, she finished third in the Grade 3 Waya behind Fools Gold and Get Explicit, both of whom are back in the Glens Falls. Fools Gold, Santa Monica, and Night of England are all trained by Chad Brown.

Also entered in the Glens Falls were Empressof the Nile and Mrs. Sippy, both trained by Graham Motion, and Violet Blue.

Seismic Wave turns back in Saranac

Seismic Wave, a non-factor in both the Belmont Derby and Saratoga Derby Invitational, will turn back in distance to 1 1/16 miles in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf.

Seismic Wave has two wins and three narrow defeats in six races run at 1 1/8 miles or shorter. He was beaten 3 3/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at 1 1/4 miles, for which he was favored, and then was 10th of 11 in the Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, only four other horses were entered in the Saranac – Global Access, Good Governance, Rinaldi, and Power Player, a supplemental entrant.

Break Even heavy favorite in Prioress

Break Even looks to improve her record to 7 for 7 in Saturday’s Grade, 2, $250,000 Prioress Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. She will have five challengers.

Break Even, a daughter of Country Day trained by Brad Cox, returns to dirt after winning the Coronation Cup going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf here on July 14. Her dirt stakes wins have come in the Purple Mountain at Oaklawn, the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs, and the Jersey Girl at Belmont.

Entered against Break Even are Royal Charlotte, who won her first four starts before running sixth in the Grade 1 Test; Risky Mandate, who has won both of her starts, both for Tom Amoss; Kept True, a recent winner of two New York-bred allowances for Leah Gyarmati; South of France, who finished second in her 3-year-old debut; and Break Curfew, who was claimed for $75,000 out of a win on Aug. 17.