Lion Lake can end string of near misses in Lake George
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After a series of frustrating near misses in graded stakes in each of her last three starts, Lion Lake will look to get back on the winning track when topping a field of nine 3-year-old fillies slated to go 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course Saturday at Saratoga in the $225,000 Lake George.
The condition of the turf course could prove key to the final makeup of the field and outcome of the Grade 3 fixture, with less than firm footing a distinct possibility after upward of five inches of rain fell over the local area in less than 48 hours through mid-week.
Brendan Walsh, who trains Lion Lake, is among those voicing some concern over the possibility of having to send his filly out over a course that could still have some give to it on Saturday.
“She’s really never run on anything but pretty fast ground, so we wouldn’t want it too soft,” Walsh advised. “On pedigree, she probably wouldn’t mind some cut in the ground, although I’d rather not have to worry about it.”
Lion Lake has been a model of consistency for Walsh throughout her career but has really blossomed during her 3-year-old campaign. She won the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes in her stakes debut this winter at Gulfstream Park, then was defeated a neck when a close third in both the Grade 2 Appalachian and Edgewood during the spring in Kentucky. She made her local debut in the Grade 2 Wonder Again, finishing second, a length behind Fitz Right, despite bobbling immediately after the break.
“She stumbled a bit last time, which wasn’t ideal, and Johnny [Velazquez] lost his stick at the top of the stretch as well,” Walsh recalled. “He told me afterwards he isn’t sure if he would have won even if he hadn’t lost the stick, but he sure wished he’d have had the chance to find out.”
Walsh is delighted with the way his filly is coming into the race.
“She’s always shown up and she did win a graded stakes, which is great,” said Walsh. “Unfortunately, she’s gotten beat by some really good fillies in her last few starts. But I think she’s probably working a little better coming into this race than she’s worked all year.”
With Velazquez at Colonial Downs on Saturday, Walsh will turn the reins over to Luis Saez.
Time to Dream finished less than a length behind Lion Lake when third in the Wonder Again and came right back four weeks later to be fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks. And like Walsh, her trainer, Todd Pletcher, is also hoping for firm ground.
“The course was very firm before all this rain, but it was a lot of rain, so I would think it will still have to be off by the race,” Pletcher said as rain continued to fall steadily on Thursday morning. “I don’t know if she really wants soft ground. I guess we could consider falling back on the Saratoga Oaks if we feel she won’t like the condition of the course.”
Pletcher did feel like his filly, who was a stakes winner at 2, might be running a little better than her form would suggest.
“I think she hasn’t quite regained her early 2-year-old form but she appears to be rounding back into her best,” Pletcher added. “She wasn’t too far off Lion Lake the last time and I feel like she is probably the one to beat.”
Time to Dream is one of two fillies Pletcher entered in the Lake George. He also has Code, who exits a third-place finish in the restricted Wild Applause Stakes here four weeks earlier.
Amberglen figures to garner plenty of support coming off a well-graded allowance win against older horses on June 19 at Churchill Downs. Her trainer, Brad Cox, has a lot of reasons to like her chances in her graded stakes debut.
“I’m hopeful she’ll handle the turf, however it’s labeled here Saturday,” said Cox. “She’s trained well. I loved her last race. She took control of it and stayed on extremely well against older horses, ran a big number, has had plenty of time since then, and now is back with 3-year-olds.”
Candy Moonshine looks like the one to catch and rounds out the field along with Honfleur, Star Actress, Ultimate Love, and Deep Learning, who has been idle since winning the Chelsey Flower at Aqueduct in her juvenile finale.
Answered Prayers and Hidden Rose are entered main track only.
– additional reporting by David Grening
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