Literata notches first stakes triumph with Saratoga Dew

Literata sat a dream stalking trip under Irad Ortiz and had enough in reserve to fend off a sister act in the lane to win the $100,000 Saratoga Dew Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares Monday at Saratoga.

"All the credit has to be to Irad Ortiz," said Rudy Rodriguez, who trains the Read the Footnotes filly for Michael Dubb. "He kept the filly very close. Most of these horses don't want to go [the nine furlongs], so I think the key was keeping her closer to the pace."

Literata ($8.30) sat just off the outside hip of Flattermefabulous as the latter, stepping up into stakes victory off a claim, took the field through modest opening fractions of 24.98 and 49.18 seconds. Literata took over rounding the far turn as Flattermefabulous slowed and quit decisively, but came slightly off the rail turning for home.

Jcs American Dream pounced on that opening to head the leader. Meanwhile her older half-sister, favored Jc's Shooting Star, was ranging up on the outside. Literata grimly fended off Jcs American Dream, edging clear by half a length at the wire. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to Jc's Shooting Star, who could not sustain her rally.

The final time for the nine furlongs on a fast track was 1:52.16.

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This was the first career stakes victory for Literata, who finished second in the Critical Eye Stakes at Belmont in May. She came into the Saratoga Dew off a four-length allowance victory shipping out to Finger Lakes, her first win since September 2016.

"We just wanted to build her confidence a little bit, win a race for her," Rodriguez said. "Sometimes when you win a race with them, they get a little more into it, and it looked like it worked. She didn't win for a long time for us, but now we've put two races together. She's in a good form right now."