Litfin's preview: Trio of Grade 1 winners clash

TRIO OF GRADE 1 WINNERS CLASH

In contrast to Sunday’s Coaching Club American Oaks, a Grade 1 where Stopchargingmaria was the only graded stakes winner of any kind going in, three of the six in Monday’s $100,000 Shine Again – Better Lucky, Grace Hall and My Miss Aurelia – are Grade 1 winners.

Better Lucky’s best efforts have come on turf, wet dirt and synthetic, but Grace Hall and My Miss Aurelia should feel right at home on Saratoga’s main track, where they, respectively won the Adirondack and Spinaway in 2011. Later that season, My Miss Aurelia sewed up an Eclipse Award by taking the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies for former trainer Steve Asmussen, with Grace Hall a clear second for former trainer Tony Dutrow.

Grace Hall has had two starts since returning from an 11-month absence for new trainer Bill Mott, finishing second in the Ruffian and the Vanity. She turns back to seven furlongs for the first time since the Spinaway.

My Miss Aurelia, unraced for nearly 16 months since the 2013 Azeri, is now with Todd Pletcher, and will try to run her Spa record to 4 for 4 off some sharp local workouts.

The Shine Again (race 8), could serve as a springboard to the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina, one of four graded stakes on Travers Day, August 23.

AWAKINO CAT HEADS STARTER ALLOWANCE

Awakino Cat, a four-time stakes winner in Saratoga turf sprints, makes the 50th start of his career as the one to beat in race 5, a $58,000 starter allowance.

Awakino Cat’s stakes scores include back-to-back renewals of the Troy Stakes for former trainer Linda Rice in 2009-10. The 9-year-old has since changed hands numerous times, and posted his 14th victory when returned to the circuit by new trainer Gary Contessa early at Belmont’s spring-summer meet.

Coming off a throw-out race in the mud, Awakino Cat must catch Console, who was never headed wiring a second-level allowance in his only start here last year.

Console is a need-to-lead type and figures as a dead send from post 3, since two others with early speed - Storm Pursuit and Isn’tlovejustgrand - break from outside.

Isn’tlovejustgrand is a three-time winner over the course, but the 6-year-old may be susceptible to a regression after posting a pair of career-best Beyer Figures downstate.