Motion has two for Sands Point

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Graham Motion entered stakes winners Secret Message and Colonia in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Sands Point Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf, which drew a field of eight 3-year-old fillies.

Secret Message comes off an eye-catching 1 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 11. Colonia finished fifth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, which followed a victory in the Hatoof Stakes at Arlington in July.

Both fillies started slowly and came far off the pace in their most recent race.

“Secret Message is a big, long-striding, scopey horse,” Motion said. “The other horse is a little more compact. They have somewhat similar styles. I guess they would both benefit from a bit of pace, but they don’t have to be out the back, either.”

Joe Bravo will ride Colonia while John Velazquez picks up the mount on Secret Message.

The Motion pair will have to contend with a trio of runners from the barn of Chad Brown. Two of the three – the French-breds Shadan and Barkaa – are making their first start for Brown and first in the U.S. after racing in France. The other runner, Reversethedecision, is coming off a second-level allowance victory early in the Saratoga meet.

Shadan has won her last two starts, both at lesser tracks in France. Barkaa was a Group 3 winner at Longchamp in April and has made her last two starts in Group 1 company, finishing 1 1/4 lengths back in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in May at Longchamp and ninth in the Prix de Diane in June at Chantilly.

Others entered in the Sands Point were Californiagoldrush, third in the Del Mar Oaks; Capla Temptress, second in the Grade 2 Lake Placid; and Victorine, another French-bred and -based filly who has won 2 of 6 starts.