Nonna Mela returns Monday for Pletcher in allowance

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There were not enough entries to fill Monday’s $100,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes, so two allowance races, each worth $90,000, will serve as the co-features on the nine-race program at Saratoga.

The seventh race is a second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claiming race for fillies and mares scheduled for seven furlongs on the dirt.

The race marks the return of the 3-year-old filly Nonna Mela, who hasn’t raced since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Frizette last October at Belmont Park. Prior to that, Nonna Mela won the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga.

“She didn’t come out of the Frizette moving very well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We sent her down to [Jimmy] Crupi’s farm, it took her a while to get back, but it seems like she’s fit and ready to go now.”

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Nonna Mela is one of several in the field who figure to be forwardly placed early. That could set things up for Malibu Stacy, a 4-year-old daughter of Tizway who hasn’t won since she took a first-level allowance race here last August.

Malibu Stacy has run two disappointing races in this condition this year. Her trainer, George Weaver, believes the two times she ran at Belmont, the track was dry and slow. He is hoping for a tighter track on Monday.

“Her better races are over a tighter dirt track,” Weaver said. “She’s trained fine. Last year, she was a stakes competitor, she was second to Lightstream [in the Grade 2 Raven Run]. Now, as a 4-year-old, we’re trying to get back to that level.”

Tejana, Improve, and Annie Rocks complete the field for the seventh.

Pletcher and Weaver also have two of the five fillies and mares entered in the second-level allowance scheduled for 1 1/2 miles on the turf, which goes as the third race.

Pletcher sends out Grateful, who has appeared to step up her game since being stretched out in distance. Her two best Beyer Speed Figures have come in marathon races.

On June 2, she finished second in a first-level allowance to Lottie, who was scheduled to run in Saturday’s Waya Stakes at Saratoga. On July 3, Grateful was a front-running winner of a 1 1/4-mile allowance at Belmont.

“We actually felt like even though she’d run decently at shorter distances, we thought like she’d be a filly that would excel going a little farther,” Pletcher said. “She has tactical speed in those situations and the other day was kind of allowed to run comfortable fractions and responded well.”

Weaver sends out Achnana, who is only 2 for 27 but has competed in six stakes races in her last seven starts. Weaver feels that her come-from-behind style has worked against her in many paceless races.

“She’s a classic one-run horse, so she’s always vulnerable,” Weaver said. “But she’s been running against some nice fillies. This two-other-than should be beneficial to her.”

Private Client, Lilly’s Dream, and Queen Blossom complete the field.