Party Like Grandma shrugs off gate antics in Seeking the Ante

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Two-year-olds will be 2-year-olds and there was a lot of activity at the gate Friday at Saratoga before the start of the $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes, which was ultimately won by Party Like Grandma.

Collegeville Girl, an impressive debut winner at Saratoga for Parx-based trainer Richie Vega, was the 6-5 favorite when she became fractious in the gate, injured herself, and was vanned from the track. Vega said after the race he had been told she “had a gash” on a front leg.

Seconds after Collegeville Girl acted up, Time Warp, who is trained by Ken McPeek, broke through the gate and ran off for about a furlong before a track outrider picked her up and returned her to the gate.

Once the gates opened and the field of six New York-bred 2-year-old fillies broke, the number 7 post position placard on the gate fell and landed near the hindquarters of She’s Trouble.

Party Like Grandma went to the lead under Finger Lakes-based rider Andre Worrie. She was tracked by Maiden Beauty and three-wide Time Warp to the stretch but went on to score by 1 1/4 lengths.

Worrie called an audible with Party Like Grandma after Collegeville Girl was scratched.

“The original plan was we thought the 4 [Collegeville Girl] was a little faster and we were just going to let her go,” Worrie said. “When the speed scratched, we went on with it, and she just kept going in the stretch."

The win was the 197th for Worrie, who has ridden since 2013, and his first in a stakes race.

Maiden Beauty chased Party Like Grandma throughout and was second-best. It was 2 1/2 lengths back to third-place She’s Trouble, the eventual 9-5 favorite.

She’s Trouble raced in good position behind the leaders entering the stretch but lacked the needed closing response. Time Warp tired to finish fifth.

Party Like Grandma paid $7.90. She set fractions of 21.78, 44.73, and 1:10.57 en route to a final time of 1:17.59 for 6 1/2 furlongs.

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart purchased Party Like Grandma for $8,000 as a weanling.

“As a weanling, she looked like a racehorse,” Englehart said. “What impressed me today was the way she carried herself in the paddock. She looked ready to run.”

Party Like Grandma is now 2 for 2. She won her debut at Finger Lakes on July 12 by 11 1/2 lengths as the 1-2 favorite.

Englehart has options with Party Like Grandma, a daughter of Desert Party.

Finger Lakes has the $116,550 Lady Finger Stakes at six furlongs on Sept. 8. The $150,000 Joseph Gimma, a seven-furlong race for statebred fillies, will be at Belmont Park on Sept. 19.

“With what she did today, the race at Finger Lakes might be a little quick back, so we might look for a race at Belmont,” Englehart said.