Personal Ensign a critical test for Close Hatches, Princess of Sylmar
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Last year at this time, Princess of Sylmar was the undisputed leader of the 3-year-old filly division, while Close Hatches was on the sidelines, working her way back from an illness that eliminated a summer campaign.
A year later, Close Hatches is the undisputed leader of the older filly and mare division, while Princess of Sylmar is looking to bounce back from the first losing streak of her career.
On Friday, in the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign at Saratoga, Close Hatches looks to continue her perfect season, while Princess of Sylmar looks to end her imperfect one. Both seek to position themselves for a fall championship run.
Close Hatches is 3 for 3 this year, with Grade 1 victories in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, defeating Princess of Sylmar by a head. Close Hatches has finished ahead of Princess of Sylmar three of the four times they have met.
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After a planned break for Close Hatches – she has not raced since the June 7 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park – trainer Bill Mott believes he’s bringing back an improved model for Friday’s 1 1/8-mile race.
“It seems like she’s kind of progressed in the last two or three months,” Mott said. “I didn’t think she had made much progress body-wise and physically until June, and it seems like from June to now, she’s improved a little bit.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Close Hatches. Trainer Bill Mott is 21 for 73 with a $3.59 ROI over the past five years in Grade 1 dirt routes.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Trainer Todd Pletcher is looking for improvement from Princess of Sylmar, which is why he is putting blinkers on the filly, who has won 9 of 14 races – including four Grade 1s – and earned $2 million. Pletcher thinks Princess of Sylmar has lost focus at times, most recently when she finished second as the 1-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap on July 12. On Aug. 2, Princess of Sylmar worked an excellent half-mile in 47.18 seconds with the blinkers.
“I think she’s training extremely well,” Pletcher said. “I loved the way she worked in blinkers; look forward to running.”
Princess of Sylmar will break from post 7 under Javier Castellano, while Close Hatches will break from post 6 under Joel Rosario. Both fillies carry 123 pounds.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Princess of Sylmar. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 1 for 18 with a $0.57 ROI over the past five years with blinkers on in a graded stakes race.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Finishing behind Close Hatches and Princess of Sylmar in the Phipps were Antipathy (third) and Belle Gallantey (fifth), who are both back in this field. Out of the Phipps, Antipathy won the Grade 3 Shuvee here, while Belle Gallantey came back to beat Princess of Sylmar in the Delaware Handicap.
Completing the field are Fiftyshadesofhay, the winner of the Grade 2 Ruffian at Belmont in May; Stanwyck, second in the Shuvee; and Majestic River, the winner of the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Fiftyshadesofhay. Trainer Bob Baffert is 7 for 21 with a $3.52 ROI over the past five years going from synthetic to dirt in Grade 1 routes.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Key Contenders
Close Hatches (Last 3 Beyers: 103-100-96)
◗ After winning her first two starts of the year, Close Hatches rated nicely off a fast pace to win the Grade 1 Phipps, beating Princess of Sylmar, Antipathy, and last year’s 3-year-old champion, Beholder.
“She rates really well,” Mott said. “She’s not rank; she’ll do whatever you want.”
◗ Comes off a planned 76-day layoff and makes her first start at Saratoga. Last year, she came off a 91-day layoff to win the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes in her first start at Parx.
◗ Her only win from three starts at 1 1/8 miles came against Princess of Sylmar in last year’s Grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct.
Princess of Sylmar (Last 3 Beyers: 95-103-101)
◗ Since winning four consecutive Grade 1 stakes last summer and early fall, Princess of Sylmar has won just once in her last four starts.
◗ She is 2 for 2 at Saratoga, having won the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama, and is 3 for 5 at 1 1/8 miles, with all three wins coming in Grade 1 stakes.
“A mile and an eighth is probably her best distance,” Pletcher said. “Her Kentucky Oaks and Coaching Club at a mile and an eighth were her two strongest performances.”
◗ Gets blinkers for the first time in her 15th race.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the last five years, Pletcher is 1 for 14 when putting blinkers on a horse for the first time in a graded stakes.
Antipathy (Last 3 Beyers: 100-102-84)
◗ Steadily improving filly was beaten just a neck by the top two in the Phipps when in receipt of eight pounds. Gets five pounds from Princess of Sylmar and Close Hatches in this spot.
◗ Won her first attempt going 1 1/8 miles in the Shuvee over this track last month.