Philly Eagles invades New York for P.G. Johnson Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The name won’t endear her to New York horseplayers, but if Philly Eagles runs as well Thursday at Saratoga as she did in Great Britain, she could become a fan favorite.

Philly Eagles, purchased privately by owner Tracy Farmer off an eye-catching debut win at Doncaster in June, will make her U.S. debut in Thursday’s $120,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over Saratoga’s inner turf course. Eight were entered for the turf, and there is one main-track-only entrant.

Philly Eagles, an Irish-bred daughter of Havana Gold, rallied from well off the pace to win a seven-furlong maiden race run over a straightaway on June 26 at Doncaster. Joe Miller of Kern Thoroughbreds, which manages Farmer’s racing operation, brokered the private purchase.

“I usually don’t like buying first-out debut winners, but she wasn’t particularly expensive,” Miller said Monday. “She was the only filly in her race that closed; the speed held in that race. She showed a very big turn of foot and came home fast the last quarter-mile.”

Philly Eagles is trained by Mark Casse, who has worked her three times since she arrived at Saratoga, twice with the Group 2 stakes-placed runner Cheerupsleepyjean.

“I’ve been impressed,” Casse said. “I thought she’s gotten better and better with each work.”

Ricardo Santana Jr. rides Philly Eagles.

Expand the Map and Silvery Rill each finished second in her only start. Expand the Map, an Irish-bred daughter of Dark Angel, was bet down to 1-2 favoritism on July 22. She got away slow and rallied to make the lead inside the sixteenth pole only to be run down late by Pizza Bianca, who is being pointed to the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes on Sept. 19 at Woodbine.

“I thought she had an unlucky trip in her debut,” said Chad Brown, trainer of Expand the Map and a four-time P.G. Johnson winner. “Ran the best figure in the race. Really, I treated it like a win.”

Trainer Christophe Clement also is treating Silver Rill’s head loss here Aug. 1 like a win and will run her in the P.G. Johnson.

“She’s trained very well since the race, I think she’s moving up,” said Clement, who noted his concern is the threat of rain on Thursday.

Todd Pletcher sent out Mystic Eyes to a 4 1/2-length debut victory sprinting on turf here Aug. 5. He believes the daughter of Maclean’s Music will handle the stretch out to 1 1/16 miles.

Should rain force the P.G. Johnson to be run on dirt at seven furlongs, Pletcher has entered Miss Interpret, who won a six-furlong maiden race in the mud here July 25.

Let’s Be Clear and Take the Backroads finished 1-2 in a July 21 maiden race on dirt restricted to horses who sold for $45,000 or less at auction. Take the Backroads came back to win a six-furlong maiden race on turf here Aug. 4 for trainer Tom Amoss.

Sail By won her debut, which came on turf at Belmont, before running second in the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth. Her trainer, Leah Gyarmati, won this race in 2016 with Coasted. Sail By will be ridden by Junior Alvarado, who entering this week is 0 for 52 on turf at this meet.

Runaway Breeze completes the field.