Proctor's Ledge notches rare feat with Lake Placid win

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Proctor’s Ledge, rallying to a three-quarter-length decision over 9-5 favorite Uni in Saturday’s $300,000 Lake Placid Stakes, became the first 3-year-old filly to pull off the Lake George-Lake Placid sweep at Saratoga since Tenski accomplished the rare feat 19 years ago.

Proctor’s Ledge, a homebred daughter of Ghostzapper owned by Patricia Moseley, became a graded stakes winner for the first time with her convincing 1 3/4-length triumph under Javier Castellano in the Grade 3 Lake George on July 24. She used a similar come-from-behind style, and did so in a relatively pace-less five-horse field, to complete the sweep with her victory in the Grade 2 Lake Placid.

Castellano allowed Proctor’s Ledge to settle in fourth position, about four lengths off the pace of Coasted, who set relatively soft fractions of 24.39 and 50.03 for the opening half-mile of the 1 1/8-mile Lake Placid. Proctor’s Ledge angled five wide commencing her bid on the final turn, overtook the leaders while racing out in the middle of the course nearing the furlong marker and, after edging away, withstood a late bid by Uni. The latter lagged at the rear of the field for a mile before rallying belatedly to finish second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Party Boat.

La Coronel and Coasted rounded out the complete order of finish.

Proctor’s Ledge, whose trainer Brendan Walsh fractured his collarbone in a riding mishap shortly after her victory in the Lake George, paid $6.40 after completing the distance on a firm course in 1:47.74.

“I told Javier before the race she’s just so laid back, you can do pretty much what you want,” Walsh said. “She’s very versatile. I just told him to ride your own race, and who better to do it? I think she’s just getting better and better, and she showed that against some very good fillies today.”

Walsh used the word “unbelievable” about his filly sweeping the two graded stakes on turf for 3-year-old fillies that are decided each summer at Saratoga.

“I don’t think it happens too often, it takes a really good filly to do it,” Walsh said. “I’m just happy for the people who own her. They’ve been great supporters of mine. The guys who work for me, everyone, has just put in a great effort, and it took a collection of all that to get her here.”

Walsh said the QE II at Keeneland is “the obvious one” when looking at races down the road for Proctor’s Ledge.