Promise of Hope doing everything right coming into Adirondack

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three fillies who won their maidens at Churchill Downs, Promise of Hope, Sabra Tuff, and Naughty Gal, figure to have a say in the outcome when competing at Saratoga for the first time in Sunday’s $200,000 Adirondack. The Grade 3 Adirondack is the second of three graded stakes for juvenile fillies to be decided here this summer and a stepping-stone to the Grade 1 Spinaway on Sept. 4.

Promise of Hope ran to her 6-5 backing when proving an easy winner of her only start on July 1 at Churchill, edging away to a 3 1/2-length victory going five furlongs for trainer Tom Amoss. She has worked three times since shipping locally, including a bullet five-eighths in company on July 20 in which she showcased her speed from the outset before readily pulling well clear of her work mate at the end.

“You’re always pleasantly surprised when a horse wins first time, but she prepared really well going into the race so it wasn’t really a surprise that she won,” said Amoss. “She’s worked well over this track.

“This [the Adirondack] has come up a small, compact field with what I think is some speed in the race. All the practice we’ve done with her was to get her where she wouldn’t need the lead and I think that will prove advantageous to her on Sunday, considering this field.”

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Amoss also feels stretching from five to 6 1/2 furlongs should not be an issue for Promise of Hope.

“She’s by Ghostzapper so there’s no reason to believe the distance is going to compromise her,” Amoss said.

Sabra Tuff also won at first asking, surviving a near race long pace duel to prevail by a neck going 5 1/2 furlongs in her debut. She stretched to six panels while stepping up to stakes company in her next start, rallying from last to prove second best behind runaway winner Wonder Wheel in Churchill’s Debutante on July 4.

“She’s just been excellent so far,” said trainer Dallas Stewart. “She prevailed setting a contested pace in her debut and ran well from off the pace despite a bad trip in the stakes. She just caught a monster last time.”

Stewart said he has no specific strategy in mind for Sabra Tuff in the Adirondack.

“I’ll just let Irad [Ortiz Jr.] do his thing, and hope she wins,” said Stewart.

Naughty Gal finished fourth after making a brief middle move in her debut in what turned out to be a very key maiden special weight dash at Churchill from which the second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers all returned to win at next asking. Naughty Gal was the most impressive of that group, exploding to a 9 1/4-length maiden win stretching to six furlongs. She earned a 75 Beyer Speed Figure, easily best of anyone in the Adirondack lineup.

Janis Joplin also began her career at Churchill Downs, finishing third in a restricted maiden race. She came back to rally mildly and finish third while never menacing the top two finishers in the Grade 3 Schuylerville here on opening day.

Apple Picker, an easy wire-to-wire debut winner at Belmont Park, and Damaso, whose only two previous starts came on synthetic surfaces, complete the field.