Saratoga: D' Oratory out to maximize Bond's plan

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After D’ Oratory experienced a tough trip in a one-turn race at Belmont Park in May, trainer James Bond told owner Thomas Farone that he would prefer to put away the 4-year-old filly until Saratoga when she would be able to race around two turns.

"I was hoping we’d be able to run her two times at Saratoga," Bond said.

The first race was on Aug. 7 when D’ Oratory gutted out a first-level allowance win by a head over Go Unbridled. The second start comes Monday when D’ Oratory and Go Unbridled meet again in the $75,000 Saratoga Dew Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.

A field of six was entered for the Saratoga Dew, including Beautiful Risk, who finished third in that Aug 7 allowance race, Banker’s Buy, beaten a head in last year’s Saratoga Dew, Mineralogist, and Spa City Princess.

D’ Oratory, a daughter of Oratory, is 3 for 4 around two turns. She lost the Finger Lakes Oaks by a nose last August. Last winter, she won twice around two turns over Aqueduct’s inner track. Following a five-month layoff, D’ Oratory returned in a second-level allowance at Belmont in May where she found herself steadying behind horses until deep stretch when Dominguez was able to get her off the rail. She finished fourth, beaten 13 lengths.

"It was a rough day for everybody," Bond said. "I just think she’s a better two-turn filly. I wanted to wait until Saratoga with her."

In her race at Saratoga, D’ Oratory stalked longshot Marie’s Babe before taking over at the five-sixteenths pole. She was engaged in mid-stretch by Go Unbridled but outfinished that one to the wire to win by a head over a muddy track.

"She just got a good tightner out of that," Bond said. "She worked a good strong half-mile for me the other day. She gets a little bit of a weight break from her last race too which should help."

D’ Oratory will carry 118 pounds, six less than Banker’s Buy and Spa City Princess. Banker’s Buy won a one-mile overnight stakes at Belmont by nearly three lengths on July 17. She is winless in three starts over a wet track, however, conditions that figure to prevail here on Monday.

Beautiful Risk finished third, beaten one-half length in the Aug. 7 race when she didn’t change leads in the stretch. Her trainer Bill Badgett, noted that Beautiful Risk didn’t change leads until very late in first-level allowance win at Belmont on June 30.