Saratoga Harness: Test of Faith blazes the way in New York Sire Stakes opener

Wednesday marked the start of the New York Sire Stakes season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Three-year-old pacing fillies were featured on what was a 15-race matinee card. The back-half of the program contained the stakes fillies highlighted by three divisions that each went for a purse of $50,400.

Test Of Faith (Art Major-Cannae Cammie-Cam's Card Shark) was last year's Sire Stakes champion for 2-year-old fillies and made her 2021 debut on Wednesday afternoon. Dave Miller was in town to pilot the Brett Pelling trainee, who was one of the top fillies in North America last season.

Test Of Faith flashed speed off the gate but waited for the dust to settle before making her way to the front passing the 27 3/5 opening quarter. Once in charge she set fractions of 56 2/5 and 1:25 with Albergita Hanover doing her best to keep pace in the pocket.

Nearly motionless in the bike, Miller sat as a passenger as Test of Faith sprinted home in 27 1/5 to stop the timer at 1:52 1/5, a fifth-of-a-second off the track record for her age group and sex.

Albergita Hanover finished second while Rightfully Mine got third.

Test Of Faith, who earned exactly a half-million dollars last season while winning eight times in nine starts, is poised for another sensational season for owners Melvin Segal, Eddie Gran and the Kentuckiana Racing Stable.

While Test Of Faith is the defending Sire Stakes champion among the returning fillies, Heart Of Mine (Roll With Joe-Acquavella-Western Ideal) was the runner-up in last year's NYSS Final. Scott Zeron piloted the Linda Toscano-trained filly on Wednesday afternoon and sat the pocket before coming up the passing lane to prevail by just a nose over the second-over Oilivia Blue in 1:54 3/5.

The super sophomore is now four-for-four in the win column in the 2021 season for owners Fred Wallace, Bay's Stable, Radio Racing Stable and Camelot Stable.

The Jessica Okusko-trained Purameri (American Ideal-J K Pure Pearl-Bettor's Delight) sprung the upset for the day as the sophomore filly parlayed a pocket ride to victory with Hall of Famer Wally Hennessey at the controls.

Purameri flew up the inside in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:56 2/5 while dismissed at odds of 13-1. Purameri, who is owned by the Purple Haze Stables of Fairport, NY, gave Hennessey one of his five winners on the Wednesday card.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for Noon.

-edited release (Saratoga)