Schuylerville tops opening-day program as 46-day meet begins
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Luminous Beauty, a 6 1/4-length maiden winner at Saratoga during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, will look to kick off the elongated 46-day Saratoga summer meet in similar fashion when she heads a field of eight entered in Friday’s $200,000 Schuylerville, one of three stakes carded for the 11-race opening-day program.
The Schuylerville, for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs, is the traditional meet-opening stakes at the Spa. This year, it will be joined on the calendar by the $150,000 Saranac for 3-year-old males at 1 1/16 miles on turf and the $150,000 Wild Applause for 3-year-old fillies on the inner turf.
First post for the 11-race card is 1:10 p.m.
Luminous Beauty, a daughter of Flameaway trained by Jena Antonucci, finished second to Pierette when both debuted at five furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 15. Luminous Beauty came back with a demonstrative 6 1/4-length front-running victory under Flavien Prat in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden affair at Saratoga on June 4.
Prat will be aboard from the outside post in this eight-horse field.
Steve Asmussen, who has won the Schuylerville three times, but not since 2013, has entered Washton, a nose winner with a troubled trip in an off-the-turf maiden race at Churchill Downs. Washton will break from post 5 under Tyler Gaffalione.
Maryland-based runners Harper’s Corner (Cal Lynch) and Costa Linda (John Robb) both won their debuts at Laurel by 7 3/4 lengths.
Voyager, Prime Aurora, Madeleine Swann and Pot’s Right complete the field.
The Saranac Stakes, since 1996, has typically been held on the closing weekend of the Saratoga meet. This year, perhaps in an attempt to get it away from Kentucky Downs, the 1 1/16-mile race will be run opening day. Hard to argue with that decision after the race drew a field of 12.
Trainer Chad Brown has won the Saranac with Raging Bull and Carl Spackler, horses who went on to come Grade 1 winners, and Public Sector, who would become a Grade 2 winner. Friday, he’ll start Arizona Territory, who has won two straight races after finishing fifth in his career debut.
Arizona Territory, a son of Tapit, is one of only four horses in the 12-horse field that has won more than one race. He will have to overcome post 11.
A Little at First, who drew post 12, is coming off a first-level allowance win at Saratoga on June 3.
Zeppelin, trained by Rusty Arnold, drew post 10. He is just 1 for 5 but has finished third in a trip of stakes including Audubon last out at Churchill Downs.
Glavine, trained by Tom Morley, drew post 6. He is coming out of a fourth-place finish in the Pennine Ridge at Saratoga where he was beaten just 1 1/4 lengths.
Also entered were Siyouincanada, Heeere’s Johnny, Go Grey, Teddy’s Rocket, Tiz Trouble, My Favorite Bird, Print, and Blinging It Back.
The $150,000 Wild Applause Stakes drew 11 3-year-old fillies, 10 of whom are either based or made their last start outside of New York.
Smexy, third in the Penn Oaks, is one of six shipping in from Kentucky. The Brendan Walsh trainee was group-placed in Ireland. Others shipping in from Kentucky include Scratch It, who won her maiden last summer at Saratoga and finished second in the P.G. Johnson Stakes, Faye’s Gold, a winner of two her last three, Code, Alone Time, To a Flame, and Lovely Grey.
The New York-based I Love Giraffes is coming off an allowance win at Laurel Park while Pillar of Beauty, trained by Bill Mott, is coming off a 27-1 upset in a 5 1-2-furlong allowance race at Saratoga on June 5 and will be attempting one mile for the first time.
Others entered include Paris Carver and Candy Moonshine.
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