Scottish Lassie's speed puts her in good position for Shuvee
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With the connections of Nitrogen opting to take on the boys in the Grade 1 Whitney next month, the pair of route stakes for older dirt females at Saratoga this summer should be a bit more competitive.
While the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 29 is the major divisional prize here this summer, Friday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Shuvee Stakes is the stepping-stone to get there.
Fully Subscribed and Bless the Broken dead-heated for second, 12 3/4 lengths behind Nitrogen in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps here last month. While Nitrogen may not be in this field, there is still a multiple Grade 1 winner in the starting who is the one to beat.
Scottish Lassie, who last July won the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here by 15 1/2 lengths, looks to build on her successful comeback race last month in the Shuvee.
Scottish Lassie won a seven-furlong, second-level allowance by 8 1/2 lengths on June 7 at Saratoga. It was her first victory since the CCA Oaks, and her first start since finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing last September. Scottish Lassie was scratched out of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff due a physical issue and had surgery to remove an ankle chip. Trainer Jorge Abreu picked out that allowance race to ease Scottish Lassie back into competition.
“I was a little concerned going seven-eighths because I don’t think that’s what she wants to do, but she got a lot out of that race,” Abreu said.
Abreu, over the last two years, is 6 for 21 with a $2.18 return on investment with horses going from a sprint to a route distance, according to DRF Formulator.
Scottish Lassie, a daughter of McKinzie, also won the Grade 1 Frizette as a 2-year-old. In a Shuvee field without a defined pace horse, Scottish Lassie could be on or at least close to the lead under Jose Ortiz. Snowyte, drawn on the rail, is a possible pacesetter.
“I’ll let Jose play the break and see where she puts him,” Abreu said. “If she puts him into the race and she takes an easy lead, then I’m going to tell him to use it to his advantage. I just don’t want him to go head-and-head, but she doesn’t need to be on the lead.”
Ortiz rides Scottish Lassie because Flavien Prat, who was aboard the filly in her allowance win, is committed to Fully Subscribed for Chad Brown. Fully Subscribed came to hand last fall, when she won both the Grade 2 Mother Goose and Grade 3 Comely going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct.
Fully Subscribed came off a six-month layoff to run a respectable second behind Shred the Gnar in the Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill before the Ogden Phipps, where both her and Bless the Broken gave futile chase to Nitrogen.
“Fully Subscribed, she’s in great form. She’s in a little easier spot with Nitrogen not in there, but it’s still a solid field,” Brown said. “I’m still looking for her to run another good race based on what I’ve seen from her in the mornings.”
Bless the Broken, 0 for 7 in graded stakes, was third in the La Troienne before dead-heating with Fully Subscribed for second in the Phipps. She also was second to Splendora in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile in March at Santa Anita.
While happy not to see Nitrogen in the field, Brad Cox, trainer of Bless the Broken, still sees the Shuvee as a difficult race.
“I don’t think she’s getting much of a class relief going from a Grade 1 to a Grade 2,” Cox said. “She’s going to have to run her ‘A’ race to win it. She seems to be doing well and training well since her last run at Saratoga.”
Snowyte came off a four-month layoff to win an allowance at Gulfstream by 11 1/4 lengths before finishing second to Scalable in the Top Flight in March. This is her first start since then.
Eunomia, beaten a neck in the Grade 2 Doubledogdare in April; Aeolian, elevated to first in via disqualification in an allowance at Aqueduct in June; and Valtellina, runner-up in the Critical Eye for New York-breds off a six-month layoff last month, complete the field.
The Shuvee goes as race 8 on a 10-race card and is part of New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day when organizations that provide retired racehorses with second-career opportunities will be highlighted. The card also includes the $200,000 Rick Violette Stakes, named for the late trainer who helped bring Thoroughbred aftercare to the forefront.
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