Star of Mystery faces males once again in Quick Call Stakes
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – That the 3-year-old filly Star of Mystery was able to run third against older males in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Saratoga on June 8 was a good result as far as her jockey Flavien Prat was concerned.
Prat said Star of Mystery “was a handful warming up and behind the gate” prior to the Jaipur, won by top older male turf sprinter Cogburn. “I was surprised she ran so well the way she was acting before the race.”
Star of Mystery, trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin Racing, will take on the boys again – this time her own age group – when she runs in Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Quick Call Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Saratoga. Star of Mystery was entered but scratched from Friday’s $150,000 Coronation Cup for 3-year-old fillies here.
This will actually be the sixth straight race Star of Mystery takes on males. She beat males in the Group 2 Blue Point Sprint at Meydan in January and finished second in two group races, including a three-quarter-length defeat to California Spangle in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on March 30.
Prat said the combination of a 10-week layoff and it being her first time in America may have played a role in Star of Mystery’s pre-race shenanigans before the Jaipur.
“If she settles down she should run good,” Prat said. “I think having a race here in America will help.”
Fandom and Mansa Musa are among Star of Mystery’s leading rivals in the eight-horse field.
Fandom came off a 10-month layoff to win the Palisades Stakes on April 7 at Keeneland when trained by Wesley Ward. She has since been transferred to Brad Cox.
Fandom rallied six wide down the center of the Keeneland turf course to nip a rail-rallying Mansa Musa in the Palisades.
Mansa Musa, trained by Bill Mott, came back in the William Walker Stakes on May 1 at Churchill Downs and finished fourth, but was interfered with in upper stretch by No Nay Mets, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., and elevated to third.
“He should have been right there that day,” Mott said. “He was just starting his run, Junior [Alvarado] tipped out and he started to go and Irad took him out.”
Mott added blinkers to Mansa Musa’s equipment, and the colt won a first-level allowance on June 8 at Saratoga.
“I think they helped him focus a little bit,” Mott said.
No Nay Mets stumbled at the break of the Jaipur and finished last. He is back in this spot for trainer George Weaver, who also entered Feltrinelli, a 30-1 longshot.
Feltrinelli finished third behind Smokey Smokey in the Paradise Creek Stakes on May 19 at Aqueduct. Smokey Smokey is back in this field.
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Set, who began his career with two sharp victories going 7 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park before disappointing results in the Grade 2 American Turf and Grade 3 Penn Mile, will now try a one-turn sprint for the first time in his career for Mark Casse.
American Rascal tries turf for the first time since he finished 13th in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2023.
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