Static Fire gets class check in Coronation Cup

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Twilight Gleaming may be the most accomplished filly entered in the $150,000 Coronation Cup at Saratoga, having won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and a second-place finish in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes during her 2-year-old campaign last year. But it is the undefeated Static Fire who is certainly the most intriguing member of the lineup for the 5 1/2-furlong turf dash for 3-year-old fillies, which highlights the Friday card at Saratoga along with the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple.

The versatile Static Fire was clearly best winning her two starts, which came nearly nine months apart. The first of those tallies came over the Saratoga turf course in her lone start at 2, the second on the main track at Churchill Downs against a strong field of entry-level allowance rivals. The runner-up, Ontheonesandtwos, flattered the effort by returning to register a 92 Beyer Speed Figure defeating similar opposition in her next start.

“I hope she takes to the turf course at Saratoga on Friday like she did in her first start,” said trainer Brian Lynch. “She surely loved it the last time. We cleaned up a little flake in her ankle after that. She trained up to her return like she was going to run big, and she certainly did.”

Static Fire led at every call in her two outings, but Lynch firmly believes she is not a need-the-lead type. The ability to rate might come in handy taking on the speedy Twilight Gleaming.

“I’ve worked her a few times under a bit of pressure and she’s always relaxed, so I don’t see her being one-dimensional,” Lynch said. “I think she’s the real thing and I’m hoping to use this race as a stepping-stone to one of those $500,000 stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf this fall at Kentucky Downs.”

Twilight Gleaming is coming off a game head decision over Devine Charge and Artos in the Mamzelle Stakes two months ago at Churchill. The win was the fourth in seven starts for the Irish-bred Twilight Gleaming, who has never finished worse than second and like Static Fire is expected to be an early pace presence in the Coronation Cup.

Artos has chased Twilight Gleaming home twice, having finished fourth a year ago in the Queen Mary and third when beaten just a head in a game effort in the Mamzelle. She is coming off a second-place finish, 1 1/4 lengths behind Poppy Flower, in Laurel Park’s Stormy Blues on June 19.

Marissa’s Lady will test the turf for the first time in her eighth start, but she has won three times over the synthetic surface at Turfway Park, all stakes, and is a half-sister to seven-time grass winner Richard’s Boy. Marissa’s Boy has been freshened since her fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill in a loaded field that included Matareya and Gerrymander, subsequent winners of the Acorn and Mother Goose.

Poppy Flower, who rallied from near the rear of the field to upset the Stormy Blues, and Derrynane, fourth after a troubled trip in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, would be major beneficiaries of a contested pace scenario.

Lady Scarlet looks to transfer her solid main-track form to the turf, exiting an easy 3 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness at Pimlico.