Suzie O'Cain rematches tightly bunched trio
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It appears there will be a break in the precipitation long enough to allow turf racing to return in full force Wednesday at Saratoga. Five of the nine races are scheduled for the grass, topped by the $150,000 Suzie O’Cain Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf.
Trail of Gold, Mommy’s Turn, and Grace and Grit were separated by two noses when they finished first through third in a New York-bred first-level allowance race at this same distance at Aqueduct on June 12. All three had issues in the race.
Trail of Gold, trained by David Donk, was wide throughout and had to rally from second to last under Irad Ortiz Jr. Despite failing to change leads in the stretch, Trail of Gold got up on the wire.
“He took her farther back than she had been in the past, but I let him do what he wanted to do with her,” Donk said of Ortiz’s ride. “It worked out well. She’s still green. There’s room for improvement in her.”
Trail of Gold, a daughter of Solomini, made her first five starts on dirt, winning a maiden race going 6 1/2 furlongs in her second start here last August. Trail of Gold made her turf debut in May and finished third, beaten two lengths, at 33-1. She came back 15 days later to run fifth before getting her victory.
“I thought she was very one-paced on the dirt,” Donk said. “I thought there was more to her and there is enough pedigree going back on the dam side on the turf.”
Ortiz rides Trail of Gold from post 3.
Mommy’s Turn, trained by Chad Brown, won her turf debut rallying from well off the pace on May 3. In her allowance try, Mommy’s Turn was a bit keen between horses and then got bumped late by Grace and Grit, which could have cost her the win under Jose Lezcano.
“She’s difficult to ride,” Brown said. “She didn’t have a good trip. In fairness to Jose, she’s not easy. She’s a very light-mouthed horse.”
Grace and Grit, trained by John Kimmel, looked like she was getting the best trip of the trio, stalking the pace before taking the lead in midstretch. She drifted out late under Kendrick Carmouche and bumped Mommy’s Turn. Manny Franco rides Wednesday.
Carmouche rides She’s Our Tiz, who won sprinting on turf a year ago at Aqueduct. She has finished third in her last three starts, including an allowance at this distance on May 17.
Trainer Mark Casse, who through Sunday had recorded 3,999 victories, has Charlotte’s Heart and Disco Star in the Suzie O’Cain. Charlotte’s Heart won her career debut sprinting on turf last summer and has been stakes-placed going seven furlongs on both synthetic and dirt.
Disco Star, a daughter of Disco Partner, was beaten three-quarters of a length by Love Cervere in the open-company Take the A Train Stakes on May 10 at Aqueduct. She was well-beaten in an off-the-turf division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Aqueduct in June.
Carmen’s Candy Jar, trained by Todd Pletcher, has yet to race on turf, but her dam, No Mo Shopping, is a half-sister to multiple turf stakes winner Always Shopping.
Blossoming Erudite is the lone three-time winner in this field. She is also entered in a turf sprint on Friday, and trainer Carlos David said he’s not sure in which race she will run.
Boston’s Phinest and Marvelous Madison complete the field on turf.
◗ China Beach, a winner of three consecutive races, heads a field of nine entered in Wednesday’s $75,000 Jonathan Kiser Memorial Novice, the first steeplechase race of the meet. China Beach goes out for Kate Dalton and will be ridden by her husband, Bernard Dalton.
Blue Creek, runner-up to China Beach in the Green Pastures Stakes at Percy Warner two months ago, and Evie’s Prince, second in the Grade 1 Beverly Steinman here in June, are the top challengers in the 2 3/8-mile race.
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