The Tea Cups wins stakes debut in Yaddo Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – New York-based Jeremiah Englehart has always had a special place in his heart for the Yaddo Stakes, an annual event for statebred fillies and mares on the turf at Saratoga.

"It was the first stakes race I ever ran in," Englehart said, "so I've always admired the race, and I've had a couple of fillies for it a while back and [always thought] it would have been nice to win it."

Englehart finally found the filly to win it in The Tea Cups, who made her stakes debut a winning one, emerging from a chaotic scramble in the stretch to take the $150,000 Yaddo by a length on Friday.

It was the first stakes victory at Saratoga for Englehart, son of longtime leading Finger Lakes trainer Chris Englehart. The younger Englehart worked as an assistant to his father as well as to Mike Hushion and Ken McPeek before going out on his own with one horse in 2003. The trainer was among the conditioners of Ria Antonia, whom he saddled when she earned the victory via disqualification in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Under Luis Saez, The Tea Cups ($21.40) was last after the first half-mile as Lady Kreesa led the way in the early going, tracked by Invading Humor and Grade 1 winner Discreet Marq, who was sent away as the favorite. Saez began urging his filly near the three-eighths pole, and she began picking off horses but was forced to come seven wide into the stretch as the race turned into a cavalry charge.

Discreet Marq briefly struck the lead in midstretch but was quickly swallowed up, as six horses were within about two lengths of the lead in the final stages. It was The Tea Cups, coming down the center of the course, who surged clear by a length late to prevail.

Old Harbor held second by a neck over Selenite; Discreet Marq finished fifth.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles on Saratoga's inner turf was 1:42.92.

"Luis gave [The Tea Cups] a super ride," Englehart said. "They were going quick up front. I was a little worried that she was back so far, but they were going quick."

It was the second win in three starts this year for The Tea Cups, a daughter of Hard Spun. She came into the Yaddo off a fourth-place finish in an allowance race on Saratoga's opening day, when she was beaten less than two lengths. Overall, she has won five of 20 career starts.