Only three distaffers were entered in Sunday’s $200,000 Shuvee Handicap (G3) at Saratoga – Apologynotaccepted, Paid Up Subscriber and Terra Promessa.
Each mare has a shot in the 1 1/8-mile affair, but Paid Up Subscriber has been installed the even-money favorite for trainer Chad Brown. Terra Promessa is next on the morning line at 6-5 and Apologyaccepted comes in at 3-1.
Paid Up Subscriber hasn’t visited the winner’s circle since taking the 2016 Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs. At the time, the Candy Ride mare was trained by Al Stall Jr., who saddled her to a runner-up effort in the Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland two races later.
The Kentucky-bred chestnut was transferred to Brown and made her five-year-old bow for her new barn in the Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland on April 8. She finished third in that sprint and was fourth when stretching back out to 1 1/16 miles over Churchill’s sloppy, sealed track in the La Troienne Stakes (G1) on May 5.
Paid Up Subscriber enters the Shuvee off a game runner-up effort behind dual champion Songbird in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on June 10. Jockey John Velazquez will be aboard the mare for the first time.
“Her final work heading into this race was terrific,” Brown said. “We’ve had her on target for this race so we’re excited to run.”
Terra Promessa just earned her first triple-digit BRIS Speed rating last out when wiring the May 19 Allaire duPont Distaff (G3) at Pimlico by 7 1/2 lengths. That win under returning jockey Jose Ortiz garnered the Steve Asmussen pupil a 100 BRIS Speed figure.
The Curlin four-year-old has spent the majority of her career at Oaklawn Park, where she prevailed in the Fantasy Stakes (G3) and Honeybee Stakes (G3) as a sophomore. She opened this season with a pair of scores in the Pippin Stakes and Bayakoa Stakes (G3) and was also second to Stellar Wind in the Apple Blossom Stakes (G1) on April 14.
“She’s a lovely filly and we’re just proud of the mare she’s developed into being a daughter of Curlin,” Asmussen said. “She’s been very consistent, and recently she’s gotten better with age. We were very happy with the quality race she ran at Oaklawn. That had been the only place she had stakes success so far, so for her to carry that form into Pimlico makes us feel good coming into this race.”
Apologynotaccepted finished second last out in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill while making her stakes bow for trainer Bill Mott. The lightly raced Fusaichi Pegasus six-year-old is 10-4-2-1 thus far in her career, including a fourth-place run against allowance rivals at the Spa last July. Luis Saez stays in the dark bay mare’s saddle in this spot.
