Six juvenile fillies have been entered to go 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga on Saturday in the $200,000 Adirondack Stakes (G2).
Trainer Todd Pletcher has two entered in the Adirondack – VIRGINIA ELOISE and GUACAMOLE – as he seeks a third straight win in the race.
Virginia Eloise broke from the rail and tracked just inside of the pacesetter in her July 4 debut at Belmont Park. The dark bay daughter of Curlin rallied up the inside, squeezed through a tight spot as the leader drifted toward the rail and took command to pull off for the five-length victory. The Kentucky-bred lass earned a 78 BRIS Speed rating for her score and is the only one in the field to have gone six furlongs.
“She’s training very well,” Pletcher said. “We’re pleased with the professionalism she showed in her debut, and she’s continued to show us that in the mornings in preparation for this race.”
Virginia Eloise has posted three works since her maiden victory and gets Javier Castellano in the irons Saturday.
Guacamole will attempt to cross the wire in front here after being elevated to first via disqualification in her July 26 debut at the Spa, an off-the-turf test over a muddy, sealed track. The Flat Out filly lost the bob on the wire after being forced out and leaned on by the winner from midstretch to the wire. Jockey Luis Saez takes the reins in the Adirondack.
“Any time you’re fortunate to win a prestigious race such as the Adirondack with a well-bred filly, it means a lot to her residual value and to the owners,” Pletcher said of the Repole Stable colorbearer. “Hopefully, we can do it again.”
SUE’S FORTUNE led from gate-to-wire on July 5 at Belmont Park to break her maiden for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. The Jump Start filly bounded clear from the stalls, was pressed by a rival on the backstretch but easily pulled away in the stretch, running on her wrong lead for much of the way to score by 8 1/2 lengths. The bay miss earned a field-best 89 BRIS Speed rating for her effort and keeps jockey Junior Alvarado in the saddle.
“She came out of her first race in good shape,” Englehart said. “We were planning on looking at the Adirondack first, thinking it might come up lighter than the Seeking the Ante (on August 24). Last year, a New York-bred (named Pure Silver) won it, so we’re going to try to repeat it this year and go from there.”
Trainer Steve Asmussen sends out LYRICAL LADY in this spot. The Kentucky-bred dark bay romped by 5 3/4 lengths in her maiden debut on July 20 at the Spa, earning an 88 BRIS Speed rating. The More Than Ready filly had Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard that day and reunites with the rider in this one-turn affair.
GRAMDMA GERTIE and MUCHO AMOR make their New York bows in this spot after breaking their maidens at Parx Racing and Keeneland, respectively.
Grandma Gertie posted a 7 1/4-length triumph for trainer Ed Coletti Jr. on July 9. The Uptowncharlybrown filly blasted away from her far outside post under returning jockey Mychel Sanchez, had the lead by the first call and was never challenged, finishing under a hand ride.
Mucho Amor also gunned for the front, but from her inside post, and led the way on the backstretch in her April 26 maiden. The Wesley Ward-trained daughter of Mucho Macho Man drifted wide on the turn, was challenged in the stretch, but dug in to secure the neck win. Manny Franco takes over the mount on the dark bay miss, who returns here off the four-month break and an August 3 half-mile bullet move over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track in :47.55.
