December 22, 2024

Minit to Stardom takes center stage in Honorable Miss

Minit to Stardom and jockey Alex Cintron capture the Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) at Saratoga on July 24, 2019 (c) Adam Coglianese Photography/Chelsea Durand

There were two Louisiana-breds among the field of six in Wednesday’s $200,000 Honorable Miss H. (G2) at Saratoga, but it was the less-fancied of the two, Minit to Stardom, who registered a 20-1 upset of the six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares.

Sent to the front by jockey Alex Cintron, Minit to Stardom outran 6-5 favorite Mia Mischief early, set fractions of :22.49 and :45.19, and continued to find more through the stretch to post a 1 1/2-length victory for owner-breeder Brittlyn Stable.

The 20-1 longest price in the field, the Jose Camejo trainee returned $43.40 after completing the course in 1:08.81 over a fast track.

“Alex and I talked all week about this race,” Camejo said. “He really knows the horse and our game plan was to let her break, get comfortable and for her to be where she wants to be. She was really sharp today and did the rest.”

Chalon rallied for second, a head in front of second choice Ours to Run, who had to defeated Minit to Stardom in a pair of Louisiana-bred stakes over the winter. Mia Mischief weakened to fourth and was followed by Honey Bunny and Pacific Gale.

This was the first open stakes win for the four-year-old Minit to Stardom, who captured first three starts by open lengths, including the 2017 $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie. She suffered her first loss last August when sixth in the Test (G1) over the Spa strip.

Second in three consecutive starts, twice to Ours to Run, to conclude her tenure with trainer Al Stall, Minit to Stardom was transferred to the Camejo barn at Delaware Park and preceded this win with a pair of allowance scores at Delaware and Laurel. Her record now stands at 10-6-3-0, $324,830.

Out of the multiple stakes-winning turf sprinter Wild About Marie, by Wildcat Heir, Minit to Stardom is a Star Guitar full sister to stakes winner Wild About Star. This female has also produced 2009 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mine That Bird and Grade 1 scorer Dullahan.