Fourstardave H. (G1) — Race 10 (6:13 p.m. ET)
Regal Glory will venture down a trail blazed by Got Stormy in recent years when she faces four male rivals in the $500,000 Fourstardave H. (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday.
A Breeders’ Cup Challenge prep for the Mile (G1) at Keeneland on Nov. 5, the Fourstardave was won by Got Stormy in 2019 and 2021, the former in course-record time 1:32 for one mile on the inner turf. Regal Glory, thus, will attempt to make it three Fourstardave wins in the last four years for a filly or mare.
The pro tem leader among turf fillies and mares, Regal Glory is 3-for-3 this term after concluding her 2021 campaign with a first top-level victory, in the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar. The Chad Brown-trained six-year-old captured the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G3) in January, the Jenny Wiley (G1) in April, and the Just a Game (G1) when last seen in June. She earned Brisnet Speed ratings of 101 and 103 for the latter two efforts.
“She’s having a great year — the best year of her career. At age six, she’s been a pleasant surprise,” Brown said. “She’s in great form and she’s run well at Saratoga before so that gives me a lot of confidence.”
A daughter of Animal Kingdom, Regal Glory is 3-for-3 at Saratoga, but all were by relatively narrow margins. She captured the 2019 Lake George (G3) by a half-length and then dead-heated for the win in the Lake Placid (G2) later that meet. Last season, Regal Glory captured the restricted De La Rose S. by a half-length.
Her classier rivals on Saturday include two-time Jaipur (G1) winner Casa Creed, who ran third to Got Stormy in the 2021 Fourstardave but has tended to do his best work around one turn at Belmont. Masen, a Kingman gelding who is the youngest member of the field at age four and a stablemate to Regal Glory, enters off back-to-back wins in the Seek Again S. and Poker (G3).
Grade 2 veteran Get Smokin is the likely pacesetter, though weakened to fourth in the one-mile Forbidden Apple (G3) earlier in the meet. Front Run the Fed enters off a stakes win going 5 1/2 furlongs at Colonial Downs, but has yet to win a graded stakes.
