Top Tier Lass, a daughter of red-hot freshman sire Street Boss, spread-eagled
Pletcher will send out two other prime contenders in Tara from the Cape and
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Skyfall is likewise bred to excel on turf, but her intended debut was
transferred to Saratoga’s sloppy, sealed main track on August 5. While the More
Than Ready filly handled the surface switch to score by three-quarters of a
length, she’s entitled to do better on the grass. Skyfall, who hails from the
immediate family of European standouts Raven’s Pass and Rainbow View, gets
Julien Leparoux aboard.
Two fillies are already proven over the 1 1/16-mile distance — Da Mi Basia
Mille and Broken Spell, both maiden winners here on the Mellon Turf. Da Mi Basia
Mille uncorked a powerful run from well back to prevail in her July 23 debut for
Christophe Clement. The Wayne Lukas-trained Broken Spell, a troubled fifth to Da
Mi Basia Mille, came back to score on August 19 and wheels back on 10 days’
rest.
Irish import Watsdachances rates a threat in her premiere for Chad Brown.
Last seen at Navan April 29, she slammed a useful rival in Lottie Dod by six
lengths. Lottie Dod has yet to break her maiden, but she has finished second to
Aidan O’Brien’s George Vancouver, recently runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Morny,
and she was herself third in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes in her latest.
Watsdachances has lured Javier Castellano into the saddle.
Wesley Ward has a trio entered — Go Kitten Go, Almost an Angel and the
main-track-only Sweet Shirley Mae. Go Kitten Go, a Ramsey homebred by Kitten’s
Joy, overcame traffic woes to get up in time in her debut at Colonial Downs.
Most recently a rallying fourth in the five-furlong Colleen at Monmouth August
12, she promises to relish the step up to two turns. Almost an Angel, a daughter
of Artie Schiller, wired a June 29 turf maiden at Belmont Park in her third
attempt. She is coupled in the wagering with Sweet Shirley Mae, who hopes for a
chance to rebound from her fifth in the Grade 3 Schuylerville.
Wayne Catalano also fields a coupled entry in Incredible Journey and Oscar
Party. Incredible Journey, a Lemon Drop Kid filly from the family of Mass Media,
Sultry Song and Solar Splendor, closed stoutly to score at first asking going a
mile on the Arlington Park turf. Oscar Party is still a maiden after two tries,
but is a half-sister to Major Gain, winner of the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington
Futurity in 2010.
Over the Counter, photo-finish winner of a $150,000 maiden claiming event at
Saratoga August 6, joins Sweet Shirley Mae on the main-track-only list.
Earlier on Wednesday, New York-bred juvenile colts will contest the $100,000
David
Stakes. The six-furlong dash on the main track features big-margin maiden
winners Mr Rodriguez and Weekend Hideaway, who both flashed speed en route to
their gaudy victories. Debut scorer Slot Play adds to the early heat from the
rail, so the stalker Awesome Weekend could profit from a pace war.
Veterans will take to the inner turf for the $100,000
Win Stakes
over a mile, restricted to horses who have not won an open sweepstakes on the
turf in 2012. Right One, a Grade 3 winner who finished a close third in the
Grade 1 Woodbine Mile last year, warrants plenty of respect. The Clement charge
has raced only three times this campaign, placing in both the Grade 2
Commonwealth and Grade 3 Jaipur, before winding up fifth in a paceless renewal
of the Grade 3 Poker.
His main rivals include Yield Bogey, third in the Jaipur and Poker; Paris
Vegas and Beau Choix, the respective top two from a solid optional claimer at
the Spa; Scotus, third in the Opening Verse in his only prior turf try; Swift
Warrior, who returns from a five-month layoff; and the improving Nine O
Wonderful.
The Rick Dutrow-trained Trickmeister is the most formidable of three
main-track-only entrants. The multiple stakes hero exits a fifth in the Grade 1
Whitney Invitational Handicap and would turn this into a procession if it’s
rained off the turf.
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