Winter Memories explodes in stretch to win Lake George

Phillips Racing Partnership's Kentucky homebred WINTER MEMORIES (El Prado

[Ire]) mocked her three-year-old filly rivals with a breathtaking stretch run in

Wednesday's $150,000

Lake

George S. (G2) at Saratoga. Trailing the field of six turning for home, the

flashy gray was swung four-wide by jockey Jose Lezcano and inhaled her opponents

in a matter of strides. Once past the leading Bellamy Star (Bellamy Road),

Winter Memories was geared down for the final yards and passed the wire 4 1/2

lengths in front. She returned $3.10, $2.30 and $2.10 as the 1-2 favorite after

completing 1 1/16 miles on the good inner turf in 1:41 2/5.

Settled at the rear of the field for the opening six furlongs, Winter

Memories bided her time as Sunlight Sonata (Unbridled's Song) led anywhere from

a length to two lengths through splits of :23, :47 2/5 and 1:11 4/5. Bellamy

Star, who tracked in second from the start, was sent to the lead at the top of

the stretch and opened up 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong to go. However, she was

never going to contain Winter Memories when that one got in gear. Pinned down

along the hedge at the quarter pole, Lezcano had to momentarily steady Winter

Memories before switching her out to commence her bold, winning move.

"Jose said (Calmafterthestorm [Broken Vow]) was coming out and he almost

clipped heels, he had to steady her to get her outside," Toner said. "When she

gets near horses or horses get near her and try to pin her in, that's when she

gets on the muscle and she tries to take off. When she takes off, you gotta

watch out, she'll just run over them."

"It was surprising -- she was off the bit and so relaxed down the backside, I

didn't know what to make of it, truthfully. I said 'Oh, my god, she doesn't seem

like she's on it today.' But, he dropped her head and there was nobody around

and she just relaxed and was galloping along. When he picked her up and asked

her to run, she just accelerated and took off. Usually she's tugging at him a

little bit more and today she didn't seem like she was tugging at him at all,

she was just totally relaxed."

Bellamy Star, at 9-2, finished a length clear of stablemate More Than Real

(More Than Ready), the 3-1 second choice. The latter was a 1 1/2 lengths clear

of Sunlight Sonata, who was followed by Calmafterthestorm and Little Miss Holly

(Maria's Mon). Marion Ravenwood (A.P. Indy) was entered for the main track only

and was scratched.

Winter Memories has been favored in all six career starts. The gray signaled

her talent in a smart debut victory at Saratoga last September, and confirmed

that impression still further with a 5 1/4-length tour de force in the October 3

Miss Grillo S. (G3). Winter Memories was expected to complete the hat trick in

the November 5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2), but a troubled trip in

traffic proved too much to overcome, and she settled for runner-up honors. She

made a winning reappearance in the April 21 Appalachian S. (G3) at Keeneland by

a neck, then took the May 30 Sands Point S. (G2) at Belmont by three lengths.

She's now bankrolled $540,600.

Her dam, Memories of Silver, captured eight stakes during her three seasons

of racing, including the 1996 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1), in a

Keeneland course-record 1:45 4/5 for 1 1/8 grassy miles, and the 1997 Beverly D.

S. (G1). The bay mare won a division of the 1996 Lake George and placed in the

Matriarch S. (G1), Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) and Flower Bowl Invitational H. (G1)

during her career and bankrolled more than $1.4 million. Memories of Silver's

first two foals were stakes winners, British Blue (Storm Cat) and War Trace

(Storm Cat), but she didn't have a graded-class runner until La Cloche (Ghostzapper)

finished second in the Pucker Up S. (G3) last fall.

Memories of Silver's latest progeny are a yearling colt by Bluegrass Cat and

a 2011 colt by Tiznow. She is a half-sister to Memories (Hail the Pirates), who

captured the first division of the 1988 Miss Grillo S. (G2); Grade 3-placed

stakes winner Memories of Gold (Time for a Change); and Irish stakes-placed

Childhood Memories (The Minstrel). Memories herself is the dam of Group 3 victor

Russian Revival (Nureyev) while Childhood Memories is the granddam of multiple

Grade 2 winner Liberian Freighter (Bertrando), who garnered the Arcadia S. (G2)

and Inglewood H. (G3) in April.

Winter Memories' third dam is Grade 3 queen Java Moon (Graustark), and she

comes from the same line as turf champions Ryafan (Lear Fan) and Sunshine

Forever (Roberto); multiple Grade 1 winner and classic-placed Brian's Time

(Roberto); and Grade/Group 2 heroes Tillerman (In the Wings [GB]) and Freedom

Crest (To Freedom). Also in this family is Grade 1 victress Andover Way (His

Majesty), best known as the dam of top sire Dynaformer (Roberto).

Winter Memories will likely contest the August 21 Lake Placid S. (G2) at

Saratoga before a tilt in the October 15 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at

Keeneland.