Despite its diminished status from Grade 2 to Grade 3 to simply a listed stakes race, the Schuylerville Stakes remains the opening day feature at the prestigious Saratoga summer season.
First run in 1918, the now 6-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies is an early starting point for trainers to gauge the talent level of horses recently purchased at sales around the country.
The race named for the nearby town of Schuylerville has been a stepping stone for Hall of Famers Cicada in the 1960s, La Prevoyante in the 1970s, and Ashado in the 2000s. Meadow Star also won the race in 1990, went 7-0, and was voted 2-year-old filly champion.
The luster may be off this race, but horseplayers could care less: They want to find a winner, an exacta, or an exotic bet to celebrate the first day of a 46-day run at the Spa.
Saturday’s race drew a field of eight, with Luminous Beauty the 3-1 morning-line favorite for trainer Jena Antonucci.
The opening day card is in jeopardy due to extreme heat in the forecast and the possibility of race cancellations.
Luminous Beauty won at second asking by 6 ¼ lengths at Saratoga on June 4 under Flavien Prat, and the two-time Eclipse Award-winner will be aboard again, leaving from the outside in gate 8. The Flameaway filly led gate to wire in the 5 ½-furlong sprint.
“She's very good-minded. It just worked out that way with the kind of break she had. Flavien was able to get her to relax and just cruise around there,” Antonucci said of her recent win. “If she ended up having something to sit off of or go to the front, I don't think it would matter for her. That racetrack was fast and carried them well that day. She ran well.”
Several other fillies in the field won in their debuts, including Prime Aurora (9-2), Madeleine Swann (8-1), Harper’s Corner (6-1), and Costa Linda (10-1).
After leading most of the way in her career debut, Luminous Beauty was caught in deep stretch by Pierette and beaten by 1¾ lengths.
“We were very proud of her effort there,” Antonucci said. “She did pretty much all the heavy lifting that day, putting a very prepared Wesley Ward filly away, and then just getting beat there late was a tough beat for her.
“We’re pleased with where we are and how she's doing. She's done a lot of maturing and growing up. She's stronger and more fit.
Madeleine Swann pulled away and won her debut by five lengths going 4 ½ furlongs on June 6 at Monmouth Park. The filly will be ridden by Javier Castellano for trainer Jorge Delgado.
New York-bred Prime Aurora won by 8 ¾ lengths in her debut at 4 ½ furlongs at Gulfstream Park on May 29. John Velazquez has the call out of post 2 for trainer Abraham Gardea.
“I was expecting a big race, but you don't expect them to win the way she did it first time out,” Gardea said. “She came out of the race great, and this is the race we've been pointing to ever since she broke her maiden.”
Velazquez has won the Schuylerville a record five times.
Washton won in her only start by a nose over a sloppy/sealed Churchill Downs track on May 22 for trainer Steve Asmussen. A daughter of sprint champion Mitole, Washton is 4-1 and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione out of post 5.
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
