Promising fillies and battle-hardened mares dominate the Saturday stakes program at Saratoga Race Course.
Veteran distaffers take to the turf for the feature event, the $500,000 Flower Bowl (G2), a Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” stakes for the Filly & Mare Turf (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
We’re now going to delve into the undercard where the youngsters get their chance to shine in the $300,000 Spinaway (G1) for 2-year-olds at 7 furlongs and the $200,000 Prioress (G3) for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs.
Kentucky-based trainer John Ortiz has a key contender for both stakes. Ortiz is enjoying another successful visit to the Spa with five wins already in the bank from the first eight starters.
2023 Adirondack winner Brightwork. NYRA Photo.
The Spinaway can be a springboard to bigger and better stakes down the road. That was certainly the case last summer when Ortiz won Adirondack (G3) and the Spinaway with Brightwork, who closed out her campaign in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
Ortiz bids for a Spinaway repeat with 3-1 favorite Quietside, a dazzling winner of her debut here in early August with Luis Saez aboard. It’s a tough assignment to jump from a maiden race to a Grade 1 stakes but Quietside gives every indication she is up to the challenge.
“Luis said he didn’t even have to ask her,” said Ortiz. “He just showed her the stick and she took off. I think there’s plenty more in the tank. She’s got plenty of early speed and she is also very rateable. It’d be nice to get back-to-back Spinaways, that’s obviously the goal right now.”
Quietside will face several fillies with more experience, most notably The Queens M G (7-2) who routed the competition in the Adirondack four weeks ago. She also captured the Schuylerville at the start of the meet.
“I’m excited to get her back here,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. “The Schuylerville, we were trying to see where we were at, and we got a very pleasing result.”
While The Queens M G has the experience edge, Quietside might have more raw talent. Quietside drew the outside post in the 11-horse field, an advantage in a large sprint field. If Quietside breaks cleanly, Saez can sit, stalk and let the race unfold in front of him.
The picks: 1 Quietside 2 The Queens M G 3 Immersive
Brightwork returns to Saratoga for Prioress
This will be the delayed season-debut for Brightwork (9-2 second choice). Her Saratoga credentials are already well established, but it is a tall order to expect a peak effort from a filly who has not raced since a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup last November.
She was slated to return in Saratoga’s Test Stakes (G1) on Aug. 3 but was a late scratch when she flipped in the saddling paddock. That race would have been a useful foundation for the Prioress.
“It was a very disappointing day because I thought she was going to be more than ready to run,” Ortiz said.
Her class might carry the day, but the recent paddock mishap and lengthy layoff could make her vulnerable.
Especially in a race like this against a filly as fast as Two Sharp (7-5). She has improved by leaps and bounds in her two starts. After finishing second in her debut at Churchill Downs, Two Sharp shipped to Saratoga for trainer Phil Bauer and delivered a smashing 11 ¼-length victory.
She is making that difficult jump from a maiden race right into a stakes, but this girl is simply faster than the competition. And fitter than Brightwork.
The picks: 1 Two Sharp 2 Brightwork 3 Autumn Evening