The ladies take center stage on Saturday at Saratoga, the second day of the 40-day meeting that gets underway on Friday. There are three stakes on the 11-race card, two graded, with all three restricted to females.
The feature on the card is the $300,000 Coaching Club of America Oaks (G1) for three-year-old fillies that drew a compact field of five led by the Todd Pletcher trained duo of Princess of Sylmar (9-5) and Unlimited Budget (2-1).
Pletcher was the leading trainer last summer here at the Spa, winning 36 races from 149 starters. He won five graded stakes from 35 starters.
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His main foe in the trainer standings again this year figures to be Chad Brown, who finished third in 2010 and second in the past two years . Brown won 29 races last summer and will send out the biggest threat to the Pletcher duo in the CCA Oaks in My Happy Face.
The graded stakes action on Saturday starts one race earlier than the CCA Oaks with the $200,000 Shuvee Handicap (G3) for fillies and mares. Seven were entered by the two likely favorites Authenticity and Summer Applause are also entered in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (G1) at Delaware Park and Zenyatta’s little sister Eblouissante is entered in a second level optional claimer at the Spa on Sunday.
The stakes action starts with the third race which is the $100,000 My Princess Jess for three-year-old fillies which have never won a stake on turf.
The race drew a dozen led by the Chad Brown trained Wave Theory (5-2) who is coming off a game runner up finish in the Sands Point (G2) at Belmont Park.
The card gets underway at 1:00 ET and the Spa will be running six days a week with Tuesdays dark.
Here are selections for Saturday’s graded stakes action:
Saratoga Race 9 The Shuvee Hcp G3 (5:12 ET)
7 Authenticity 7-5
6 Summer Applause 2-1
3 Eblouissante 4-1
5 Sea Island 10-1
Analysis: The complexion of this race may very well chance as both Summer Appeal and Authenticity are both cross entered in the Delaware Handicap (G1) where the good news is that race is now a Grade 1 and the purses is $750,000. Then bad news is Royal Delta is entered. In addition Zenyatta's little sister Eblouissante may scratch to go in a second level optional claimer and the way her connections are conservative she may end up scratching too. If they all go I'll stick with the favorite Authenticity, who is coming off a game runner up finish to Tiz Miz Sue in the Ogden Phipps (G1) last out. Two back she won the La Troien (G2) at Churchill Downs by a head. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and owns the top last out speed figs.
Summer Applause prompted the early pace and finished gamely to win the DuPont Distaff (G3) at Pimlico on Preakness Day. Johnny V rode her in her last two wins but departs here to ride for Pletcher which is no big surprise. She was fourth in the Kentucky Oaks last year in her lone go at nine furlongs but is bred to handle the distance.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 7-5 or better.
EX: 6,7 / 3,5,6,7
TRI: 6,7 / 3,5,6,7 / 2,3,5,6,7
Saratoga Race 10 CCA Oaks G1 (5:45 ET)
1 My Happy Face 3-1
3 Unlimited Budget 2-1
4 Princess of Sylmar 9-5
2 Cue the Moon 10-1
Analysis: My Happy Face looks primed for a top effort here for the Chad Brown barn as she makes her second start off a 4 1/2 month layoff. Last out she tracked the early pace and drew away late to win the Lotka in the mud going a mile as the chalk. Two back in her first go this year she was second to Kauai Katie in the Forward Gal (G2) at Gulfstream Park going seven furlongs. The winner came back to win the Road Princess in her next start and then was third in the Acorn (G1). AS a juvenile she landed in the exacta in all four starts including a tough head loss in the Frizette (G1) behind Dreaming of Julia. The barn hits at a 25% clip with runners making their second start off a 61-180 day layoff. Among the top three she likely is going to offer the most value in this small field.
Unlimited Budget makes her first start since a sixth place finish against the boys in the Belmont Stakes (G1). She was bumped coming out of the gate and checked in third in the Kentucky Oaks behind her stablemate Princess of Sylmar, which was her first defeat. She started off her career winning her first four starts including the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and as a juvenile she won the Demoiselle (G2) at the Big A going nine furlongs. She is quick enough, owning solid early and mid pace numbers and should get a good trip sitting just off the pace.
Princess of Sylmar pulled off the shocker in the Kentucky Oaks at 39-1 where she was roughed up at the break when caught in between foes, came with a four wide run to get up and pull off the upset. She comes back here with a 11-week break and is using this race as a prep for the Alabama (G1) later in the meeting. After seeing 39-1 last out the 9-05 sure seems light today.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 1,3 / 1,3,4
TRI: no play
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