Head to Head: 2 standouts in light Schuylerville at Saratoga
Friday’s $150,000 listed Schuylerville Stakes sets the tone for a stakes-packed holiday weekend with a fast and furious six-furlong dash for six precocious 2-year-old fillies.
Vekoma and Omaha Beach, leading the second- and third-crop rankings respectively, both are represented in the Schuylerville, looking to bolster their black-type credentials. Not to be overlooked, Yaupon, currently third among first-crop sires, sends out a contender hoping to make noise.
Carded as race 2 of 11, the youngsters load into the gate at 1:42 p.m. EDT.
Let's review who’s bred to shine and who might be out of their depth.
| Laurie | Ashley |
| 1. Evolution | |
| Sent off as the even-money favorite in her second start at Gulfstream, Evolution dueled early before drawing off under a hand ride to win by 2 3/4 lengths. The Carlos David trainee completed five furlongs in 59.08 seconds with a slow 13.02 final furlong. But she wasn’t asked for her best, and the class of her rivals is suspect. Only one of four returned hit the board in their next outing. Evolution earned a 79 Brisnet Speed Rating. Brethren’s daughter is a full sister to Mist, who placed in a restricted stake at 2. Their dam is a stakes-winning sprinter. Multiple graded winner and sire Best Pal is part of the extended family. Evolution fired a pre-race five-furlong bullet in 1:01.05, and overall, her post-race works are slower than her pre-race times. Contender. | Trained by Carlos David, Evolution was second on debut at Keeneland, beaten 3 1/4 lengths behind winner Satisfied Mind. That one was 10th next out but had been switched to turf to contest the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies. Four others from that race hit the board in their next outing. David took his filly to Gulfstream Park for her next start, and she responded with a 2 3/4-length victory. Her Brisnet Speed Rating increased from 67 to 79, but she hasn’t been very flattered by the rest of the field so far. David has a 16% win rate with a 40% in-the-money clip in non-graded stakes, but is just 10% win rate with a 29% in-the-money rate at Saratoga over the last five years. Luis Saez will be the filly’s third jockey in as many starts. Contender. |
| 2. Kingsolver | |
| Kingsolver showed brief speed in her debut then finished evenly in fifth place. She was professional and stayed in her lane despite horses acting up outside of her. It was a good learning experience, and her 80 late-pace figure is second best in the Schuylerville. By leading third-crop sire Omaha Beach, Kingsolver is out of the unraced Speightstown mare Famous Writer. Famous Alice, the second dam, is a stakes-placed sprinter, and her full sister Quiet Kitten is a multiple graded-placed turf router. Since her debut was 23 days ago, Rodolphe Brisset gave her a slow four-furlong maintenance breeze. Pass. | Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Kingsolver is still a maiden after finishing fifth in her debut. It was an okay effort, but it’s too soon to tell what kind of field that was. Since it was run on June 11, only one filly from that field has made a subsequent start, finishing third. The 75 Brisnet Speed Rating she received does put her up there with Evolution, and she certainly could move forward to get a piece of the pie. Exotics. |
| 3. Bay Yaupon | |
| Bay Yaupon sold for $90,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton select yearling sale. She’s had a consistent series of three-, four- and five-furlong breezes for Gary Contessa. Nothing spectacular, yet a good fitness regimen from a conservative trainer. By third-leading first-crop sire Yaupon, Bay Yaupon is the second foal out of the winning Candy Ride mare Golden Star Lady. There’s little black type in the first few generations, but it includes the second dam, Grade 3-placed turf sprinter Empressive Lady and a pair of stakes-placed sprinters. Race Lens shows that Yaupon’s juvenile first-time starters have a 40% win and 60% in-the-money rate. Bay Yaupon’s immediate family isn’t precocious. Her half-sister placed in her second start as a 3-year-old and raced at Gulfstream but is winless in four starts. Their dam placed in her debut but needed an additional seven starts to get her picture taken. Bay Yaupon could be any type. Pass. | Trained by Gary Contessa, Bay Yaupon will be making her debut here. Contessa is 33% wins with a 50% in-the-money clip with first-time starters in the last year. It’s unusual for Contessa to debut a maiden in a stakes race, but he successfully did just that two years ago in this race with Becky’s Joker. With Junior Alvarado up, she could be worth a look. Long shot play. |
| My Sweetheart impressed in her five-furlong turf debut at Churchill. In the usual early scramble to sort themselves out after leaving the gate, My Sweetheart was in tight but moved between rivals to contest the lead. Surprisingly, she relaxed on the lead while being challenged on the outside, yet was all business when asked for her best, opening up by 1 1/2 lengths. She was professional the entire way, and earned a Brisnet 103 E2 rating. Although her late-pace rating of 75 is the lowest in the field, My Sweetheart wasn’t asked for her best. Flameaway’s daughter is out of the unraced Curlin mare My Darling, a half-sister to Grade-3 placed On Alert. The third generation is loaded with class and includes multiple Group 1 winner Forever Young and last year’s champion 3-year-old, Sierra Leone. Before her debut, My Sweetheart drilled four furlongs from the gate. Other than slight paddling with her right fore, she handled the dirt well, with excellent leg extension. Mark Casse gave My Sweetheart a sharp post-race four-furlong breeze in 46.40, second-best of 34, and she got acquainted with Saratoga’s main track with a bullet three furlongs in 36.67, best of 12. Contender. | Trained by Mark Casse, My Sweetheart was a debut winner on turf. The runner-up in that race was a next-out winner, and three more hit the board in their next outing. The switch in surface seems to be a non-issue. Casse indicated that the filly has been training well on dirt and that he ran her on grass first out because that was what was available. My Sweetheart has a field-best 87 Brisnet Speed Rating, albeit on turf. Casse is 18% wins with a 52% in-the-money clip with turf to dirt runners. Frankie Dettori was aboard the filly for her debut and gets the return call. Contender. |
| 5. Miss Magical | |
| In her debut, Miss Magical had zero early speed, but she circled the field six-wide and unevenly rolled past the field to gain a clear second place behind the well-bred Angel Gift, a daughter of 2011 Schuylerville heroine Georgie’s Angel. The George Weaver trainee recorded a field-high 84 late-pace figure. Good Magic’s daughter is out of the winning Uncle Mo mare Loving Moment. Multiple graded-winning turf miler Ruby Nell owns the black type in the second generation, and the third generation is anchored by Maryland-bred champion 2-year-old filly Richetta, who bore multiple stakes-winning veteran Concealed Identity. Miss Magical had a pre-race four-furlong move in company with Simone in 51.22. Working on the outside, Miss Magical had to be corrected for lugging in, but she briefly passed her stablemate when they were pushed past the wire. Exotics. | Trained by George Weaver, Miss Magical is still a maiden after finishing second in her debut over this course on June 8. It was a restricted race, limited to New York-breds and those who sold or RNA for $60,000 or less in their most recent sale. Fourth-place finisher Nacho Problem was a next-out winner and is the only filly who has made a subsequent start. Miss Magical’s numbers came back light with a 58 Equibase speed figure and a 67 Brisnet Speed Rating. Dylan Davis gets the return call. Pass. |
| 6. Simone | |
| Simone made a couple of moves during her Churchill debut. She settled on the rail in mid-pack early through a sharp 22.38 first quarter. Seeing a wall of horses in front, Reylu Gutierrez quickly moved Simone to the outside, circling the field five wide. Then they dove back to the rail, gaining ground all the while. Simone was a touch green but took it in stride, finishing just 1 3/4 lengths behind. The George Weaver trainee’s 79 late-pace figure fits with this field. By leading second-crop sire Vekoma, Simone is out of the winning Dialed In mare Dial to Win. A pair of stakes winners, Sand Dancer and Griff, are part of the second generation. Caberneigh, a multiple stakes winner and veteran of 98 races, highlights the third generation. Simone paddles with her left fore. She recorded a 51.66 four-furlong breeze, slightly slower than Miss Magical. Exotics. | Also from the George Weaver barn, Simone is a maiden after finishing third in her debut. The last-place finisher from that race, who was dusted by 20 1/2 lengths, was a next-out winner at Horseshoe Indianapolis, and one other filly hit the board next out. Simone received a 73 Brisnet Speed Rating, better than her stablemate but still not in the realm of a couple of the others. Manny Franco takes over from Reylu Gutierrez. Exotics. |
Final thoughts
Laurie: For the last 15 years, every Schuylerville heroine, other than the last two, won their previous start by a minimum of 2 1/4 lengths. Last year, The Queens M G finished seventh in the Astoria and 2023 winner Becky's Joker started her brief career with that stakes victory. The Queens M G was the only one who didn’t gain ground or extend her lead in the previous start.
Typical of early juvenile sprints, pacesetters and pressers rule.
The favorites enjoyed their moment in the winner’s circle from 2011 to 2014. Since then, seven placed second to fourth, while the rest were off the board. This has led to some hefty payouts, including the last two years, when The Queens M G rewarded backers with $91.00 and Becky's Joker returned $44.40.
Posts 4 through 6 are the place to be. But fillies exiting posts 1 and 2 won three of the last four contests.
Evolution and My Sweetheart fit the historical profile as the only fillies with a win under their girth.
On paper, this field is closely matched, and a case can be made for or against all of them. Yet there are clues to which fillies might progress in their next start.
My Sweetheart switches from turf to dirt, ships and adds a furlong. Usually, I play against a young 2-year-old trying three new things at the same time. But I was impressed by her debut, plus she shows positive signs of progressing in her next start. Her first post-race breeze was faster than previous works, she handles the dirt well during training, and a sharp three-furlong pre-race breeze will put My Sweetheart on her toes. Additionally, she’s one of the best-bred fillies in the field.
Evolution has the most experience in the field, and her Brisnet Speed Ratings improved from her first to second race.
By Good Magic out of an Uncle Mo mare, Miss Magical should improve with racing and distance.
Simone was gutsy and willing while navigating through rush-hour traffic in her debut.
Ashley: I saw someone tweet that the New York Racing Association should have just canceled this race, and after reviewing the field, I can understand why. It’s not unusual to see a juvenile maiden run in a stakes race, but it’s practically unheard of to have a stakes race’s field half composed of maidens. And only one of those is making her debut.
I only truly like two of the fillies in this field, Evolution and My Sweetheart. Incidentally, they’re the only two in the field who are winners. That leaves the dilemma of choosing the best of the mediocre rest.
Evolution and My Sweetheart likely will hook up from the start as they are the speed in the field. Kingsolver should be prominent early as well, with the Weaver duo bringing up the rear. I don’t think Bay Yaupon will contest the early lead as Contessa’s juveniles don’t typically set the pace in their debuts. I figure Bay Yaupon will tuck in with Kingsolver in the early going. I’ll round things out with Simone, who put in a good late rally in her debut to miss the win by just 1 3/4 lengths.
Selections
| Laurie | Ashley |
| 4. My Sweetheart | 1. Evolution |
| 1. Evolution | 4. My Sweetheart |
| 5. Miss Magical | 3. Bay Yaupon |
| 6. Simone | 6. Simone |