American Gal heads the 2017 Test at Saratoga

A contentious field of 10 has been assembled for the $500,000 Test (G1), which is part of the Saturday card at Saratoga anchored by the Whitney. The Test, a stake restricted to three-year-old fillies, is run at the distance of seven furlongs and is headlined by the California invaders, American Gal and Faypien.

Although none of the ten fillies have won a grade one stake, several of them do have a graded stakes victory to their credit. With a real balance of horses who like to run on or near the lead and those that prefer to come from off the pace, the 92^nd running of the Test should be challenging to horses, riders, and handicappers.

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Slated as race 8 in an eleven-race card, it will kick off the late pick 4 and be the second leg of the late pick 5. Post-time is scheduled for 5:10 pm ET.

Minnie Blip [ML 15-1 - Algorithms – Stall/Castellano – 3: 2-0-0 - $61,130] Trainer Al Stall Jr. has sent his horses to the track at Saratoga ready to run this year. In 2017, he has two winners and a third from his only four starters. She is part of the second crop of Algorithms, whose highest earner is the sprinter Recruiting Ready. Her most recent start was a gate to wire victory on a sloppy Churchill Downs track. She broke her maiden at first asking at the Fair Grounds in May. Even with her versatility, she will have to make a significant step-up to be a contender. Hot Trainer Is Asking More of this Filly

Your Love [ML 6-1 - Flatter - C. Brown/Irad Ortiz – 2: 2-0-0 - $91,200] Your Love is unbeaten in her two-race career that began in May. In both her New York starts she stalked the early pace and rallied to win by a neck. Chad Brown will have to work his Saratoga magic to get this $425,000 yearling purchase to be competitive in this grade one stake. Unbeaten and Stepping Up

Chalon [ML 5-1 -Dialed In – Miller/P. Lopez – 4: 3-0-0 - $157, 545] Trainer Peter Miller successfully shipped east from his California base to win the Jersey Girl on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Rider Paco Lopez guided her to a front running 6 ½ length victory on that day at Belmont Park; however, at Saratoga, Lopez has been unable to find the winner’s circle in his first 36 attempts. It is not going to be nearly as easy to get the lead in this ten-horse field, but she will be one that is going to ensure fast early fractions. Tougher Spot for this Cali Shipper

Tequilita [ML 15-1 -Union Rags – Matz/L. Saez – 8: 3-3-0 - $298,540] This daughter of Union Rags is two for two at seven furlongs, a distance that can be tricky for horses to handle. One of those two wins came in the Forward Gal (G2) at Gulfstream Park in February. Since then she stretched out to two turns to place in the Oaks at Gulfstream then got seventh in the big one, the Kentucky Oaks. She has run well fresh before and I like the turnback to a distance that she loves. There should be plenty of pace to setup her closing move. This Michael Matz runner should not be dismissed. The Right Distance and the Right Price

Vertical Oak [ML 8-1 - Giant Oak – Asmussen/Geroux – 10: 4-2-1 - $298,540] This fast filly is another one of the graded stakes winners in the field with her victory in the Miss Preakness (G3) at Pimlico. She likes to contest or sit just off the early pace and the last race she finished behind the likely favorite American Gal. However, jockey Jose Ortiz, who rode this Steve Asmussen trainee, has opted to switch to American Gal. Vertical Oak always runs her race and figures to be a part of the action down the stretch. Very Consistent Sort

Cursor [ML 30-1 - Quality Road – Hennig/J. Alvarado – 7: 2-2-1 - $142,510] This horse from the barn of Mark Hennig broke her maiden at today’s distance of seven furlongs. In her most recent start she won a first level allowance by more than two lengths. She likes to rally from well off the pace and sprinting is clearly her game. Cursor’s speed figures are well behind most of the field, which does not bode well for her. Not Fast Enough

Divine Miss Grey [ML 12-1 - Divine Park – Gargan/Franco – 9: 5-1-0 - $160,472] Trainer Danny Gargan wins a lot of races by placing his horses where they can win. This daughter of Divine Park is no different as she comes into this race on a three-race win streak. However, this spot is not one of them, she has never run in a stakes race let alone a grade one, so it is very unlikely that another victory will come the way of this former $16,000 claimer in the Test. Not a Good Spot

Faypien [ML 3-1 - Ghostzapper – Baffert/Bejarano – 4: 3-0-1 - $205,680] Trainer Bob Baffert has had a great deal of luck shipping horses to New York this year. This $720,000 yearling purchase has three consecutive victories that include two races at seven-furlongs and most recently the grade two Summer Oaks at Santa Anita going a mile and a sixteenth. The cutback to seven panels should suit this filly perfectly. Faypien is another filly that likes to sit just behind the early speed. She has only run at the one California track and Bejarano opts to travel east for the ride.

"She is a filly that has run really well her last two out," Baffert said. "In California, there is really nothing out here for her. I just thought getting a Grade 1 for her would be important. She is a trier. She really tries hard. She has a huge heart. I just hope she gets a clean break." A Likely Win Contender

Chanel's Legacy [ML 15-1 - Dominus – Summers/Rosario – 12: 5-2-1) Chanel’s Legacy will run for the first time for trainer Chad Summers, the conditioner of star-sprinter, Mind Your Biscuits. Summers has a barn full of recently acquired horses, like this winner of stakes races at Oaklawn Park and Prairie Meadows. She has wins at distances ranging from six-furlongs to a mile and a second-place finish in the Fantasy (G3). She likes to run on or near the lead, but the pace in the Test may be too much for her. Lots of Experience, But a Lot to Ask

American Gal [ML 5-2* -Concord Point – Callaghan/Jose Ortiz – 5: 3-0-1 - $407,700] American Gal is one of the horses that owner Kaleem Shah moved out of the barn of Bob Baffert, with this filly going to California trainer Simon Callaghan. She is the leading money winner in the field and most recently Callaghan sent her to Belmont Park in July, where she led the Victory Ride (G3) virtually every step while going 6 ½ furlongs. Her two career losses came as a juvenile in the grade one Starlet and in the Breeders’ Cup. Both of those losses were going two turns, so the seven-furlong distance should be ideal. The One to Beat