The Kiddie List - July 18, 2014
The Kiddie List will spotlight the top workers and blue bloods breezing four furlongs and farther, plus some entries and results. I’ll cover the New York, Kentucky, California and Florida tracks, and occasionally Arlington, Fair Hill and Monmouth. If a particularly well bred baby shows up at another track, I’ll include that one as well. Due to the enormous number of juveniles, some of these names may show up only once or twice. You can find more of this season’s two year olds on the 2015 Kentucky Derby Contenders and 2015 Kentucky Oaks Contenders lists. Let's review two opening day baby races at Saratoga.
ENTRIES
SARATOGA RACE 2 | MSW 5 ½ F | FILIES
AIMONE (Lemon Drop Kid - Silken Sash (IRE), by Danehill) $210 OBSMAR14; Half sister to Sands Point stakes winner RAW SILK (Mallibu Moon) has a pedigree better suited to turf routes, but she has very strong works that match to stablemate Neilinger (AE).
KNOW IT ALL ANNA (Midnight Lute - Legion of Merit, by Danzig) $87K KEESEP13; No blacktype in her immediate family. Two of three half sibs won at two. Only one in the field with experience. She was one-paced in a 5F sprint at Belmont, finishing fourth. Experience and distance should help.
BY THE MOON (Indian Charlie - By the Light, by Malibu Moon) Her precocious dam won all four starts at two, including three stakes races. Works are average. This filly will ultimately want to go longer, but this is a good start.
LADY OF VICTORY (War Front - Seeking Simplicity, by Seeking the Gold) $410K KEESEP13; No blacktype in her immediate family. Second dam is a G-3 winner, and she hails from the family of Jockey Club Gold Cup hero ALBERT THE GREAT. Filly has very solid, consistent works, including a sharp 3F lung opener pre-race work. Mott is only 8% FTS, but when they work like this, watch out.
ZEE SISTERS (Zensational - Red Cognac, by Hennessy) No blacktype in her immediate family. Her dam needed three starts to win her maiden. Works are nothing to get excited about. Lukas is 5% with FTS and the sire gets 5% FTS. She may need a race or three.
VINOLICIOUS (Zensational - Ethan's Car, by Cat Thief) $125K FTSAUG13; A half sibling won her debut. The dam won second time out and is multiple stakes placed. Second – fourth dams all own blacktype. This is a fairly precocious female family. Her works are steady and fairly fast. Ward trains, so you know she’ll put forth her best at low odds.
RING KNOCKER (Birdstone - Pearls, by Black Tie Affair (IRE)) $52K FTKJUL13; Pretty gray filly has the pedigree to prefer two turns. Her dam is a half to the multiple G-2 winning sprinter BANK AUDIT and second dam MOSQUERA is a stakes winner. Ring Knocker had a decent gate breeze two back, but she’ll likely need a few starts to be at her best.
WALL STREET LADY (Speightstown - Epistle, by Deputy Minister) $230K KEESEP13; One half sibling won at two. Her dam is a full to Ashland Stakes (G-1) heroine WELL CHOSEN, the dam of two-time Sword Dancer victor TELLING. Wall Street Lady has a steady string of five furlong works and should be ready. Her sire gets 15% FTS.
AE OVERSPENDING (Harlan's Holiday - Marfa's Squall, by Marfa) $340K OBSMAR14; She’s a full sister to stakes winner WICKED DEED and a half to multiple stakes winner WESTERN PRIZE (Pure Prize). This is a precocious family, Five of seven half siblings won/placed at two or in their debut at three. Harlan's Holiday gets win early types and 15% FTS. It’s a Pletcher baby, so you know she’ll be ready to roll at short odds.
AE NEILINGER (Tapit - Pursuit of Glory (IRE), by Fusaichi Pegasus) $205K OBSAPR13; She’s a first foal and the best bred baby in the field. Her dam was Group 1 placed in England as a 2YO. She’s a half to a French listed winner. Second dam SOPHISTICAT is an English Group 1 winner and a full sister to graded winners and sires GRAND REWARD, SCHRAMSBERG, plus a half to HARLINGTON, SERENA’S TUNE, dam of stake winners VOCALIZED and SERENA’S CAT. She’s also the grand-dam of 2yo graded stakes winners HONOR CODE and NOBLE TUNE. Third dam is Champion SERENA’S SONG. Her works match stablemate Aimone, but her pedigree is more precocious than that ones.
SELECTIONS:
#1A NEILINGER (6-1)
#9 OVERSPENDING (8-5)
#6 VINOLICIOUS (5-2)
#4 LADY OF VICTORY (6-1) (Longshot Pick)
RACE 3 |SCHUYLERVILLE STAKES (G-3) | 6F | 2YO FILLIES
Summer is here and along with it comes the opening of Saratoga Racetrack for another season. Adding to the heat is the barbecue which will be held during the Schuylerville Stakes (G3). No, not the kind where steaks sizzle over an open fire. This type of barbecue entails five juvenile fillies all gunning for the lead. Who can endure a broiling pace, who will be baked and which one of them can cool her heels and come from off of the pace?
Lukas’ former assistant Todd Pletcher is no stranger to the winner’s circle at Saratoga. He’s won the Schuylerville four times, the last was in 2011 with Georgie’s Angel. This year, he’s brought a nicely-bred daughter of Old Fashioned. FASHION ALERT, a half-sister to Santa Ynez Stakes (G-2) winner RENE’S TITAN, skipped the maiden races and went straight for the blacktype. The daughter of Old Fashioned made all of the pace in the Astoria Stakes. Although the Pletcher trained miss raced greenly, Fashion Alert made short work of her opponents in the 5 ½ furlong race, winning by 4 ¾ lengths. She’s posted three very strong post-race works and will be tough to beat.
The remaining three trainers, Gary Contessa, Richard Mettee and John Robb, are all looking for their first Schuylerville trophy.
EVRYBDYMSTGETSTONZ surprised a field of state-bred maidens at Belmont by rolling gate to wire, getting 5 ½ furlongs in 1:05 2/5 while six lengths in front. In her last breeze, she had a strong 3 furlong “lung opener” of :35 1/5 (2/13). She’s entering back after only 16 days.
TULIRA'S STAR is a daughter of Congrats and a half sister to multiple stakes winning veteran MOUNTAIN GENERAL and Challenger Stakes winner TULIRA CASTLE. She won her debut over the Arlington Poly and has since switched to the barn of Richard Mettee. She’s 5-2 morning line, but her trainer is 0-11 with two year olds this year.
Breaking from post one is MAST COVE. The daughter of Cowboy Cal is the most experienced filly in the field, with three starts under her girth. She’s posted improving speed figures in every start against maiden claimers. Mast Cove is the first of her dam’s foals to race. Her dam Crafty Melissa is a half to Oake Tree Derby (G-2) winner MUNY. Mast Cove has fired three post-race bullets and her race fractions are comparable to the other contestants. John Robb is 22% with shippers.
SELECTIONS:
The last five winners of the Schuylerville either sat mid-pack or pressed the pace. MAST COVE and TULIRA'S STAR have shown the ability to sit off of an early pace. On paper, FASHION ALERT is the fastest filly in the race. She could wire the field, but given that there are only five fillies entered, it’s unlikely that she’ll establish a clear lead. Let’s tab TAKE CHARGE BRANDI for the upset. Lukas knows how to get them ready for a big race. She breaks outside of all of the speed and her pedigree should enable her to go wide without effort.
#5 TAKE CHARGE BRANDI (6-1)
#4 FASHION ALERT (3-5)
#2 TULIRA'S STAR (5-2)