Classy Act 'razor-sharp' ahead of Sunday's Prioress Stakes

Classy Act is looking to rebound from a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Test when she competes against nine challengers in the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress Stakes on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course.

Carl Moore's Classy Act dueled at the front with fellow Prioress contender Mia Mischief in the seven-furlong Test on August 4, setting the speed through the opening quarter-mile and staying just one-length off Mia Mischief a half-mile in. But trainer Bret Calhoun said Separationofpowers' wide move nearing the turn might have caught Classy Act, who wears blinkers, off guard.

"It was kind of a strange race. It's one you draw a line through," Calhoun said. "It looked like she was in total control of the race and that horse [Separationofpowers] went way wide and I think she [Classy Act] didn't feel anything and then got spooked. She just put on the brakes. She came back like she had never run a race and was bucking and squealing."

Since then, Calhoun said Classy Act has continued to train well at Saratoga, including a four-furlong breeze in 50.99 seconds on the Oklahoma training track on Tuesday.

"She's been razor-sharp since then and training great," Calhoun said. "It [the Test] was a big disappointment because going into that race, I felt positive. The way she was going early in that race, it looked like she was in control. But she got spooked, but that's like her; that's why we have the blinkers on her. It keeps her more focused. If she feels the horses and sees them, she's fine. 

"She's done well since that time. Looking at her, this is probably the best she's been," he added. "I've never been able to get her coat like I wanted and now, for the first time, she's been able to pop some dapples. She has high energy coming into the race. I think it's hard to run twice here - two hard races - but she ran and got experience here and it didn't take too much out of her."

The Into Mischief filly had success earlier this year on the Kentucky Oaks trail, finishing second to 3-year-old filly division leader Monomoy Girl in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra on February 17 at Fair Grounds. After running 10th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on May 4 at Churchill Downs, Classy Actdefeated optional claimers at seven furlongs and returned to stakes company to run second behind Dixie Serenade in the Grade 3 Victory Ride at 6 ½ furlongs on July 8 at Belmont Park.

Now racing at the Prioress distance of six furlongs on what is expected to be a fast main track, Classy Act drew post 6 and is 12-1 on the morning line. Dream Tree, the 3-1 favorite trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, will break from post 8 and Mia Mischief, at 5-2, will be on Classy Act's inside from post 4.

"I think we drew well, it gives us some options," Calhoun said. "She's a fast filly, but I've always thought that having a bit of a target has always helped her. You have Mia Mischief on the inside. Last time, they sat off of it on the inside. This time, they may be forced to go a little bit. If they go, we might find ourselves sitting off of them, which would be fine."

Classy Act will be running at six furlongs for the first time since her runner-up debut effort in September 2017 at Churchill.

"It's a great distance for us; she's fast enough. It's not like your waiting around. They're going to be rolling," Calhoun said.

Finley'sluckycharm came out of her seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina on Travers Day in good order and remains on target for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on November 3 at Churchill, Calhoun said.

After winning the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap at the start of the Saratoga meet on July 25, Calhoun said he wasn't surprised the 5-year-old Twirling Candy mare struggled coming back to run against top caliber competition in a short time, but viewed the Ballerina as a way to keep her on track to challenge in the Breeders' Cup on full rest.

"She's shown as a 5-year-old that she can't bounce back from those huge efforts in four weeks time. Going in, she just didn't have the energy level that I thought she needed," Calhoun said. "It was hard to get a read on her, because she's not really fond of the heat and humidity, and it's been like that most of the time up here. It cooled off a little and her energy level picked up. But it was a tough spot. If I didn't run there, it would have been a huge gap between there and the Breeders' Cup. This way, I get 10 weeks, and she's responded well [to that time off].

"If everything goes smooth, I think we'll have a really good [chance] in the Breeders' Cup."