First Look: Saratoga opens with 5 graded stakes

The graded-stakes calendar kicks off at Saratoga on Thursday, and the buzz about juveniles will begin to pick up with the Grade 3 Schuylerville for fillies and, on Saturday, the Sanford (G3) for colts.

Top billing goes to the Diana (G1) for older fillies and mares on Saturday, where In Italian will look to go 3-for-3 for the year.

Here’s an early look at the likely fields at the Spa.

Thursday

Schuylerville (G3), 6 furlongs, 2-year-old fillies

Closing Act is 2-for-2, winning by a neck on debut at Churchill Downs and then in Belmont Park’s Astoria Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths over Union Suit, also entered here. Becky’s Joker, making her first start, has nine works at Saratoga since May, most recently breezing three furlongs in a bullet 34.88 seconds. The eight fillies coming off maiden wins each got those victories in their debuts.

Saturday

Diana (G1), 1 1/8 miles (turf), fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

Each of the five probables listed, which include four from Chad Brown, is coming off a graded-stakes win. In Italian leads the pack with two Grade 1 wins from as many starts this year. Fluffy Socks’s win in the Distaff Turf Mile (G1) at Churchill Downs was her only start this year, as was Fev Rover’s Nassau Stakes (G2) victory.

Sanford (G3), 6 furlongs, 2-year-olds

The probables here include six who are 1-for-1: Call the Cavalry, Dickens, Factor U and Me In, Lasso, Triple Trea and Market Street. Gold Sweep finished second in his debut at Churchill Downs but then won the Tremont Stakes at Belmont by nine lengths. My Boy Prince bounced back from a second-place debut to win a maiden special weight by six lengths.

Kelso (G3), 1 mile (turf), 4-year-olds and up

Filo Di Arianna lost by a neck to Emmanuel last out in the Poker (G3), with Chez Pierre a half-length back in third. Chez Pierre came into the race after a 3 1/2-length win over Modern Games in the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1), with Emmanuel finishing seventh. Filo Di Arianna had another runner-up effort in his only other start this year but won his final three last year, including two graded stakes.

Sunday

Quick Call (G3), 5 1/2 furlongs (turf), 3-year-olds

Gaslight Dancer started the year with a win in a listed Keeneland stakes before finishing a head out of second last out in a Churchill Downs stakes. After two tries last July, Son of a Birch returned in May and broke his maiden at Belmont before finishing sixth in the Paradise Creek.