Free as a Bird, Lady Shipman Square Off in Smart N Fancy
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MJC/Pimlico Photo
Multiple stakes winners Free as a Bird and Lady Shipman will square off in Sunday's $100,000 Smart N Fancy for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 5 ½ furlongs on turf.
No stranger to Saratoga, Free as a Bird, trained by Ian Wilkes for Elizabeth Valando, will make her second start of the summer at the Spa after finishing second in the Caress Stakes on August 2. Last year, the daughter of Hard Spun won the Caress and the Smart N Fancy at Saratoga, overcoming a great deal of trouble in the stretch to win the latter.
The 6-year-old mare will need to show up with her 'A' game to take down up-and-coming turf sprinter Lady Shipman, who has won six of seven turf starts and is coming off consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures.
A 3-year-old daughter of Midshipman, Lady Shipman won her last start, the Coronation Cup at Saratoga, by 3 ¼ lengths after setting a scorching pace. She has won her past three starts in gate-to-wire fashion by a combined 11 lengths for trainer Kathleen O'Connell, who notched her first win at the Spa in the Coronation Cup, and owner Ranlo Investments.
Multiple Grade 3 winner Sugar Shock will try turf for the first time on Sunday making her second start for trainer Brad Cox. In early 2014, the Candy Ride filly took the Grade 3 Honeybee and Grade 3 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park, but is winless in her past four starts. In her most recent start, the chestnut 4-year-old contested the pace in the seven-furlong Shine Again Stakes at Saratoga before tiring to finish sixth.
Knit One Purr Too, Rumble Doll, and Tahnee complete the field.
Source: NYRA Communications
Source: NYRA Communications
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