Grace Hall Ready to Shine Again

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will send out multiple graded stakes winner Grace Hall in the seven-furlong Shine Again on Monday at Saratoga.

Grace Hall has made two starts she was transferred to Mott at the beginning of 2014. Her seasonal debut came in the Grade 2, one-mile Ruffian at Belmont, in which she finished second coming off a layoff of over a year. For her next start, Mott shipped the daughter of Empire Maker to Santa Anita for the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile Vanity, and she responded with another strong runner-up performance.

The Shine Again will mark the bay mare's first start sprinting since she captured the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga in 2011.

"We're trying to find out [how she handles the distance]," said Mott. "She's a Grade 1 winner at seven furlongs. We want to give her an opportunity early in the meet to see how she performs at seven-eighths. If she were to do well, we have the option of going in the [Grade 1, $500,000] Ballerina later in the meet."

The Shine Again drew a graded stakes caliber field that includes multiple Grade 1 winners My Miss Aurelia and Better Lucky. While Mott may not have anticipated the race coming up so tough, he was not surprised.

"It's Saratoga," said Mott.

Mott also said that Tourist, who won the Sir Cat on Opening Day at the Spa, came

back in good order. The Tiznow colt demonstrated a devastating combination of a high cruising speed and strong closing kick in the Sir Cat, which he won by three lengths over Tampa Bay Derby winner Ring Weekend. The Grade 1, 1 ¼-mile Secretariat is a possibility for Tourist's next start, according to Mott.

"We were very pleased with the effort," said Mott. "He certainly gives me the impression he'll stretch out. It looks like nine furlongs won't be a problem, but when you start talking about ten [furlongs], you don't know until you try it.

"He's awful fast," he added. "He's a fast horse and sometimes those horses get past nine furlongs and they don't carry [their speed], but you just don't know until you try. He hasn't shown me yet that he can't do it."

Grade 1 Donn Handicap winner Lea, under consideration for the Grade 1, $600,000 Woodward on August 31, worked four furlongs in 48.82 in company with Mosler over the Oklahoma training track.