Guarana targets Saratoga's Ballerina off gritty Madison effort

Following a gritty effort to win the Grade 1 Madison on July 11 at Keeneland, Three Chimneys Farm and Hill n Dale Equine Holdings' Guarana is scheduled to seek a fourth career Grade 1 triumph in the $300,000 Ballerina on Aug. 8 at Saratoga.

The seven-furlong event over the main track for older fillies and mares is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" event and provides an automatic entry towards the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

"I think that's a logical target," said Doug Cauthen, Vice Chairman of Three Chimneys Farm. "Like with all of them, we let them guide us there but it's definitely on the radar. Hopefully, she can have a good summer and fall."

Trained by Chad Brown, Guarana boasts a consistent 6: 5-1-0 with three of her victories taking place against Grade 1 competition. In her most recent effort, she commanded the pace early on and was confronted to the outside by Mia Mischief at the top of the stretch who appeared to be in winning contention at the three-sixteenths. Guarana refused to be denied and battled back along the rail to win by a half-length.

"I think she gained even more fans for her courage," Cauthen said. "It's hard to get passed up and then come back. She was definitely more than game that day. She's really a very special filly and special to everybody here because she's a homebred and she's just brilliant."

Following a sensational career debut last April at Keeneland, Guarana followed up by defeating Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress in the Acorn (G1) at Belmont Park en route to a two-turn score in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at the Spa.

"She's multi-dimensional," Cauthen said. "She showed that talent last year winning one turn races and winning going two turns at Saratoga as well."

Guarana is out of the Distorted Humor broodmare Magical World whose dam was the 2005 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home. Her fourth dam was Grade 1 winner Maplejinsky, who produced Hall of Famer and 1994 Champion Older Female Sky Beauty.

"She's got a lot of the scope and the mare has plenty of scope and quality," Cauthen said. "She (Magical World) is a Distorted Humor mare that's bigger than most Distorted Humor mares. Just quality and class that runs through the line."

Fans of Guarana can look forward to seeing her Pioneerof the Nile half-brother debut later in the year. This year, her dam gave birth to a Gun Runner colt and is currently in foal to Quality Road.

"She has a Pioneerof the Nile 2-year-old with Chad that from all hopes is special, but he's got to go out there and prove it,” Cauthen said. “I think he'll be a late summer, early fall horse if all goes well.”