Orbolution makes stakes debut in P.G. Johnson

Photo: Bob Mayberger / Eclipse Sportswire

StarLadies Racing's Orbolution will look to thrive in her stakes debut in Thursday's feature, the $100,000 P.G. Johnson, for juvenile fillies at Saratoga Race Course.

Orbolution, trained by Todd Pletcher, is the only entry in the seven-horse field to run previously at the P.G. Johnson distance of 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf, breaking her maiden with a 2 ½-length score on July 23. After starting her career with back-to-back third-place efforts on dirt, Orbolution will look to go 2-for-2 both on turf and at the Spa, drawing post 3 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.
Orbolution, a daughter of Orb, was a $370,000 purchase as a yearling from the 2013 Kentucky Derby winner's first crop.

Robert Masterson's Wild N Ready will be looking for her first win after rallying for third in her debut August 11 at 5 ½ lengths. Off a quick turnaround, the More Than Ready filly drew the outside post with Julien Leparoux.

"We expect her to move forward off her last race, she was compromised last time ironically by her own horse [stablemate Bridaled Temper]," said Norm Casse, assistant and son of trainer Mark Casse. "If you watch the head-on, she pushed her out to the middle going into the turn. But she's come back and training really well. She's breezed awesome and she should be ready.

"We want to get a two-turn race, we feel she'd be much better going two turns," he added.

Life Time Citizen is the field's most experienced runner and the only one with stakes experience, coming off a fourth-place effort in the Bolton Landing on August 16. The Phil Serpe trainee, who started her career on dirt before breaking her maiden on turf, will break from post 4 with Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Mentality won her debut June 16 at Belmont and will look to go 2-for-2 for trainer Wesley Ward. A daughter of Freud, she will break from the rail with Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the irons.

Rounding out the field is Oldfashioned Style, for trainer Gary Contessa, from post 2; Romantic Babe, a debut winner for trainer David Donk, out of post 5; and Sassy Sienna, who also won her first start for trainer Brad Cox, out of post 6. 

Also running the last week of Saratoga:

The $100,000 Lucky Coin - Friday, September 1
Probable: Big Rock (Christophe Clement); Doctor J Dub (Jena Atonucci); Dowse's Beach (Brad Cox); Dream Mover (Jimmy Jerkens); Loose on the Town (Brian Lynch); Platinum Prince (Michael Tomlinson); Ready for Rye (Tom Albertrani); Spring to the Sky (Bruce Brown)


The Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward - Saturday, September 2
Probable: Discreet Lover (Uriah St. Lewis); Gun Runner (Steve Asmussen); May B (Anthony Quartarolo); Neolithic (Todd Pletcher); Rally Cry (Todd Pletcher); War Story (Jorge Navarro)


The Grade 1, $350,000 Spinaway  -  Saturday, September 2
Probable: Lady Freedom (Rodolfo Garcia); Lady Ivanka (Rudy Rodriguez); Maya Malibu (Graham Motion); Pure Silver (Pletcher); Seperationofpowers (C. Brown); Snowfire (Mark Casse)


The Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac - Saturday, September 2
Probable: Bricks and Mortar (Chad Brown); Master Plan (Pletcher); Mo Maverick (George Weaver); Mr Havercamp (Catherine M. Day Phillips); Rocketry (Jerkens); Tiz a Slam (Roger Attfield); Yoshida (Bill Mott)

The Grade 3, $200,000 Glens Falls - Saturday, September 2
Probable: Estrechada (Mike Puype); Grateful (Pletcher); Lottie (Motion); Sarandia (Peter Schiergen); Summersault (Mark Hennig); Sweet Sandy (Danielle Hodsdon); Time and Motion (Jimmy Toner); War Flag (Shug McGaughey)

The Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress - Sunday, September 3
Probable: Dawn the Destroyer (Kiaran McLaughlin); Downtown Mama (Linda Rice); Libby's Tail (Rodriguez); Nonna Mela (Pletcher); Royal Inheritance (Dave Cannizzo); Student Body (Christopher Davis); Yorkiepoo Princess (Eddie Barker)
Possible: American Gal (Simon Callaghan)

The Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful - Monday, September 4
Probable: Firenze Fire (Jason Servis); Free Drop Billy (Dale Romans); Givemeaminit (Dallas Stewart); Mojovation (Pletcher); National Flag (Pletcher); Oskar Blues (Ken McPeek); Psychoanalyze (Lynch); Sporting Chance (D. Wayne Lukas)


The Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch - Monday, September 4
Probable:  American Patriot (Pletcher); Delta Prince (Jerkens); Heart to Heart (Lynch); Highland Sky (Tagg); Ring Weekend (Motion)

Source: NYRA

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