Saratoga 2024: Appleby’s Beautiful Love goes in Lake Placid

Godolphin’s Ireland homebred Beautiful Love will make her stateside debut in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Lake Placid Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile inner-turf test for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, who has won three stakes races at the current Spa meet, the Siyouni chestnut was last seen winning a one-mile conditions race in February at Meydan. That effort was preceded by a runner-up performance in the seven-furlong Jumeirah Fillies Classic to stablemate Cinderella’s Dream, who since won the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) in July at Belmont at the Big A and the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G2) on Aug. 2.

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Beautiful Love worked a half-mile in 49.95 seconds Aug. 2 over the Oklahoma training turf in company with Group 2 winner Naval Power, who is targeting the Woodbine Mile (G1) on Sept. 14. She previously worked with dual graded-stakes winner Eternal Hope, who ran fourth last out in the Glens Falls (G2) on Aug. 1 at Saratoga.

“She’s an exciting filly. Here’s hoping she’s as good as we hope,” Appleby’s traveling assistant Chris Connett said. “She’s put in some nice works with Eternal Hope and been going well enough. The other day she had an easy piece with Naval Power, and I think it’s always a good sign when she can lay along with proper group horses like them.”

Beautiful Love, assigned 120 pounds, will exit outermost post 11 under Manny Franco.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle a trio of contenders in graded-stakes winner Dynamic Pricing in post 10 with 122 pounds including Irad Ortiz Jr., stakes winner Spaliday in post 5 with 120 pounds including Frankie Dettori and maiden winner Grayosh in post 2 with 118 pounds including Flavien Prat, 118 pounds as he looks to secure a record extending sixth score in this event.

Brown’s Lake Placid winners includes Aspray in 2023, Haughty in 2022, Technical Analysis in 2021, Regal Glory in 2019 and Rushing Fall in 2018.

Klaravich Stables’ Ireland-bred Dynamic Pricing, by Night of Thunder, was bought for $204,442 at the 2022 Tattersalls October yearling sale. She graduated at first asking in November at Aqueduct and has raced exclusively in graded company since, including a close third in the Sweetest Chant (G3) in February at Gulfstream Park and a half-length score in the Edgewood (G2) over yielding footing in May at Churchill Downs.

The talented bay enters from an off-the-board effort in the 1 3/16-mile Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) on July 6 at Belmont at the Big A, where she was off awkwardly and finished five lengths behind Cinderella’s Dream.

“It was a little too far for her (last time), so cutting her back I think will work for her,” Brown said.

Peter Brant’s Spaliday is by More Than Ready and out of Brown-trained 2014 champion grass mare Dayatthespa, a multiple Grade 1 winner with $2,288,892 in purse earnings.

Spaliday, a $310,000 Keeneland September yearling-sale purchase, graduated at third asking in May at Belmont at the Big A. She added blinkers last out en route to a rallying 1 1/4-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Boiling Springs on July 13 at Monmouth Park.

“She had a nice breakthrough win with blinkers on down at Monmouth,” Brown said. “She seems to be doing very, very well.”

Flanagan Racing’s Grayosh also graduated at third asking, taking a 1 1/16-mile tilt over good ground in April at the Big A. She followed with a close fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Wonder Again (G2) in May at Belmont at the Big A when she finished 2 3/4 lengths behind winning stablemate Segesta.

The Yoshida gray enters from a narrow, nose defeat to returning rival Proctor Street in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer July 18 at Saratoga.

“She was a bit unlucky to lose (her last race), but she ran well, and I think it’s time to try her in a stake again,” Brown said.

Patricia Moseley’s Kentucky homebred Proctor Street, in post 9 with 118 pounds including Tyler Gaffalione, is undefeated in two career starts for trainer Brendan Walsh.

The well-bred Street Sense dark bay is out of the multiple graded-stakes-winning Ghostzapper mare Proctor’s Ledge, who won this event in 2017 for the same connections.

Proctor Street has notched a pair of narrow victories at 1 1/16 miles on turf, rallying to a head score in her May 27 debut over good going at Horseshoe Indianapolis ahead of a visually impressive surge from last of 10 under Gaffalione to post a nose win at 17-1 over Grayosh on firm footing in the aforementioned optional claimer.

“We brought her up to Saratoga, because she had improved so much. Thankfully she won up there as well. She’s 2-for-2 now,” Walsh said. “She made a very good impression on Tyler. Her mom was like that, too. She just improved and improved as her career went on, and she turned out to be a really good filly. It’s uncanny the similarities between the two. If this one is as good as her mom, we’ll be in good shape.”

Walsh said lightly raced Proctor Street has matured immensely with racing.

“This filly has come a long way physically. She’s not overly big, but she’s after getting a lot stronger. She’s done really well in the last 12 months,” Walsh said. “She’s still learning. She’s only had the two runs. It would be nice if we had some pace to run at.”

Walsh said it would be special to secure another win for the Moseley family as he earned his first career win with their filly Sandcastle in 2012 at Gulfstream Park.

“She’s been an owner of mine since day 1,” Walsh said. “She’s been a great client, and she loves her racing. She deserves every bit of good luck that she gets.”

Lael Stables’ She Feels Pretty, in post 7 with 120 pounds including John Velázquez, boasts a perfect in-the-money record of 5: 3-0-2 topped by a 4 1/4-length score in the Natalma (G1) in September at Woodbine.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the Karakontie chestnut finished a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Santa Anita when she finished a half-length behind victorious Hard to Justify.

She opened her sophomore season with a 5 3/4-length score in the one-mile Hilltop on May 17 at Pimlico and was last seen finishing a prominent third in the 1 3/16-mile Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) when she was three-quarters of a length behind Cinderella’s Dream. There she chased pacesetter Segesta through sharp splits of 23.79, 48.96 and 1:13.25 before tipping out and dueling with the frontrunner the length of the lane. Neither could repel onrushing Cinderella’s Dream, who scored with a course-record time of 1:53.42. Segesta nosed out She Feels Pretty for place honors.

She Feels Pretty, bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud, is out of the winning New York-bred More Than Ready mare Summer Sweet, who is a half-sister to graded-stakes-placed Adirondack Summer and stakes winner Summer Breezing. She was bought for $240,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

DeVaux also will send out John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services’ Deep Satin from post 1 with 118 pounds including José Ortiz. She makes her stakes debut from a three-length graduation at third asking July 14 at Saratoga traveling 1 1/16 miles over firm footing. The winning effort garnered an 82 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.

The American Pharoah bay, a half-sister to stakes-placed Take These Chains, is out of graded-stakes-winning Chester House mare Take the Ribbon.

A talented field also includes Gala Brand in post 3, with 120 pounds including José Lezcano, who captured the With Anticipation (G3) against the boys at Saratoga last year for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; multiple stakes winner De Regreso, post 4, 120, Luis Sáez, for trainer Antonio Sano; the France-bred stakes winner Les Reys, post 6, 120, Joel Rosario, who makes her stateside debut for trainer Christophe Clément; and maiden-claiming winner Ori, post 8, 118, Kendrick Carmouche, for conditioner Michelle Nevin.

Lemon Muffin, Manama Gold and Camera are entered for the main track only.

The Lake Placid is slated as the ninth of Saturday’s 12 races, and it is scheduled for 5:04 p.m. EDT.