Saratoga: Chad Brown string looms large in Lake George

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown sends out Oversubscribed, Sweet Rebecca and possibly also-eligible Goa as he looks to secure a record-extending eighth win Saturday in the Grade 3, $175,000 Lake George Stakes, a one-mile, inner-turf test for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga.

Brown’s list of Lake George winners includes Mrs McDougal in 2015, Ancient Secret in 2016, Regal Glory in 2019, Selflessly in 2020, Technical Analysis in 2021, Dolce Zel in 2022, and Surge Capacity in 2023.

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Klaravich Stables’ Oversubscribed, in post 2 with 122 pounds including Joel Rosario, enters from a rallying, 3 1/4-length score in the one-mile, listed Wild Applause on June 22 over firm Belmont at the Big A turf

The Too Darn Hot bay rated in sixth position 19 lengths off the pace of Macanga, who dueled with Brown-trained Chantilly Road through a half-mile in 46.03 seconds and three-quarters in 1:10.28. Flavien Prat-piloted Oversubscribed advanced through the far turn, overtaking Macanga at the sixteenth pole to score with a final time of 1:35.59.

“It was an oddly run race. One of them was mine that was not agreeable with the jockey and tried to run off a bit,” Brown said. “They got hooked and eyeballed another horse, but the pace ended up benefiting this filly. I wasn’t sure she would be able to make up that much ground, but the pace was fast enough that she was.

“I’ve always thought a lot of her. Early on last year I thought she was one of my best 2-year-old turf fillies, and she had a minor issue, so we rested her. She’s over that, and we’ll see if she can continue to develop.”

Bred in Great Britain by Rabbah Bloodstock, Oversubscribed is out of group-placed Cape Cross mare Zurigha. She was a $481,041 purchase at the 2021 Tattersalls October yearling sale.

Resolute Racing’s Sweet Rebecca, in post 6 with 122 pounds including Tyler Gaffalione, won her first two career starts in impressive fashion, rallying to a one-length, maiden score in March at Gulfstream Park for trainer Brendan Walsh.

She was purchased privately and won her debut for Brown in the listed Memories of Silver in April at Aqueduct but endured a difficult trip last out under Gaffalione when fifth in the 1 1/8-mile Wonder Again (G2), in which she bobbled around the five-sixteenths pole.

“She took a bad step on the turn and slipped badly. Tyler feared she was injured and didn’t persevere with her much, which I appreciated,” Brown said. “She’s training right along, and she’s a filly I have high hopes for.”

Bred in Kentucky by Mount Brilliant Farm and Ranch, Sweet Rebecca is out of Grade 2-placed Discreet Cat mare Sweet N Discreet. She is a full-sister to multiple turf-graded-stakes winner Sweet Melania.

Madaket Stables’ Goa, an also-eligible drawn in post 12 with 120 pounds including Manny Franco, could make her U.S. debut after winning a pair of synthetic starts this winter at Chantilly, France, for her former conditioner Nicolas Clément, including a nose score over Almara in the Prix de la Pistole last out on March 14. Birthe, third in that race, subsequently captured the listed Prix Caravelle at Toulouse and the Prix Saint-Alary (G2) at ParisLongchamp.

Goa, an Irish-bred daughter of No Nay Never out of Galileo mare Music In My Heart, has trained steadily over the Oklahoma dirt training track, including a half-mile breeze Saturday in 50.0.

“She’s a nice filly, a touch high-strung in a very manageable way. Her works have been steady and consistent,” Brown said. “She appears to have a nice turn-of-foot. She’s settled into our program nicely, and I’m excited to get her a run. Will she need one run to acclimatize? Possibly against this group, but she certainly measures up on ability based on what I’ve seen in the morning.”

Resolute Racing also will be represented by graded-stakes winner Pounce, in post 8 with 124 pounds including Dylan Davis, for trainer Mark Casse.

The Lookin At Lucky bay sports a ledger of 6: 3-0-1 led by a last-to-first score in the one-mile Herecomesthebride (G3) in March at Gulfstream Park. She followed with an off-the-board effort in the Appalachian (G2) in April at Keeneland and was a pacesetting third last out May 31 in the Penn Oaks.

Pounce, first campaigned by Quintessential Racing Florida and Hat Creek Racing, was bought in February for $370,000 at the Fasig-Tipton digital selected sale.

Trainer Jack Sisterson will hope to saddle a pair of contenders in Vive Veuve, in post 4 with 122 pounds including Ramón Vázquez, and also eligible In Our Time, in post 13 with 118 pounds including Romero Maragh.

Sterling Stables’ Vive Veuve, by Collected, notched a pair of turf wins at Gulfstream Park during the winter, graduating at fifth asking in February traveling one mile and following with a three-quarter-length score in the 7 1/2-furlong listed Sanibel Island in March. Those were preceded by a strong third in a one-mile-and-70-yard maiden special weight in November on the Gulfstream synthetic.

Vive Veuve stretched out to nine furlongs under Javier Castellano last out in the Wonder Again (G2), rallying wide through the final turn to reach second position but could not sustain her bid and finished third one length behind victorious Segesta.

“The nine furlongs in the Wonder Again was a bit too far for her. She ranged up like she was going to win the race and then flattened out a bit,” Sisterson said. “She’s done well from day 1. She hit the front in that Tapeta race and looked like she was going to win and got a bit tired, so she had a bunch of time, and she trained like a filly who wanted to try listed company.

“She’s always been a forward type of filly, so I think you can have her anywhere in the race, and she kind of places herself.”

Sisterson-owned In Our Time, by Not This Time, was bought for $325,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale. She graduated on debut in March in a six-furlong, maiden claimer over the Gulfstream dirt and followed with a close second in a 7 1/2-furlong turf optional-claimer at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., oval.

In Our Time will be back from a short rest should she draw in following a sixth-place finish in Friday’s listed Coronation Cup at Saratoga, where she was steadied near the furlong marker while trying to make her move from the top of the stretch.

“She didn’t get a good trip (in the Coronation Cup),” Sisterson said. “She broke fine, and then she got stuck down on the rail. I think she definitely would have been third. She came out of the race in good shape, is energetic and eating good, so it wasn’t a taxing race, and she seems like she’s fine. I think she handled seven-and-a-half (furlongs) fine at Gulfstream, and she went quick on the lead. With the way she switched off and relaxed in the Coronation Cup, a mile will be fine for us.”

Trainer Bill Mott will send out Gala Brand in post 5 with 120 pounds including José Lezcano, the winner of last year’s With Anticipation (G3) against males at Saratoga. Mott also has Magic Cross in post 10 with 120 pounds including Júnior Alvarado making her first start since a frontrunning score in the off-the-turf P.G. Johnson on Aug. 30 at the Spa.

A talented overflow field includes D. Wayne Lukas-trained turf debutante Lemon Muffin, post 9, 124 pounds, Ricardo Santana Jr., winner of the Honeybee (G3) in February at Oaklawn; Todd Pletcher-trained Manama Gold, post 3, 124, John Velázquez, a turf debutante whose best result came with a win in the UAE Oaks (G3) in February at Meydan for Fawzi Nass; graded-stakes-placed Gavea, post 1, 118, Brian Hernandez Jr., for trainer Al Stall Jr.; multiple stakes winner De Regreso, post 7, 122, Manny Franco, for conditioner Antonio Sano; and two-time winner Golden Degree, also-eligible post 11, 118, Lezcano, for trainer Linda Rice.

The Lake George is slated as the 10th of Saturday’s 12 races, and it is scheduled for 5:38 p.m. EDT. The first post is at 12:35.