Saratoga: Mythical streaks into Spinaway, 1 of 3 graded stakes

Mythical brings a 3-for-3 record to the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway, a seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies, one of the three graded stakes Saturday at Saratoga.

The Spinaway offers a win-and-you're-in berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 31 Fillies at Del Mar.

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Trained by Jorge Delgado for owner-breeder Arindel, the Florida-bred bay by St Patrick’s Day has posted all of her wins in frontrunning fashion under Emisael Jaramillo while progressing up the distance and class ladder. She debuted in April at Gulfstream Park, scoring by 8 1/2 lengths in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden before a pair of local starts that saw her take the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont over males on June 5 and the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack (G3) against her own kind on Aug. 3.

The Monmouth Park-based Delgado said he is humbled to be bringing Mythical, who breaks from post 4 under Jaramillo, back to Saratoga for a third time.

“It's special to have a horse to be good enough to go to Saratoga and compete in these kind of races. We're just trying to embrace the moment,” Delgado said.

Mythical’s connections entered in the Tremont rather than take on fillies in the Astoria on the same card as they felt Mythical would be the controlling speed. That decision proved correct as she held a two-length advantage at the stretch call and crossed the wire in a final time of 1:03.57, 3 1/2 lengths better than Blinging It Back. It was another 7 3/4-lengths back to Romeo, who would win the Bashford Manor next out and subsequently sell for $1.7 million at the Fasig-Tipton July horses of racing age sale. That effort earned a field-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.

In the Adirondack, Mythical showed the way through splits of 21.99 and 44.86 seconds, stopping the clock in a final time of 1:17.20 while kept to task to score over returning rival Meringue.

Delgado said Mythical’s natural speed is an important asset.

“It's crazy how she does it. She's a small filly with a big heart. Once the bell rings, she just wants to go,” Delgado said. “She loves to run, and she does not want to get passed. She likes to win, and she knows where the wire is and enjoys it. She has really good chemistry with the jockey, who is a really good jockey from the gate. It's a perfect match.”

Delgado said he is hopeful that Mythical can continue to stretch her speed as she now tries seven furlongs for the first time.

“The way she trains and the way she gallops out in her breezes suggests she won't have any problem for only another half-furlong,” Delgado said. “We've increased (distance in her races) gradually. We knew after the Tremont that this was the ultimate goal for the summer. For this race, I've been working with her to stretch her, and she's been responding really well.

“In the gallop out of the Adirondack, she kept opening up lengths and she kept going easy,” Delgado added. “In the head-on (replay), you can see her open up a good six lengths from the second place and she did it easy.”

While Mythical did turn her head towards the grandstand in the stretch run of the Adirondack, Delgado said it was indicative of her curious nature and didn’t hamper the outcome.

“She likes to observe everything around her. When she walks in the shedrow, she looks at every horse and every gap. she likes to see what's going on,” Delgado said. “When she goes to the track for training, she'll stop a good three times to see what is going on. She's very smart – she knows what's going on and sometimes she knows too much. So, the jockey has to keep her mind on it – she runs straight, she doesn't lug out or in, she's pretty much like an arrow.”

Delgado said he expects Mythical will once again be on the lead in Saturday’s Grade 1 tilt.

“We know what our game plan is, and I think everyone else does. Whoever wants to go with her, they're welcome, but I don't think it's the best idea,” Delgado said.

Mythical is out of winning Brethren mare Lailoni. Her second dam is the Grade 3-winning New York-bred Dat You Miz Blue.

The Spinaway is slated as race 11 at 5:38 p.m. EDT.

Be Your Best wheels back in Flower Bowl

Be Your Best returns off three weeks’ rest in search of a Breeders’ Cup berth in the $500,000 Flower Bowl (G2), a 1 3/8-mile, inner-turf test for older fillies and mares at Saratoga.

The Flower Bowl, the 10th race on Saturday's card at Saratoga, awards a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. It starts at 5:02 p.m. EDT.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for owner-breeder Michael Ryan, Be Your Best was last seen posting a prominent third-place finish in the Beverly D. (G2) on Aug. 9 at Colonial Downs. There, she sat off the pace set by Charlene’s Dream through splits of 23.78, 48.30 and 1:11.63 over the firm turf with a gap back to the rest of the field. Those two battled it out down the stretch before Charlene’s Dream kicked clear to victory while Spanish Eyes rallied late to take place honors by a neck over Be Your Best.

Joseph said Be Your Best was likely hindered by pressing the pace.

“I thought she ran well in the Beverly D., it’s just it kind of became a tricky race pace wise,” Joseph reflected. “We took back and let the other horse go and that horse kept going. We didn’t think that other filly could go the distance, but she did. I think we compromised our horse a little bit by giving up the lead, but hindsight is always 20-20 and we’ll move forward now and hopefully she can rebound in this race. She’s doing well and training well, so we’ll give it a shot.”

Joseph added he chose to bring the 5-year-old daughter of Muhaarar back on short rest because of the Flower Bowl’s status as a win and you're in event. She worked three-eighths in 38 seconds flat on Aug. 24 over the Saratoga main track.

“She’s doing well and had a work,” Joseph said. "She’s coming back quick from the Beverly D., but she seems like she bounced out well and this is a win and you're in, so that plays into it.”

Be Your Best has put together a short but strong campaign this year, beginning with a neck victory in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational (G2) in January at Gulfstream Park and following two starts later with her first Grade 1 victory in the nine-furlong Gamely in May at Santa Anita Park.

The consistent mare began her career with trainer Horacio De Paz, and moved to the Joseph barn last fall, leading to her first graded victory at second asking for her current trainer when a nose winner of the Long Island (G3) going this distance in November at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Be Your Best makes her first Saratoga start for Joseph but ran well at the Spa for De Paz in four outings, highlighted by a pair of 1 1/16-mile wins to begin her career as a juvenile in 2022 with a debut graduation and a 3 3/4-length victory in the listed P.G. Johnson.

“She’s had a very good year. To win the Pegasus Turf with her and then to get that Grade 1, that was important on her resume,” Joseph said. “She’s got a high cruising speed and she does stay, so hopefully the turf will be firm. We know she likes it there already, we just need it to be firm.”

Edgard Zayas, who engineered the Pegasus victory and a one-length score in the Suwannee River (G3) in December at Gulfstream, will return to the irons from post 7.

Delightful Claire steps up for Prioress

Delightful Claire was an impressive winner last out and has serious potential in the $175,000 Prioress (G3), a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. 

Trained by Phil Bauer for Rigney Racing, the Thousand Words chestnut graduated last out by an eased-up 9 1/4 lengths against elders in a seven-furlong maiden special weight on Aug. 2 at Saratoga. Delightful Claire was making her second career start after a one-length third to next-out allowance winner Princess Proud sprinting six furlongs on June 8 at Churchill Downs.

Delightful Claire’s recent prominent score under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario stopped the clock at 1:22.77, faster than the 1:23.10 clocking for Kilwin’s score five races later in the Test (G1), earning a career and field-best 95 Beyer.

“I don’t think you can ever expect them to run like that, but I was glad to see that she did,” Bauer said. “We always thought she had a ton of ability. We were mildly disappointed that she didn’t win her first time out, but she ran a great race and it looks like it was a good maiden. We think there is better ahead for her, that is why we are being bold with going right into the graded stakes.”  

Exactly one year before Delightful Claire won at second asking, on Aug. 2, 2024, Bauer sent out Two Sharp to graduate second-out by 11 1/4 lengths sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga. She exited to run a close second when cutting back slightly in the Prioress. 

“We did the same thing last year with Two Sharp,” said Bauer. “Delightful Claire likes it here and any time you can pick up graded black type, it is a good thing.” 

Bauer said Delightful Claire, who starts from post 3 under Luan Machado, looks like she could stretch back out in the future. 

“I think so. We are caught in a situation with the calendar, with this stakes landing right in our lap, so we’ll try it,” Bauer said. “She is probably good enough to handle six furlongs, but may appreciate more ground.” 

Delightful Claire, a $250,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky select yearling sale, is out of the Grade 3-placed Maria’s Mon mare Izshelegal. Her half-brother Crazy Mason won the Carter (G2) in April at Aqueduct and recently closed for third in the Forego (G1) on Aug. 23.

The Prioress is slated as race 7 at 3:17 p.m. EDT.