Saratoga: The Queens M G wins again, this time in Adirondack

After scoring at 44-1 on opening day, The Queens M G doubled her stakes tally at Saratoga while making the grade impressively in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Adirondack, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies.

Owned by C2 Racing Stable and Mathis Stable and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., the Thousand Words dark bay entered off a 2 3/4-length score in the six-furlong, listed Schuylerville on July 11 at Saratoga. A surprise winner last out after misfiring in the Astoria on June 6 at the Spa, The Queens M G confirmed the effort was no fluke with an impressive victory in the Adirondack. She is 3-for-4 lifetime with all her wins coming from an outside draw.

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“She wasn’t 40-1, so the pressure was on. I thought today we would see if we had a legit horse or not,” Joseph said. “Last time she had one work, and she wasn’t really supposed to win. It was a big shock that she won coming off such a bad race. Today coming back in three weeks off one work, she was as fit as she could get. You can’t get fitter than today.” 

Piloted by Dylan Davis, who returned to ride after the last-out upset win, The Queens M G broke sharply from outermost post 7, but it was Anakarina who shot to the front to her inside. Anakarina vied for the early lead with Astoria winner Whatintheliteral but was able to maintain command through an opening quarter-mile in 21.42 seconds over the fast main track. 

“Outside post again, and I could really sit off it and let her do what she wants. She was more aggressive coming out of there on a hot pace,” Davis said. “She’s able to settle, and she’s really versatile. She just waits for my cue and responds.”

Dare to Breeze tracked Anakarina up the backside, and The Queen’s M G settled into a stalking position in the three path. Post-time favorite Italian Soirée raced close behind under Flavien Prat to the outside of Whatintheliteral as the field traveled through the turn going a half-mile in 44.57 seconds. 

At the quarter pole the early pacesetter dropped off, and Dare to Breeze inherited the lead with an early move. The Queens M G was kicking into gear under a motionless Davis. When straightened for home, Davis gave his charge her cue as Italian Soirée also looked to get going.

Davis said he was not worried about Dare to Breeze, who won by 6 1/4 lengths at Saratoga on July 13, taking over at this stage.

“I was just riding her, and I knew she would show up for me. Just keeping in mind with the six-and-a-half that someone could be having a really good trip behind me to make a nice run late. I just bided my time,” Davis said.

The Queens M G surged away from the field impressively and began to pour it on after three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.80. Italian Soirée only could watch from second as The Queens M G crossed the finish line nine lengths in front with a final time of 1:17.83. 

It was another three lengths back to Atomic City in third with Dare to Breeze rounding out the superfecta. Aguas de Cristal, who lunged at the break, Anakarina, and Whatintheliteral completed the order of finish. Social Fortress and White Sands were scratched.

Joseph said the talented filly likely will contest the seven-furlong, $300,000 Spinaway (G1) at the Spa on Aug. 31. It is part of the Breeders’ Cup dirt dozen series building to the Juvenile Fillies championship Nov. 1 at Del Mar. 

“She won the last stake, and from there it was always carry to this stake. Why are we going to let them catch up? We’re ahead right now, and we don’t want them to catch up,” Joseph said. “I think we take the same approach. We distanced ourselves more, so something new is going to have to beat us, or we’re going to have to regress quite a bit.”

Joseph won his third stakes of the meet. He scored not only opening day with The Queens M G but also with Spirit Wind in the Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) on July 24. He was particularly impressed with Sunday’s effort. 

“She’s drawn outside all three times, so that’s been to her advantage. She showed a new dimension, because she sat off a couple horses, and she quickened,” Joseph said. “Today was her best by far. Last time she won but today was a different level.”

Prat said John Terranova-trained Italian Soirée was game when facing a classy rival in just her second outing. 

“I was traveling very well all the way around, but the winner, obviously it was her fourth run. My horse, it was only her second. When I tipped her out, she couldn’t sustain that pace, but she ran a good race,” Prat said.

The Queens M G, out of the Grindstone mare Show Queen, was a $3,500 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale before being bought privately after a victorious debut at 45-1 odds for trainer Israel Acevedo in April at Keeneland. She is the first graded winner for freshman sire Thousand Words. 

Bred in Kentucky by T.F. VanMeter, Samuel Hernandez, Jesús Torres and Justin Vinalay, The Queens M G banked $110,000 in victory and improved her lifetime record to 4: 3-0-0.

The Queens M G returned $7.20 on a $2 win wager.