Saratoga opening day: De La Rose is split into 2 divisions

Thursday’s listed, $135,000 De La Rose, a one-mile inner turf test restricted to older fillies and mares who have not won a graded stake in 2024-25, drew enough interest to be split into two divisions on Thursday’s opening-day card of the summer meet at Saratoga.

Trainers Saffie Joseph Jr. and Miguel Clement have entered a formidable contender in each division, which are slated for Races 5 and 8, with main bodies of eight.

Click here for Saratoga entries and results.

In Our Time tops the first division in race 5. The daughter of Not This Time seeks to rebound from a last-out sixth in the 1 1/16-mile listed Sand Springs on March 29 at Gulfstream Park, where she stalked the pace and made a three-wide bid before weakening and finishing 5 1/4 lengths behind stablemate Movin’ On Up, who is entered in the second division.

"She is coming off the layoff. Last time was a bit of a disappointing run, it was probably one race too many after a good series,” Joseph said. “We backed off of her and gave her a freshening. She seems to have come along well and we are giving this a try." 

In Our Time began the year with a pair of strong efforts in graded company at Gulfstream Park, beginning with a 1 3/4-length third to the Joseph-trained Be Your Best in the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational in January going 1 1/16 miles. She flashed her usual early speed under Edwin Gonzalez and dug in while swinging four-wide into the lane, but was overtaken by Sacred Wish and Be Your Best in the stretch. The effort was awarded a field-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.

The 4-year-old Not This Time filly went on to finish a pacesetting second in the Grade 3 Honey Fox when cut back to one mile on March 1. She seeks her first win since a 3 1/2-length annexing of the 1 1/16-mile Cellars Shiraz in November at the Hallandale Beach oval when stretched out beyond sprint distances for the first time.

Joseph said early speed is the filly’s best asset.

"I think she runs her best races on the lead,” Joseph said. “Ideally, we would like to put her on the lead." 

Initially trained by Jack Sisterson through her first three outings, In Our Time moved to the Joseph barn in August and has finished on the board in five of seven starts since, including an optional-claiming win over the Saratoga outer turf sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs in her first outing for this barn.

Clement is represented in the first division by Les Reys, who makes her first start off a more than eight-month layoff dating to an even fifth-place finish in the Valley View (G2) in October at Keeneland.

Clement said Les Reys likely would enjoy a bit of give in the ground, which she did not get at Keeneland last out.

“I’m not sure she was one hundred percent ready that day,” Clement said. “She didn’t quite let herself down as well as I thought she should. It was very speed-favoring at Keeneland and I am a touch worried about this course being so fast at the moment, but I do think we have a little rain in the forecast coming up.

The Penny’s Picnic 4-year-old began her career in her native France with conditioner Didier Guillemin, for whom she won 3-of-7 starts, including the Prix Volterra last June at Longchamp in her last overseas outing.

She then moved stateside to the barn of the late Christophe Clement and showed no signs of rust off the bench, taking the Listed Winter Memories going this distance in September by a half-length over Ori. Third-place finisher Dynamic Pricing has since stamped herself as a top contender in the older filly and mare turf division, exiting that race to take the Beaugay (G3) and Just a Game (G1).

Clement said Les Reys has come back from her freshening ready to roll.

“She’s training lights out and is a very talented filly,” Clement said. “She has an explosive turn of foot and at the moment, I think she’s sitting on a good one. She’s a stronger, better model and we gave her plenty of time and she’s come back and rewarded us. I’m very bullish and I’m very excited to see her run.”

Completing the field for the first division are dual Argentine Group 1 winner Edict for trainer David Donk, Group 3 winner Heredia for trainer Graham Motion; graded stakes-placed Way to Be Marie for trainer Rob Atras; stakes winners Deep Satin for trainer Cherie DeVaux and On Command for conditioner Amelia Green and stakes-placed Alluring Angel for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The field for the first division in race 5 is as follows. Weigh the Risks and Maggy’s Palace are entered for the main track only.

Movin’ On Up represents Joseph in the second division in race 8, and she enters from a stalking third in the Mint Julep (G3) on June 1 at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old Accelerate filly has won or finished third in each of her last four starts, including an optional-claiming score March 15 going this distance at Gulfstream en route to a Sand Springs score by three lengths over Five Towns. That effort, which came with a stalk-and-pounce trip engineered by Edgard Zayas, was awarded a career-best 93 Beyer.

"She is tactical. She likes and she runs best when she's kind of covered up,” Joseph said. “She's in good form. She had some troubled trips the last couple, too. Hopefully this time she gets a cleaner trip." 

Movin’ On Up has one Saratoga start, a stalking fourth in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G2) going 1 3/16 miles last year. She boasts a consistent 12: 5-1-2 record with $396,960 in earnings.

Movin’ On Up is the first foal to race from the winning Cairo Prince mare Stifle Yourself, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning turfer Harvey’s Lil Goil, Grade 3-placed Archie the Giza and Gosger, runner-up in this year’s Preakness.

Clement saddles Ozara, who was last seen finishing a game third in the Eatontown (G3) on June 14 at Monmouth Park. There, she tracked in last of five early, made a sweeping four-wide move in the turn to loom large down the lane but was outkicked by the victorious Whiskey Decision. 

“She was a bit unlucky there the other day,” Clement said. “Mr. Dobson (of owner Cheyenne Stable) loves supporting New York racing, so this is the plan. Even though we are going down a grade here, it’s not going down in competition whatsoever.”

The 4-year-old Lope de Vega bay boasts two stakes wins after taking the 7 1/2-furlong Wait a While in December 2023 at Gulfstream and the Monroe going 1 1/16 miles over the same oval in April. Her other graded placing was a third in the Herecomesthebride (G3) last March at Gulfstream.

Spinning Colors looks to double up on stakes wins after a last-out score in the 1 1/16-mile state-bred Mount Vernon on June 4 at Saratoga.

The daughter of Hard Spun set mild fractions over the firm footing and never looked back, digging in down the stretch to post the 2 1/2-length win over Silver Skillet. Spinning Colors has had the early lead in each of her last five outings, which also included a determined neck win in a February optional claimer at Gulfstream and a fading seventh in the Sand Springs.

Spinning Colors has banked $362,210 through a 14-5-2-1 record.

Completing the field are stakes winner Poca Mucha for Mott; stakes-placed Storm Miami for trainer Brendan Walsh and three-time winners Charlottesapproval for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, Fun With Flags for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown and Do Gooder for trainer Jena Antonucci.

The field for the second division in race 8 is as follows. Bernietakescharge, Zadorsky and Prides Crossing are entered for the main track only.