Serengeti Empress fires Saratoga bullet in Test Stakes breeze

Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress drilled through a half-mile in 47.60 seconds on the Saratoga main track Sunday in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test on August 3.

The Joel Politi-owned daughter of posted the bullet from 102 recorded works at the distance in her penultimate breeze toward the Test.

"Serengeti Empress shows her hand in her workouts in the morning and since we've been up here, she has done very, very well," said trainer Tom Amoss. "This workout was another in a serious of good and enthusiastic workouts by her signaling to me that she's ready."

Amoss said the speedy Serengeti Empress always exerts plenty of energy in her breezes.

"With her, she puts a great deal into her workouts whenever she works out. She likes her job and she's quick, she's athletic," Amoss said. "This workout is not harder or easier than any of the others that we use going into the Test. That's just how she works.

"You won't see her in company with another horse. There's no need for that. She is plenty fit. The workout pattern will be very similar to what you've seen since we got up here."

Serengeti Empress raced at Saratoga in her second career start, finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Schuylerville. She has since won three graded stakes with a flashy victory in the Grade 2 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs, which she won by 19 ½ lengths, as well as a 4 ½-length win in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds, two starts before her win in the Kentucky Oaks.

"She gets over the track well. Not all of them do," said Amoss. "Some of them need time to adapt to it, but she's never been a victim of that. Since day one, she's got over the track in good fashion."

Amoss will look for his first Grade 1 win at the Spa since Heritage of Gold won the Go for Wand in 2000.

"It's tough to win a Grade 1 anywhere, but obviously Saratoga, if you're going to win a Grade 1 here, you better bring your lunch pail with you," said Amoss. "She's going to bring her lunch pail, so hopefully it works out."