Shadwell's $1 million filly Zainalarab debuts Saturday at Saratoga

Shadwell Stable's lucrative acquisition Zainalarab will make her career debut Saturday afternoon in a six-furlong maiden special weight over the main track at Saratoga Race Course.

Bred in Kentucky by International Equities Holding, the juvenile bay daughter of War Front was a $1 million acquisition from the Gainesway consignment barn at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Trained by Chad Brown, Zainalarab is the first progeny out of the graded stakes-winning Tapit broodmare Delightful Joy who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Cali Star. Both are out of graded stakes winner Graeme Six.

"She's a very nice filly and Chad is very excited about her," Shadwell Stable general manager Rick Nichols said. "She was absolutely gorgeous at the sale. Conformationally, she looked great and had a strong pedigree to go along with it. When you put those two together it's going to get pretty expensive."

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pilot Zainalarab from post 5.

Brown will also debut well-bred filly Always Carina in the same race.

Owned by Three Chimneys Farm, the dark bay daughter of Malibu Moon is the second progeny out of the More Than Ready broodmare Miss Always Ready, making her a half-sister to last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor, who also was trained by Brown.

The Kentucky homebred has trained forwardly for Brown heading into her debut and arrives at her maiden test off a sharp work from the gate, where she completed a half-mile in 47.20 seconds over the Saratoga main track.

Always Carina will pick up the riding services of Jose Ortiz from post 2.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle first-time starter Jouster, a bay daughter of Noble Mission.

Owned by Jack and Laurie Wolf's Starlight Racing, Jouster comes from a long line of prestigious distaffers. She is the first progeny out of the Street Cry mare Playtime, whose dam was 2002 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Storm Flag Flying making her a direct descendant of Hall of Famer and prolific broodmare Personal Ensign.

Jouster worked a sharp five-eighths from the gate on Sunday morning in 59.80.

"I was really pleased with her gate work the other day," Pletcher said. "For a filly who has the pedigree that suggests she should run two turns, she has quite a bit of natural speed. I'm looking forward to her debut."

Bred in Kentucky by St. Elias Stables, Jouster was purchased at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale for $360,000, where she was consigned by Lane's End.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez rides from post 3.