Stonestreet Stables' Teen Pauline had the crowd at Saratoga Race Course buzzing when she set a track record in her July 25 debut, running five furlongs in :56.53 seconds and earning a Beyer speed figure of 92.
On Sept. 2, the Steve Asmussen-trained runner will contest the 121st running of the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) against six other juvenile fillies. The lineup includes a talented pair from the barn of Todd Pletcher along with Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III) winner So Many Ways.
The historic Spa feature, which has been won by numerous champions including Ashado, Flanders, Meadow Star, and Ruffian, will be run as the 10th race on an 11-race card that also includes the $150,000 Saranac (gr. IIIT) for 3-year-olds on the grass.
Teen Pauline, a homebred by Tapit , will run as part of a coupled entry for Stonestreet with Dreaming of Julia, a daughter of A.P. Indy who won a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for Pletcher by 10 1/2 lengths in 1:16.48 on Aug. 6. The duo has been assigned 7-5 favoritism on the morning line.
Pletcher also saddles Wertheimer and Frere's Corail (pronounced Kor-EYE), by Indian Charlie, who debuted Aug. 1 in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint and won by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:04.52.
Heading into the Aug. 30 card, Pletcher had sent 2-year-olds into the starting gate 55 times and come away with 20 victories.
"They're both good-sized fillies I think will appreciate more distance down the road," Pletcher said of his runners. "They are similar in that both were very professional in their debuts and have tactical speed and the ability to stretch it out, we believe. I think they'll both be prominently placed early."
Teen Pauline will be ridden by Julien Leparoux from the rail, while Dreaming of Julia leaves post 6 under recent Hall of Fame inductee John Velazquez. Corail, who drew the 2 hole with Chris DeCarlo riding, was listed at 12-1.
So Many Ways got her second victory in as many starts in the Schuylerville (gr. III) July 20 at the Spa. Trained by Tony Dutrow for Maggie Moss, the Sightseeing filly finished 4 1/2 lengths in front of Baby J that day, who also comes back for the Spinaway.
With Javier Castellano in the irons, So Many Ways drew post 3 as the 3-1 third choice. Baby J, trained by Rick Dutrow Jr. for Paul Pompa Jr., will leave post 5 with Ramon Dominguez riding. The 8-1 shot comes off a third-place finish in the Schuylerville.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott heads into the Spinaway with Live Oak Plantation's Seasoned Warrior. The daughter of Majestic Warrior finished second to Baby J in June at Belmont Park, then broke her maiden by 3 3/4 lengths Aug. 12 at Saratoga going six furlongs.
"We were trying to get a race in her at Belmont so we would have her experienced to possibly win up here, and she did so in good style," said Mott. "We're looking forward to running her. She's nice to train, looks a lot like her daddy. Majestic Warrior marked her pretty well, and he broke his maiden up here and won the Hopeful, so maybe she can break her maiden up here and win the Spinaway."
Seasoned Warrior, the second choice at 5-2 on the morning line, breaks from the outside under Junior Alvarado.
Ice Wine Stable's Broken Vow filly Sweet Shirley Mae, fifth in the Schuylerville for trainer Wesley Ward and 15-1 on the morning line, completes the field from post 4 under Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux.
$300,000 Spinaway Stakes (gr. I, Race 10, 5:56 p.m.), 2YO Fillies, 7 Furlongs
PP., Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds
1. a-Teen Pauline (KY), J.R. Leparoux, S M Asmussen, 7-5
2. Corail (KY), C.P. DeCarlo, T A Pletcher, 12-1
3. So Many Ways (PA), J. Castellano, A W Dutrow, 3-1
4. Sweet Shirley Mae (KY), K.J. Desormeaux, W A Ward, 15-1
5. Baby J (KY), R.A. Dominguez, R E Dutrow Jr., 8-1
6. a-Dreaming of Julia, J.R. Velazquez, T A Pletcher, 7-5
7. Seasoned Warrior (FL), J. Alvarado, W I Mott, 5-2
All carry 119 pounds.
a-coupled entry
