A well-bred group of 2-year-old fillies will face off Aug. 10 in the $200,000 Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course, with 5-2 morning line favorite Angela Renee taking on Take Charge Brandi and the undefeated Vivian Da Bling.
Angela Renee is among a trio of debut winners from Belmont Park entered in the 6 1/2-furlong test, which co-anchors a 10-race card along with the $200,000 Toyota Saratoga Special (gr. II) for 2-year-old colts. Both will be covered by The Jockey Club Tour on FOX from 5 to 6:30 p.m. EDT on FOX Sports 1.
Trainer Todd Pletcher stretches Angela Renee out after a five-furlong maiden score for Siena Farm. The daughter of Bernardini , a full sister to 2012 Woodward (gr. I) winner To Honor and Serve , won her unveiling by 2 1/2 lengths June 27.
"I thought (her debut) was very professional and very straightforward," Pletcher said. "She had trained very well and she has a pedigree that suggests that she wants to run further, yet she was able to win going short. I think that speaks of her quality and class, and the added distance should only be to her benefit."
Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez guides Angela Renee from post 3.
Take Charge Brandi also claims famous relations, coming from the same female family as defending 3-year-old champion Will Take Charge . The Giant's Causeway filly dueled with eventual winner Fashion Alert through sizzling fractions in the six-furlong Schuylerville (gr. III) before being overtaken late and finishing 1 1/2 lengths back.
Trained by D. Wayne Lukas for Willis Horton, Take Charge Brandi will be ridden by Corey Lanerie from post 4. She is out of Charming, a half sister to Will Take Charge out of champion mare Take Charge Lady.
(On Aug. 5, Lukas purchased Take Charge Brandi's half sister, a War Front filly, for $1.25 million to top the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale.)
Blood-Horse Staff: War Front Filly is New Sale-Topper at $1.25M
Another from the trio of Belmont maiden-breakers is Wonder Gal, who demolished a New York-bred field in the Lynbrook Stakes at six furlongs. The daughter of Tiz Wonderful did not show the typical speed of an odds-on juvenile—lagging eight lengths behind the field in the early going—but validated her odds by drawing off to win by 14 1/2 lengths.
"She's doing great; she breezed very well a couple days ago," said Leah Gyarmati, who trains Wonder Gal for Treadway Racing Stable—the same owner and trainer that sent out Sweet Reason to victory in the Aug. 2 Longines Test (gr. I). "I think she wants to go long, but she was very impressive sprinting (in the Lynbrook). She's a big filly. She's not slow or anything in her breezes, but she's not some speedy thing that takes off from the pole. She's a very relaxed, laid-back filly, so her running style fits her personality."
Taylor Rice has the return call on Wonder Gal, 3-1 on the morning line. The pair will break from the rail.
Cavorting debuted July 3 at Belmont in a four-horse field for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and Stonestreet Stables. The daughter of Bernardini , bet down to even money, exploded from the gate and took the field wire to wire to prevail by 11 lengths.
Cavorting was purchased for $360,000 as a weanling from the 2012 Keeneland November breeding stock sale and has had two breezes since arriving in Saratoga, most recently going five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 Aug. 2.
"(Her debut) was a 'wow' race," said McLaughlin. "She's a very nice filly. She's trained great since and is doing well. You don't anticipate one running like that, but we've always liked her. She came in from Florida ready to go, and she's done everything right."
Cavorting, 7-2 on the morning line, will break from post 5 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard.
Undefeated Vivian Da Bling goes in search of her third straight victory in the Adirondack, but steps into the deepest company she's had to face to date. The Louisiana-bred daughter of Too Much Bling debuted June 15 at Lone Star Park for trainer Bret Calhoun and won by 9 1/2 lengths. She followed with an equally impressive encore, taking the TTA Sales Futurity by 6 1/4 lengths.
Rosie Napravnik has the mount aboard Vivian Da Bling, 4-1 on the morning line, from post 6.
Rounding out the field are Phoenix Park, who broke her maiden at Parx Racing in her first and only start, and Empressive Humor, who took her debut by a neck on July 23 at Saratoga.
Adirondack S. (gr. II)
Saratoga Race Course , Sunday, August 10, 2014, Race 9
- 6 1/2f
- Dirt
- $200,000
- 2 yo Fillies
- 5:27 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Weight | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wonder Gal (NY) | Taylor B. Rice | 122 | Leah Gyarmati |
| 2 | Phoenix Park (KY) | Javier Castellano | 118 | James J. Toner |
| 3 | Angela Renee (KY) | John R. Velazquez | 118 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 4 | Take Charge Brandi (KY) | Corey J. Lanerie | 118 | D. Wayne Lukas |
| 5 | Cavorting (KY) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 118 | Kiaran P. McLaughlin |
| 6 | Vivian Da Bling (LA) | Rosie Napravnik | 122 | W. Bret Calhoun |
| 7 | Empressive Humor (KY) | Joel Rosario | 118 | Steven M. Asmussen |
