(from Philadelphia Park report)
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will send the promising Saarlight as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the $200,000 Jostle Stakes at Philadelphia Park June 13.
Twelve 3-year-old fillies are set to tussle in the third renewal of the 6 1/2-furlong main track event. The eighth race on the program, the Jostle is set for 3:22 ET.
Owned by Cam Allard, Saarlight, a late-developing daughter of Saarland, was unraced at 2. After losing her special weight debut at Aqueduct in February, she broke her maiden winning the $50,000 Wide Country Stakes at Laurel in early March. She made her first graded start last time out and ran second as a beaten favorite in the Nassau County (gr. III) at Belmont Park May 2. Richard Migliore will come down for the ride.
The multiple graded winner Mani Bhavan is also entered. The Storm Boot filly, who races for Puglisi Racing and Michael Ryan, had a sensational 2-year-old season, winning three of four starts and banking $264,000.
Mani Bhavan debuted last July at Delaware Park and quickly dispatched a field of special weight fillies by better than nine lengths. Trainer Steve Klesaris then took her to Saratoga where she went gate to wire at odds of 8-1 to win by seven in the Adirondack Stakes (gr. II). She went gate to wire and won by seven. Bet down to 3-5 for the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I), she again broke on in front and led throughout to win the seven-furlong test by 1 1/2 lengths.
After a seventh-place finish in Keeneland's Alcibiades (gr. I) and a winter's freshening, Mani Bhavan returned to the races at Pimlico May 15 in the Adena Stallions Miss Preakness Stakes (gr. III). She finished last in the field of five and was eased at the end. Rosie Napravnik has been named to ride.
There's a host of other interesting possibilities including the Mark Shuman trainee Cinderella's Wish, who was beaten by just as head as a fast-closing second in the Miss Preakness.
Bold Union is a multiple stakes winner out of the Kelly Breen barn who is coming off a runner-up finish to Jostle rival On the Menu in the Just Smashing Stakes at Monmouth. On the Menu is out of the always tough Larry Jones barn.
Union City, trained by Tony Dutrow, was outstanding in her sophomore debut, crushing a first level allowance field over the local track.
$200,000 Jostle Stakes (Race 8, 3:22 p.m.), 3-Year-Old Fillies, 6 1/2 Furlongs
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, ML Odds
1. Mani Bhavan (KY), A R Napravnik, 124, S Klesaris, 8/1
2. Cinderella's Wish (FL), F Lynch, 117, M Shuman, 5/1
3. She's a Wow (KY), 117, no rider, T F Ritchey, 15/1
4. Missunitednations (FL), F Pennington, 119, R E Reid, Jr., 12/1
5. Saarlight (KY), R Migliore, 124, K P McLaughlin, 3/1
6. Trusty Temper (KY), J Shepherd, 119, R W Werner, 20/1
7. Bold Union (KY), S Elliott, 124, K J Breen, 6/1
8. Northern Belle (KY), K Carmouche, 119, S Margolis, 12/1
9. Key Lime Baby (KY), J L Flores, 117, D Curry, 20/1
10. Union City (VA), D Cohen, 119, A W Dutrow, 8/1
11. On the Menu (KY), G Saez, 124, J L Jones, 9/2
12. Bandora (KY), J F Hampshire Jr., 117, R W Werner, 20/1