Impressive debut efforts were everywhere over the course of August 6-9th, with horses like Dreaming of Julia, Overanalyze, and Jump for Kitten stamping themselves as ones to watch in the near future.
August 6th
Race 1: Maiden Special Weight
6-1/2 furlongs for 2yo fillies
Stonestreet Stable had already sent out the promising debut winners Kauai Katie and Teen Pauline earlier in the Saratoga meet, but they may have saved their best for last -- or at least most recently -- when the unveiled Dreaming of Julia. The daughter of A.P. Indy showed speed from the start under John Velazquez and drew off from there to win by 10 1/2 lengths in 1:16.48. Form Fitting overcame a poor start to finish a clear second, but was never a threat to the winner. Neon Moon raced evenly throughout to secure third-place.
Race 5: Maiden Claiming
5-1/5 furlongs for 2yo fillies
Fierce was favored for trainer Wesley Ward, but the filly tired badly after chasing the early pace and wound up finishing last. In the meantime, Over the Counter was able to rally from fourth-place to win the race in the final stride, making up 3 1/2 lengths inside the final eighth of a mile to win by a nose in 1:04.79. Laguna Girl tracked My Kinda Party through fractions of :22.01 and :45.46 before outfinishing that one for second, and nearly winning the race herself.
Race 7: Maiden Special Weight
5-1/2 furlongs for New York-bred 2yos
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez had the favorite in Lucci the Lion, a first-timer starter by Lion Heart. The colt lived up to expectations, breaking on top at the start, running the opening quarter mile in :21.85 and coasting to a 2 1/2-length triumph. He did race a bit greenly around the turn, attempting to drift outward, but jockey Ramon Dominguez expertly kept him under control and brought him home in 1:04.86. Maintainer tracked the pace throughout in second, but failed to seriously challenge the winner at any point in the race. Ultimate Empire rallied from seventh to finish third with a strong run that suggested he might be one to watch in the future.
August 8th
Race 1: Maiden Special Weight
5 furlongs for New York-bred 2yo fillies
Kitty Panda was the mild favorite for trainer Christophe Clement, and the filly rewarded her backers with an impressive 1 1/4-length victory. With Julien Leparoux aboard, the filly settled into the fourth position early on before putting in a strong rally in the homestretch to win in decisive fashion, stopping the clock in :58.45. Shea Darby set fractions of :22.12 and :45.76 seconds and led past the sixteenth pole, but tired late and succumbed to the favorite while finishing three lengths clear of the rest of the field. Physical Delivery rallied from 10 1/2 lengths behind to finish third for trainer Chad Brown.
Race 3: Maiden Claiming
5-1/2 furlongs for 2yo fillies
It isn't too often that Todd Pletcher runs a first-timer starter in a maiden claiming race, but bettors obviously believed that his filly My Emma was the class of the field, and she most certainly was. With John Velazquez aboard, My Emma dueled hard with Elena's Masters through fractions of :22.21 and :46.22 before kicking clear of her rival to lead by three lengths passing the eighth pole. Patty Anne Sissy put in a good run from 11 1/2 lengths behind, but failed by just 1 3/4 lengths to catch My Emma, who held on to win the race in 1:05.57 seconds. Open Mic also rallied well to finish third, but was unable to match strides with Patty Anne Sissy in the homestretch.
August 9th
Race 2: Maiden Claiming
5-1/2 furlongs for 2yos
It took him a while, but jockey Kent Desormeaux finally got his first winner of the meet when he guided first-timer starter Nubin Ridge to a clear victory in this maiden claimer. Trainer by Merrill Scherer, the colt was content to settle into fifth early on, seven lengths off of a :22.29-second opening quarter mile. He then made a strong run around the turn to reach contention as the field turned for home, eventually wearing down Summer Revival to win by two lengths in 1:05.36. The latter colt helped set the early pace and fought on gamely when challenged by the winner turning for home, but proved second best while finishing 7 1/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field. Yankee Mickey raced evenly for third.
Race 3: Maiden Special Weight
5 furlongs for 2yos
Todd Pletcher . . . Mike Repole . . . John Velazquez. When those three team up, you had better watch out. They struck again in this race when they unleashed Overanalyze, a son of Dixie Union with a very bright future. After an alert start, the colt grabbed the early lead and set fractions of :22.20 and :45.61 before turning back a challenge from fellow Pletcher-trainee Nevada to win the race in :57.48 seconds. Nevada settled off of the early pace and put in a good run to finish five lengths clear of everyone else, but never seriously challenged the winner for the victory. Royal Art showed no early speed whatsoever, but finished with a mild run to finish a decisive third.
Race 5: Maiden Special Weight
5-1/2 furlongs on turf for 2yos
Jump for Kitten was the favorite for trainer Wesley Ward, jockey Ramon Dominguez, and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey -- a group that must be respected whenever they send out a runner. Jump for Kitten lived up to expectations, rallying from third place to win by a neck in 1:03.38. The son of Kitten's Joy has a strong pedigree that suggests he could stretch out around two turns sometime in the near future. Sayaad tracked the pace in second for much of the race before striking the front in the vicinity of the quarter pole; however, despite turning in an exceptional performance, he was nailed by the winner at the finish. Asunder rallied well up the rail to finish third for trainer Graham Motion and owner Team Valor International and appears to be one to watch in the future.
-Keelerman
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