Saratoga Racetrack will host some graded races and we will cover those previews; starting with the G3 Saratoga Oaks, and Adirondack Stakes, stay tuned for the results!
Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational
After the boys, the girls. The $700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational is the second leg of the distaff Turf Triple, and whereas European form prevailed in the first leg at Belmont, the home team can level the rubber here.
Sunday’s mile-and-three-sixteenth test for three-year-old fillies on the weeds does have a European presence, but it isn’t in the same zip code as Belmont winner Santa Barbara. With that in mind, Belmont second and third Con Lima (7-2) and Higher Truth (5-1) are in the box seat for this one (Gam’s Mission (8-1) and Plum Ali (5-1) fourth and fifth that day). Only a nose separated them four weeks ago when Con Lima set out to make all at a leisurely amble but was just caught and Higher Truth closed late but just couldn’t get there. It is debatable whether Con Lima will be allowed to set such dawdling fractions this time and for that reason, Higher Truth, who will benefit from a faster pace, is taken to come out on top this time.
Her new stablemate at Chad Brown’s barn is the ex-Irish Rocky Sky (3-1), whose upset victory in a moderate Listed affair at Navan in April – runner-up, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth have not won a race between them since – is a long way removed from this level. They say Brown can do magic, but he’d need to be Harry Potter to get Rocky Sky home in this.
The best of the Europeans is Creative Flair (7-2), from the all-conquering Charlie Appleby yard, whose form when third in a Group 3 at Chantilly puts her in the frame here. She went from first to third in the last few strides there and will appreciate this quicker ground and slightly longer trip. Irish shipper Messidor (12-1) ran a game race when third in the mud at Royal Ascot but goes from handicap grade to Graded company now and that seems a leap too far, especially on ground that won’t help her.
| Horse | Jockey | Odds courtesy of JazzSports |
| HIGHER TRUTH | Jose L. Ortiz | +500 |
| MESSIDOR | John R. Velazquez | +1200 |
| GAM’S VISION | Luis Saez | +800 |
| PLUM ALI | Joel Rosario | +500 |
| CON LIMA | Flavien Prat | +350 |
| ROCKY SKY | Irad Ortiz. Jr | +300 |
| CREATIVE FLAIR | Mike E. Smith | +350 |
| OUT OF SORTS | Sheldon Russel | +1500 |
Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes
Future champion Vequist shone at Saratoga last year when winning the Grade 1 Spinaway, and now it’s her half-sister Mainstay’s turn in the $200,000 Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes for two-year-old fillies, over six and a half furlongs on the main track.
Mainstay (3-1) thrashed the opposition on her debut, winning by seven and three-quarter lengths at Monmouth Park, before chasing home Pretty Birdie in the Grade 2 Schuylerville Stakes at the Spa last month, going under by two lengths but more than five lengths clear of the third home, Saucy Lady T (20-1).
That is bona fide form, and Mainstay is a confident choice to return to winning ways at the chief expense of Microbiome (5-1), who turned in a scintillating show here on her debut when drawing off to win by five and a half lengths.
Ontheonesandtwos (5-2) and Wicked Halo (7-2) are closely matched on Churchill Downs form, just a half-length between them when second and third last time out, while Interstatedaydream (10-1) toughed it out like an old hand when making a winning debut at Belmont Stakes in June and won’t fail for lack of guts.
| Horse | Jockey | Odds Courtesy of JazzSports |
| J L’S ROCKETTE | Junior Alvarado | +1000 |
| ONTHEONESANDTWOS | Irad Ortiz. Jr | +250 |
| SAUCY LADY T | Manuel Franco | +2000 |
| SHESAWILDJOKER | John R. Velazquez | +1000 |
| BOSS LADY KIM | Ricardo Santana. Jr | +3000 |
| INTERSTATEDAYDREAM | Luis Saez | +1000 |
| WICKED HALO | Jose L. Ortiz | +350 |
| MAINSTAY | Joel Rosario | +300 |
| MICROBIOME | Tyler Gaffalione | +500 |
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