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Distaffers take center stage on Travers undercard
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| Sassy Image faces a tough field in the Ballerina
(Jim Lisa Photos) |
With two Grade 1 wins under her girth so far this year, SASSY IMAGE
(Broken Vow) looks like the filly to beat in Saturday's $250,000
Ballerina S. (G1) at Saratoga.
The seven-furlong contest headlines the filly and mare undercard
features on Travers Day, with the $200,000
Ballston Spa S. (G2) scheduled two races before and the $100,000
Victory Ride S. (G3) leading up to the Ballerina.
Sassy Image will enter the Ballerina off three consecutive graded
scores, having taken the Humana Distaff S. (G1) at Churchill Downs on
Kentucky Derby Day, the Winning Colors S. (G3) three weeks later under
the Twin Spires and the Princess Rooney H. (G1) at Calder on July 9.
Shipped up to Saratoga after the Princess Rooney, the Dale Romans charge
has fired two bullet works over the main track, most recently covering
five furlongs in :58 3/5 on August 20.
"She's training phenomenal," said Romans, who trains the
four-year-old miss for his brother, Jerry Romans. "She had a super
breeze the other day and when she works like that, she usually runs
well. I couldn't be happier with her."
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Sassy Image only raced twice as a sophomore, taking the off-the-turf
Sweetest Chant S. before running a one-paced fifth in the Davona Dale S.
(G2), but has more than made up for that light season with five starts
already this campaign.
"Her three-year-old year was lost to some aches and pains," her trainer
explained. "Nothing major, but it ended up taking a lot more time than we
expected, and we did a minor throat surgery early this year, and that seemed to
make all the difference in the world. This year she's just gotten really good. I
think she's a better middle-distance horse, even a little further than
seven-eighths probably. I haven't completely ruled out stretching her back out
some day."
Sassy Image has been installed as the 5-2 second choice on the Ballerina
morning-line and will have jockey Robby Albarado in the saddle.
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| Hilda's Passion will try to get back to her winning ways Saturday
(NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) |
Despite Sassy Image's credentials, morning-line favoritism in the Ballerina
has fallen to HILDA'S PASSION (Canadian Frontier), a front-running winner of
three graded affairs herself in 2011. That bay four-year-old is currently
exiting an uncharacteristically dull effort in the Bed o' Roses H. (G3) at
Belmont Park on July 3, in which she pressed the pace and then finished sixth
behind TAMARIND HALL (Graeme Hall).
"There's no real explanation for her last start," trainer Todd Pletcher
shrugged. "We thought that the surface was a little peculiar that day. She never
really fired, never got going, very unlike her normal performances. So we
decided to freshen her up a touch and point for the Ballerina, and she has
trained exceptionally well."
Hilda's Passion was a force to be reckoned with this past winter at
Gulfstream, missing by a neck in the Sugar Swirl S. (G3) before going on to a
pair of daylight victories in the Hurricane Bertie S. (G3) and Inside
Information S. (G2). Second to Sassy Image in the Humana Distaff, she came back
a month later to take the Vagrancy H. (G2) at Belmont by 5 1/4 lengths, and will
have the services of Javier Castellano in the irons.
Hilda's Passion will not only be face the re-opposing Sassy Image and
Tamarind Hall, but TAR HEEL MOM (Flatter) as well. The rivals exchanged
decisions over the winter, with Tar Heel Mom taking the Sugar Swirl before
finishing fourth in the Hurricane Bertie. The dark bay mare returned to her
winning ways at the Spa three weeks ago when running away with the Honorable
Miss H. (G2) by 5 3/4 lengths, which moved her Saratoga record to 3-0-0 from
four starts. Alex Solis has the call aboard 7-2 third morning-line pick Tar Heel
Mom.
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The Ballerina field is completed by HOUR GLASS (Petionville), who is seeking
her first win since taking the 2010 Vagrancy; Chicago H. (G3) victress DEVIL BY
DESIGN (Medaglia d'Oro); and BRONX CITY GIRL (Yankee Gentleman), who will try to
earn her initial black-type score at the highest level.
One race before the Ballerina goes off, a field of 10 sophomore fillies will
sprint six furlongs in the Victory Ride. JEALOUS GIRL (Petionville) will try to
extend her current four-race win streak in the race while making her graded bow.
Made the 3-1 favorite on the morning line, the dark bay lass broke her maiden
in February by 5 3/4 lengths at Parx Racing and has since climbed the ladder. In
her most recent start, she tore through the Femme Fatale S. at Penn National by
five lengths.
"We were planning to make the Prioress (G1) and Test (G1) with her but after
her May victory (against optional claiming rivals at Delaware Park) she had a
tender left shin and that ruined our plans," trainer Tony Dutrow said. "We were
hoping for bigger and better by now. This will be her biggest test."
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| Romacaca is seeking her sixth straight win
(Ryan Denver/Equi-Photo) |
Among those Jealous Girl will face on Saturday are ROMAN TREASURE (Roman
Ruler) and A Z WARRIOR (Bernardini). The former is coming off a three-week
break, having just run third in the Test after leading the way into the turn of
that seven-furlong contest. A Z Warrior, winner of the Frizette S. (G1) as a
juvenile, is returning from a third in the March 5 Santa Anita Oaks (G1).
Starting off the distaff stakes action on Saturday will be the 1 1/16-mile
Ballson Spa, which attracted nine turf runners. ROMACACA (Running Stag) is
currently riding a five-race winning streak and will try to make it six
consecutive victories with E. T. Baird retaining the mount. The pair were last
seen capturing the Matchmaker S. (G3) at Monmouth Park on July 31.
"When she was younger, she was kind of a one-dimensional filly and would go
to the lead and keep on going," trainer Nick Canani said of Romacaca, the 7-2
second choice on the morning-line. "As she matured, she's really learning how to
run. She'll relax now and settle. Lifetime, she's won 12 out of 23, so she
definitely knows how to win. She's, to me, just a smarter filly. She's figuring
it out."
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DAVERON (Ger) (Black Sam Bellamy) will carry 3-1 morning-line favoritism into
the Ballston Spa for conditioner Graham Motion after wins in the Dr. James Penny
Memorial H. and Beaugay S. (G3), her only two starts of the year, while trainer
Chad Brown will send out DESERT SAGE (Selkirk). The latter runner was a
dead-heat second in the Gallorette H. (G3) and fourth as the beaten favorite in
her most recent start in the July 4 Dr. James Penny. The four-year-old
Desert Sage has been breezing in the morning with Beverly D. H. (G1) winner
Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun) and holding her own, according to Brown.
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