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Angela Renee faces eight in Spinaway

Angela Renee is one of two runners for four-time Spinaway winner Todd Pletcher  (NYRA/Adam Coglianese) Angela Renee heads a field of nine juvenile fillies in the penultimate day feature at Saratoga, the Grade 1, $350,000 Spinaway. A smart debut winner at Belmont Park on June 27, the Todd Pletcher-trained daughter of Bernardini exits a runner-up finish as the favorite in the Grade 2 Adirondack on August 10. A full sister to multiple Grade 1 scorer To Honor and Serve, she won't have to face the Adirondack winner, Cavorting, and Angela Renee will add blinkers on Sunday. The bay lass breaks from post No. 2 with regular rider John Velazquez. "I thought she ran very well (in the Adirondack), but just caught a buzzsaw with Cavorting," Pletcher said. "Johnny seemed to think she was a little bit shy of horses and intimidated, so we worked her back in some blinkers and liked what we saw. We'll stick with them." Angela Renee is bred to relish longer distances but still managed to win her career bow going five furlongs, something that Pletcher did not fully expect. "You would think based on her pedigree that the distance would suit her well," the trainer noted. "She's been a pleasure to train. She surprised us a little bit that she was able to get ready early and win at five furlongs. She's a nice-sized, scopey filly you would think would handle two turns no problem." Curalina, a rallying second when making her lone start on July 27, will also represent the mighty Pletcher stable. She picks up the services of Javier Castellano and earned a 96 BRIS Speed rating last time, second behind only the 97 earned by her stablemate in the Adirondack.

"She ran a bang-up race in her maiden and has trained very well since then," Pletcher said. "We felt like she did everything except win first time out, and thought that, with the way she's trained and the number she ran first time out, she fits in a race like this."

Other top challengers include debut maiden winners Darling Sky, By the Moon, Winter Dawn and Condo Commando.

Darling Sky invades from Parx for trainer Robert Reid Jr. following a 7 1/4-length romp on August 9. The Sky Mesa filly earned a 92 Speed rating that afternoon and Cornelio Velasquez will pick up the assignment.

By the Moon closed gamely to take her lone appearance on July 18. Conditioned by Linda Rice, the dark bay daughter of Indian Charlie will keep Jose Ortiz in the saddle. Winter Dawn, a Sky Mesa filly trained by Wayne Catalano, won at first asking at Saratoga on August 3. Shaun Bridgmohan rides. Condo Commando, a romping 12-length scorer over maiden claiming foes on August 3, will be tested for class in her second career start. Joe Bravo sticks with the Tiz Wonderful filly for Rudy Rodriguez.

Rounding out the field are Lady Zuzu, a well-bred daughter of Dynaformer who cost $1.225 million as a yearling and finished third in her lone appearance on turf; Penn National debut heroine Bonnie K; and Gulfstream maiden winner Ryabinka, seventh most recently in the July 12 Cassidy.

Earlier on the program, fillies and mares will contest the Grade 3, $150,000 Glen Falls at 1 3/8 miles on the inner turf. Aigue Marine, a 1 3/4-length winner of the Grade 3 Robert Dick Memorial at Delaware Park in her last outing, is a leading contender. The Galileo mare is one of three entrants for trainer Christophe Clement along with Irish Mission and the main-track only Lady Cohiba.

Irish Mission exits runner-up finishes in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park and the inaugural Belmont Gold Cup versus males.

Cat's Cay will bring a three-race win streak into the Glens Falls, most recently rallying to win the August 3 Waya going away, and the Mark Hennig charge registered outstanding BRIS Class (121) and Speed (104) numbers for that performance. Waya runner-up Viva Rafaela also returns on Sunday.

Caroline Thomas and Watsdachances are other runners of interest in the 10-horse field.

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