Tommy Jo much the best in Spinaway; Bellezza rallies for Flower Bowl

Two-year-old fillies took center stage as Saratoga featured three graded stakes for females on the final Saturday program of the 2025 meet.

Spinaway (G1)

Favored at even-money following a smashing debut triumph, Tommy Jo continued to impress with a dominant win in the $300,000 Spinaway (G1) for two-year-old fillies. The Spendthrift Farm homebred daughter of Into Mischief stalked an up-close third before launching her bid into the stretch, quickly drawing clear and winning geared down by a 6 1/2-length margin.

Kendrick Carmouche picked up the mount on the Todd Pletcher trainee, and Tommy Jo sped seven furlongs in 1:23.39.

“That was pretty much what Todd and I thought going into it; we just let those horses develop the race,” Carmouche said. “With the stride this filly’s got and how she turned around the corner in her last race at the half-mile with Johnny V (Velazquez), I just let this horse cruise into the turn. I thought I was on much the best in this race, I just had to wait to go.”

After failing to break cleanly in her first outing, Tommy Jo quickly recovered and drove to a 3 3/4-length decision over six furlongs on July 26.

“I think she got away a little cleaner today, put herself and Kendrick into a good spot,” said Pletcher, who sent out a record seventh winner of the Spinaway. “She is so push-button, runs the turns extremely well, and kind of blew the race open at that point, but she’s trained like a special one all summer and obviously her first two races have been very exciting.”

Tommy Jo confirmed herself as a top contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar this fall, and the bay filly is bred to appreciate longer distances. She is out of the multiple stakes-winning Mother Mother, a daughter of Pioneerof the Nile, sire of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and Mother Mother counts 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Commanding Curve as a half-brother.

Percy’s Bar, the 3-1 third choice and convincing winner of the Debutante S. at Churchill Downs in late June, rallied to claim second, nearly five lengths better than Rileytoe in third. Next came Day to Day, the 2-1 second choice Mythical, followed by Sina and Spirit Doll, who finished in a dead heat in sixth. 

Flower Bowl (G2)

Moyglare Stud Farm’s homebred Bellezza relished the return to firm conditions in the $500,000 Flower Bowl (G2), closing powerfully to win the 1 3/8-mile turf affair for fillies and mares by 2 1/4 lengths. Jaime Rodriguez angled out the Miguel Clement-trained four-year-old filly for running room leaving the far turn, and Bellezza registered her second graded stakes triumph this season while stopping the teletimer in 2:14.80.

“Once she was clear, she explodes,” said Rodriguez, who was up for Bellezza’s win in Sheepshead Bay (G3) three starts previously and reclaimed the mount Saturday. “I’m really happy with her, the way she was running. This is a dream come true, like I told my wife, ‘this is what I want, a horse to take me to the Breeders’ Cup.’”

An Irish-bred daughter of Siyouni, Bellezza broke her maiden on turf and captured a listed stakes on synthetics in her homeland before being imported to the United States. She returned from a seven-month layoff to win her first stateside appearance, the Sheepshead Bay (G3) over Aqueduct’s firm turf in early May, and followed with a third in the New York (G1) on yielding ground at Saratoga. 

The bay filly caught soft turf again in the July 27 Glens Falls (G3), closing belatedly to be a well-beaten second, and Bellezza earned a measure of revenge over stablemate La Mehana, who was favored at 7-5 following an 8 3/4-length win in the Glens Falls.

“I’ve always thought she (Bellezza) was better on firm turf,” Clement said. “Her last two efforts might have been a touch subpar by her standards, and that’s due to the (yielding) ground."

Bellezza left the starting gate as the 2.75-1 second choice and boosted her bankroll to $574,122 from an 11-4-3-2 ledger. 

Amber Cascade got up for second at 15-1, a half-length better than Grade 1 winner and 3-1 third choice Be Your Best, who sped clear early but could not sustain her advantage. La Mehana came next in fourth and was followed by Madame Mischief, Long Ago, and Marksman Queen.

Prioress (G3)

Praying kicked off the stakes action with a 21-1 upset in the $169,750 Prioress (G3) for three-year-old fillies, pressing the pace from the start and overhauling pacesetter Long Neck Paula in midstretch to win convincingly. Eric Cancel picked up the mount on the Robert Medina-trained daughter of Vekoma, and Praying registered her first stakes victory when finishing six furlongs in 1:10.10.

A two-time stakes runner-up, Praying had dropped four consecutive starts since breaking her maiden the third time out at Horseshoe Indianapolis last fall, and she was overlooked as easily the longest shot among five Prioress runners following a well-beaten seventh versus entry-level allowance foes at Churchill Downs in late May. She returned from a 98-day layoff to record a 3 1/2-length decision, improving her overall record to 8-2-4-0 for owner Newtown Anner Stud Farm.

Delightful Claire, the odds-on favorite, was compromised severely by a stumbling break and rallied from last for second, a head better than Flat Out Time in third. Long Neck Paula weakened to fourth, and Stone Smuggler trailed.