Tommy Jo returns in Victory Ride

Last seen finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Tommy Jo makes her long-awaited comeback in Friday’s $225,000 Victory Ride (G3) at Saratoga.

The Todd Pletcher pupil returns to the scene of her spectacular introduction to racing about this time last year, and she also reverts to an arguably more favorable 6 1/2-furlong distance. Romping in her first two starts at the Spa, including the Spinaway (G1), Tommy Jo was less effective on the stretch-out. She crossed the wire second in the Alcibiades (G1), but got promoted via disqualification, and failed to raise her game in the Breeders’ Cup.

Tommy Jo was sidelined by bone bruising in January, and the Spendthrift Farm homebred hopes to revive her fortunes back at Saratoga. Spendthrift’s Ned Toffey told NYRA publicity that Tommy Jo’s optimal trip remains to be determined, but the Victory Ride was a sensible starting point.

“I think Todd was still not 100 percent convinced she’s not a two-turn filly,” Toffey said, “but I think she has to learn to relax a little bit more. She’s a high-energy filly, and that seems to work well for her (in sprints). She’s grown up and developed into a bigger and stronger filly than she was last year, and we’re pleased with what we’re seeing from her. We’re looking forward to it.”

Also resurfacing for the first time since the Juvenile Fillies is Iron Orchard, who lost her unbeaten record when trailing home after a stumbling start at Del Mar. A game winner of last fall’s Frizette (G1), she, too, was more authoritative in her initial sprint forays in New York-bred company at Saratoga. Iron Orchard, a $2.5 million Fasig-Tipton digital acquisition by KatieRich Farms prior to the Breeders’ Cup, now makes her first start for Steve Asmussen.

Others boasting Saratoga form, but with the advantage of recency, are Goodall, Carmel Coast, and Mythical, the trifecta from the June 4 Jersey Girl S.

Asmussen trains Goodall for Spendthrift, which purchased the Yaupon filly for $525,000 as an OBS April two-year-old. 

“Goodall has been running, and certainly you would think would have a fitness edge in there,” Toffey said. “She’s a classy filly, and she’s not quite a homebred, but it feels like that when she’s by our own sire. She’s very professional, and we’re looking forward to good things from her.”

Both Carmel Coast and Mythical scored noteworthy wins here at two. Carmel Coast was such an impressive debut winner for Whit Beckman that she went off as the Frizette favorite, only to wind up sixth behind Iron Orchard. The Jorge Delgado-trained Mythical, who starred in last year’s Tremont S. and Adirondack (G3) at the Spa, has since added four more stakes wins at Gulfstream Park in her home state.

Ian Wilkes is double-handed with A Fine Chardonnay and Sippin Pretty. A Fine Chardonnay got the jump on favored Sneaky Good in the Beaumont (G2) two back at Keeneland. Sippin Pretty exits a sixth-place finish in her stakes debut in the Eight Belles (G2) at Churchill Downs. Brittany Russell sends Peach Tie in from Maryland, where she’s captured three stakes, including the Miss Preakness (G3) over multiple stakes scorer Tessellate.