Saratoga Daily Notebook

SARATOGA DAILY NOTEBOOK

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2007

by John Mucciolo

My dad always told me to watch out for unbeaten offspring of Storm Cat making

their stakes debuts. Well, he didn't really offer that advice, but I wish he

would have before I made a selection in the $147,000 Honorable Miss H. (G2) on

Friday. Darley Stable's BURMILLA (Storm Cat) went to the lead soon after the

start and put this group asleep with a 2 3/4-length score for Eoin Harty and

Rafael Bejarano. The unbeaten four-year-old miss was allowed to establish a :23

opening quarter-mile, and any quality sprinter given such a breather early will

prove extremely difficult to catch just as this classy filly did. She

accelerated quite well after her beginning, completing six furlongs in a swift

1:09 2/5 to earn her initial stakes win.

INDIAN FLARE (Cherokee Run) broke best of all but settled well off the tepid

tempo early, leaving herself too much to do in the lane. The bay mare closed

with excellent energy to be a clear second. G CITY GAL (Elusive Quality) was

restrained while in second place early and was outrun in the stretch, only able

to garner the show. MISS MACY SUE (Trippi), the 6-5 choice, was not allowed to

run early under the tight restraints of Edgar Prado and was out of gas in the

lane. GRECIAN LOVER (Friendly Lover), fourth in this race last year, completed

the order of finish.

Nine races were held on the Friday card, with five turf routes and four dirt

sprints comprising the races. There were two wire-to-wire winners on the main

oval, with the other winners coming from off the pace. On the green, forwardly

placed runners fared well as all five winners were in the top four running slots

after the opening half-mile.

Prado and Eibar Coa each piloted a pair of winners on this day, with

each winning horse being saddled by a different conditioner. In the jockeys'

race, Garrett Gomez holds a slim lead with 10 first-place finishers, closely

hounded by mainstays John Velazquez and Prado with nine apiece. The cream is

rising to the top.

On the trainer's front, Bill Mott still leads with six, but Todd Pletcher and

Kiaran McLaughlin inched closer by sending out a winner each on Friday, leaving

each of them with a handful. Thomas Bush and Christophe Clement sit next with

four each.

Horses to Watch

2ND - REBOUNDED (Boundary) did just that when stumbling in the middle of the

race, recovering well enough to post a smart 1 3/4-length win under Coa. The

Barclay Tagg pupil could be a real nice one and is in very capable hands.

4TH - PREDATE (Pure Precision) will not be returning in claiming races

anytime soon after showing a strong closing punch in this facile win for Richard

Dutrow. The juvenile miss is turning out to be a fine claim after taken for

$50,000 in June. We fully expect the bay to be seen in graded company before the

meet concludes.

6TH - CELESTIAL COMET (Smart Strike) is bred to be a good one and put in a

nice effort behind a tepid pace in his debut on this day. The Mott trainee

is the kind that his trainer wins with second-time out quite often.

Tomorrow's Outlook - Saturday, August 4

A baker's dozen of three-year-old fillies will line up in the $250,000 Test

S. (G1) to highlight the Saturday card. Prioress Breeders' Cup S. (G1) victress DREAM RUSH (Wild Rush) is the morning-line choice and will likely play

catch-me-if-you-can for trainer Richard Violette Jr. The dark bay miss is one of

the speedier gate fillies in training and will be a force to reckon with

under Coa.

COTTON BLOSSOM (Broken Vow) caught the top one in the Acorn S. (G1) two prior

and is a live threat from the outside post for Pletcher. The bay lass was last

seen finishing third in the Delaware Oaks (G2) but should appreciate the turn

back to one-turn racing. Velazquez has the call. APPEALING ZOPHIE (Successful

Appeal), a smashing 5 1/4-length winner of the Spinaway S. (G1) over this oval

in 2006, returns to the spot of her most prestigious triumph for Steve Asmussen.

Azalea Breeders' Cup S. (G3) heroine SHEETS (Scatmandu) has steadily improved

for T.V. Smith and could upset at a square price.

HIGH AGAIN (High Yield), winner of the Bonnie Miss S. (G2), is a solid graded

performer from the barn of the red-hot Mott. Prioress third SILVER KNOCKERS

(Silver Deputy) smoked a bullet half-mile in advance of this for Nick Zito.

Santa Ysabel S. (G3) vixen BARONESS THATCHER (Johannesburg), Jostle S. winner

AKRONISM (Not for Love), unbeaten Dearly Precious S. first-placer ASTOR PARK

(Ecton Park), Grade 1-placed DOWN (Mr. Greeley), Miss Preakness S. (G3) winner

TIME'S MISTRESS (Mr. Greeley), multiple Grade 2 victress BOCA GRANDE (A.P. Indy)

and Nany S. third-placer DEBBIE GOT EVEN (Stephen Got Even) complete the field.

Also on Saturday, nine sophomores will travel one mile on the inner turf

course to contest the $80,000 Glow S. Stakes-placed MYSTERIOUS PEINTRE (Fr)

(Peintre Celebre) leads the field from Pletcher's barn. The chestnut colt has

been freshened since his U.S. debut nearly two months prior and will likely go

off favored beneath Velazquez.

Grade 2 victor TEUFLESBERG (Johannesburg) will make his turf debut in here

for Jamie Sanders. The bay, who'll be piloted by Prado, exits a fine second in

the Carry Back S. (G2) last out. VAUNT (GB) (Averti) has knocked heads with some

of the better performers on the West Coast and gives the right coast a second

try for Mott. The gelding was fifth in the Arlington Classic S. (G3) in his

latest venture.

Impressive Empire State-bred winner PAYS TO DREAM (High Yield) was dominant

in three state-restricted turf races and exits a useful fourth in the recent

Lexington S. for David Donk. The Ken McPeek duo of BIGGERBADDERBETTER (Sahm) and

BOLD START (Jump Start), Gary Contessa's MISSION APPROVED (With Approval) and

PRINCE ATLANTIS (Stormy Atlantic), and OWNERS MANUAL (Belong to Me) from the

stable of Bobby Frankel round out the field.

Saturday's Best Plays

3RD - Mysterious Peintre ran quite well while traveling wide throughout in

the Colonial Turf Cup S. (G3) and should improve with a more sensible trip in

here. The chestnut is the class standout in the group, and if he handles the cut

back to one mile, it's likely they're all running for second.

5TH - FRA LIPPO (Peintre Celebre) has been working steadily since May and

hasn't found the deepest maiden group in which to debut. Trainer Bruce Levine

has been live at the meet, and this one hails from a win-early family, produced

from the winner of the 1992 Demoiselle S. (G2). It would be a unique feat if the

colt's sire could send out two winners in the same Pick 4 sequence.

7TH - ARABIAN PRINCE (Fusaichi Pegasus) has faced some top company in his

past and looks to have a class edge over most of this field for

McLaughlin, who is on fire right now and is a master of getting fresh horses to

run big. Five works in Saratoga Springs and the addition of Lasix should have

the four-year-old ready.