Spinaway

Eight juvenile fillies have been entered to go seven furlongs in Sunday's

$250,000 Spinaway S. (G1) at Saratoga, and the field includes a Grade 3 winner

and four last-out maiden scorers. COTTON BLOSSOM (Broken Vow), who captured the

Schuylerville S. (G3) to keep her record a perfect two-for-two, appears the

class of this field, but we're going with X STAR (Pulpit) to emulate her rival

by taking a stakes win right after breaking her maiden.

Trained by Larry Jones, the chestnut X Star made her career debut at her

conditioner's home base of Delaware Park. The two-year-old filly was a

half-length back in second through the first quarter, but surged to the front

before reaching the half-way mark, going on to post a 6 3/4-length victory while

getting six furlongs in 1:11. That came over a fast track, but in showery

conditions, and that experience could give her a slight advantage on a day

that's

expected to get rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto. Jones adds Lasix on

Sunday, which can only help his charge's chances, and we think X Star will take

her second race with Mario Pino aboard.

APPEALING ZOPHIE (Successful Appeal) was a 10 1/2-length maiden winner at

Keeneland in her April 20 debut. She's racing for trainer Scott Blasi while

conditioner Steve Asmussen serves out a suspension, and in her first outing for

Blasi, she finished a good second in the Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies

S. last out. The dark bay miss earned a 107 BRIS E2 Pace rating for that effort,

and posted a half-mile move in :49 4/5 over the track on Tuesday to prepare for this one.

Shaun Bridgmohan was aboard for Appealing Zophie's maiden win and will take the

reins again here. The pair could get their picture taken for a second time.

Cotton Blossom was an impressive winner of the Schuylerville

last out at the Spa, but her numbers don't put her out of the reach of the rest of this

field. The Todd Pletcher trainee worked five panels in 1:01 last Sunday to get ready for her third career start, and she'll be tough to deny, but

we'll try to beat her at probably low odds. John Velazquez has the call.

POST INVADER (Salt Lake) broke her maiden and then captured the Cassidy S. at

Calder in her first two starts. In her most recent race, the Gerald Procino

charge rallied from last to get fourth, beaten just 3 3/4 lengths, in the

Adirondack Breeders' Cup S. (G2) while going 6 1/2 furlongs. The extra

half-furlong here could see Post Invader threatening in the top three.

RUBY CROWN (Awesome Again) won her debut last out over the track while going

six furlongs, coming in 1 1/4 lengths clear of her nearest rival at the wire

under Julien Leparoux, who returns for this one. The Nick Zito-trained gray lass

has worked well in preparation for this one and could show up in the top

three. COOL THE ECONOMY (Mazel Trick) broke her maiden in her third start last

out, and has been going well on the worktab, getting four furlongs in :48 1/5

over Saratoga's sloppy track on Wednesday. The chestnut filly could earn part.

PRO PINK (Touch Gold) was second versus males in the Kentucky Breeders' Cup S. (G3) last

out, but that was four months ago. We'll give her a race in her

return. MY FAVORITE (Favorite Trick) broke her maiden in her debut at Great

Lakes Downs on August 9

by 2 1/2 lengths, but her numbers indicate she might not be able to keep up.

We'll go against.