Friday’s Turf Graded Stakes Get The Weekend Started Early

[Wandering Eyes]

With the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a bevy of graded stakes–marked by Saturday's GI Whitney S.–plus, the annual Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale which begins Monday, Upstate New York once again makes its case as the Thoroughbred fulcrum. To get the weekend started early, we have a pair of Friday graded turf stakes scheduled which will crown winners.

First, the $400,000 GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. for 3-year-old fillies serves as the middle sparkler in NYRA's Fasig-Tipton Turf Tiara series. Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) isn't the morning-line favorite, but she did bring home the first leg when she won the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational July 8 after coming over from racing in Ireland for trainer James “Fozzy” Stack and co-owners Glen Hill Farm with Mrs. John Magnier.

“I thought she did well in that last race because it was such a slow pace and there were a lot of horses in front of her,” said Glen Hill's Craig Bernick. “She did well with that setup. At Saratoga, the race is a little shorter and usually they go a little quicker. Hopefully, there's a truer pace because it's always a better race when there's a good gallop.”

Opposing her bid to wear the tiara will be a number of European challengers, including Caroline Street (No Nay Never) and American Sonja (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) from Joseph O'Brien's yard. The former is a Group 3 winner in Ireland and she was well-beaten last time out by Blue Rose Cen (Churchill {Ire}) in the G1 French Oaks at Chantilly. Shipping in from that same race is Elusive Princess (Fr) (Martinborough {Jpn}), trained by Jean-Phillippe Dubois, who finished a respectable fifth.

As for North American-based entries, Solo Album (Curlin) from Mark Casse's shedrow, who won the GIII Selene S. July 1 at Woodbine, and Selenaia (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) from Jonathan Thomas's, barn who comes to New York after winning the GIII Honeymoon S. June 10 at Santa Anita, arrive in-form.

More Than Looks | Sarah Andrew

To mark the induction ceremony into horse racing's hallowed pantheon, the $500,000 GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. for 3-year-old colts going a mile on the Inner Turf brings together an interesting mix of American and European invaders.

Trainer Chad Brown saddles three entries with GISP Appraise (Ire) Kodiac {GB}), Mischievous Angel (Into Mischief) and Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while Graham Motion sends GSW and GISP Nagirroc (Lea) to the post after the bay colt finished third in the GIII Manila S. July 7 at Belmont Park. The winner of that race, More Than Looks (More Than Ready) from the stable of Cherie DeVaux, is also present.

The European contingent includes Ocean Vision (Ire) (U S Navy Flag), who has competed in Ireland, France and Qatar and is trained by Godolphin Flying Start program grad Tim Donworth, and Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) for Charlie Appleby, who will look to harness some of that late speed that he flashed the last time he was in North America when he won the GI Summer S. at Woodbine as a juvenile.

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