A field of seven will line up in the $200,000 Lake George (G2) at Saratoga on Wednesday. (© Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)
A field of seven three-year-old fillies will line up on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga in the $200,000 Lake George (G2), with the Michael Matz trained A Little Bit Sassy the 5-2 morning line favorite.
The fill drew the seven post and will be looking for better luck after getting disqualified form the victory in the Regret (G3) at Churchill Downs in her last outing for veering out and bumping a foe in the stretch. Jockey Luis Saez gets the return call and will tote 121 pounds.
The Graham Motion trained Daring Dancer is the second choice on the morning line at 3-1. The filly has a Grade 3 win, taking the Appalachian at Keeneland. Motion has won the Lake George twice, with Film Maker in 2003 and Caveat Competor in 1998.
The weather was perfect for the first four days of the meeting and attendance and handle numbers looked good for Friday through Sunday, with 73,873 showing up for the first three days of the meeting including 25,612 on Friday, which was opening day for the 40-day meeting.
Todd Pletcher is looking for his 11th training title at the Spa and is off to a good start, with five winners from his first 11 starters.
Among Pletcher’s winners was Stopchargingmaria, who won Sunday’s Coaching Club American Oaks (G1).
Let’s head out to the Spa for Wednesday’s featured race of the day:
The Lake George G2 Post time 4:42 ET
2 Daring Dancer 3-1
7 A Little Bit Sassy 5-2
4 Sweet Acclaim 4-1
6 Little Journey 5-1
Daring Dancer returns off a two-month break after checking in a disappointing fifth as the beaten favorite in the Wonder Again at Belmont Park over turf rated as good. The runner up in that race was Minorette, who returned to win the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) over Wonder Again winner Sea Queen, who was second.
The Graham Motion trainee won her first three starts including taking the Appalachian (G3) at Keeneland in April in her stakes debut. We will toss her last effort and look for a bounce back here
A Little Bit Sassy crossed the wire in front in the Regret (G3) at Churchill Downs but was disqualified as the filly veered out when jockey Luis Saez whipped her left handed in the stretch, bumping a foe. Aurelia’s Belle was put up to first by the stewards and then came back to win the Arlington Park Oaks (G3) in her next outing on July 19.
She picked up her first stakes win two back taking the Edgewood at Churchill Downs, prompting the early pace and drawing clear late to win by 1 ¼ lengths over Istanford, who won Sunday’s San Clemente Handicap (G2) at Del Mar. She has a nice pedigree, by More Than Ready and out of the stakes winner Miss A. Bomb ($211,451) her first foal to race. She will be tough in this spot with her best but her price may end up lighter than her 5-2 morning line.
Sweet Acclaim is one of two in her sent out by the Chad Brown barn. The filly is 0 for 3 since landing in the U.S. but has put in solid efforts in all three starts. She was second behind our top pick in the Appalachian which was off a seven month layoff and then was the beaten chalk in the Wait a While and Wild Applause at Belmont Park.
Last out she came with a good four wide bid and got in front in the stretch but could not hold off the top pair, settling for third while beaten just a half-length for the top spot.
Wagering:
WIN: Daring Dancer to win at 5-2 or better.
EXACTA: 2,7 / 2,4,6,7
TRIFECTA: 2,7 / 2,4,6,7 / 1,2,4,6,7
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