Bill and Tammy Simon's WSS Racing celebrated with trainer John Ortiz and his team after Brightwork's (Outwork) hard-fought win in the 77th running of the GIII Prioress Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday. The 3-year-old filly may have scratched after flipping in the paddock before the kickoff of her 3-year-old campaign in the GI Test Stakes this summer, but she bounced back and proved her affinity for the Spa's main track.
Last summer as a juvenile, the filly scooped up the GIII Adirondack Stakes and then grabbed the GI Spinaway Stakes. Even though she finished off the board in the GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland and in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, it was an outstanding year for the Fasig-Tipton grad who was purchased by WSS for $95,000. Ortiz overcame a conditioning setback with her over the winter, plus the paddock incident, to have her fit and ready for this spot.
Off as a 5-2 shot here, Brightwork was able to get in gear and finally joined favorite Two Sharp (Twirling Candy) up the backstretch. Ready for a street fight, the bay began to engage in a back-and-forth duel around the far turn with her rival. As the pair squared up for the stretch run, the 3-year-old looked her rival in the eye for the final time at the sixteenth marker and surged ahead to collect her third graded win over the course. Miuccia (Mitole) drove home a gallant third.
“We were just very blessed that we had another opportunity to get another win at Saratoga,” said John Ortiz. “This was not the original plan, but God had his plans and things happened for a reason. She looked like she was tiring very hard at the end. She dug in. It didn't surprise me how much heart she had at the end. It was good to see such guts in an athlete like that. It was just a beautiful race.
“She is astonishing. Just to see how her heart truly is, how big it truly is, was amazing.”
Pedigree Notes:
Outwork's (by Uncle Mo) only graded winners took home back-to-back Spinaway trophies starting with Leave No Trace in 2022 edition. Brightwork's dam is responsible for an unraced 2-year-old named Just as Fancy (Volatile) and she was entered in Forte's first book for next term. Clarendon Fancy is a full-sister to SP Cancel This, who was taken home by Helen Alexander for $825,000 at last year's Keeneland November Sale. Also counted as a full to her is Catch the Moon, whose productivity includes an strong line with GSW Cocked and Loaded (Colonel John), GISW Girvin (Tale of Ekati), GSW Pirate's Punch (Shanghai Bobby), and last but certainly not least, MGISP Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow).
Saturday, Saratoga
PRIORESS S.-GIII, $200,000, Saratoga, 8-31, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.86, gd.
1–BRIGHTWORK, 124, f, 3, by Outwork
1st Dam: Clarendon Fancy, by Malibu Moon
2nd Dam: Catch My Fancy, by Yes It's True
3rd Dam: Walk Away Rene, by Gold Alert
($95,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV). O-WSS Racing; B-Wynnstay Inc. & Allen Poindexter (KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz; J-Luis Saez. $110,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-5-0-0, $611,376. *1/2 to Quiet Company (Temple City), SP, $196,835. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Two Sharp, 118, f, 3, Twirling Candy–Double Sharp, by Distorted Humor. 'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($925,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Rigney Racing, LLC; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer. $40,000.
3–Miuccia, 120, f, 3, Mitole–Bay Harbor, by Speightstown. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($55,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $140,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $230,000 2yo '23 EASMAY). O-JR Ranch; B-Fred W. Hertrich III, John D. Fielding & Robert L. Tribbett (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. $24,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 3HF. Odds: 2.55, 0.80, 7.90.
Also Ran: Autumn Evening, Carmelina, Tricky Temper, Lady Moscato, Belle's Blue Bell. Scratched: Pacific Rose.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
BRIGHTWORK sure loves the Spa! 🌸 A resilient winner of the GIII Prioress in her 3-year-old debut. pic.twitter.com/LM9uioGcxE
— TDN (@theTDN) August 31, 2024
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