By Alan Carasso
The once-beaten Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal) will look to give Godolphin a third winner in the five-year history of the GII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes as she bids to add to her latest success in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational over the same mile-and-three-sixteenths journey July 6.
The homebred ran the table in the first four starts of her career, a pair of victories at two followed by two more this season at Meydan, including a jaw-dropping score in the Listed Jumeirah 1000 Guineas Mar. 2 that defies any real description. A good seventh, beaten just over four lengths in what has proven to be a productive running of the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on the first Sunday in May, Cinderella's Dream lobbed along near the back of the field and whooshed past her rivals to take out the Belmont Oaks last time. William Buick makes another trans-Atlantic trip for the ride on Friday.
“She's in great nick and she's done very, very well since her last run,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “She broke the track record there last time at Aqueduct in the Belmont Oaks, which was impressive.”
Greenfinch (Justify) represents the Aidan O'Brien team, and while considerably less accomplished on paper than the favorite, she sports Timeform ratings that suggest that she is not out of her depth in this first go at Grade I level. A maiden winner over the Dundalk all-weather last November, the homebred–whose dam Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas in 2011–is a half-sister to G1SWs Roly Poly (War Front) and U S Navy Flag (War Front) and GSW Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), and she earned this opportunity when carrying Wayne Lordan to a clear-cut victory in the Listed Cairn Rouge Stakes at Killarney July 17. Ryan Moore, who has almost shockingly never won a race at Saratoga, is in for the ride.
Segesta (Ghostzapper) came from just off the speed to take the GII Wonder Again Stakes at Aqueduct May 27 but made the majority of the running in the Belmont Oaks before being caught in the late stages. She is–somewhat surprisingly–the only entrant from the barn of Chad Brown, but trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. has two chances. Kathynmarissa (American Pharoah) ran on nicely to finish third to Dancing N Dixie (Neolithic) in the June 29 Tepin Stakes at Churchill, while Macanga (American Pharoah) was a pacesetting third in the Wild Applause Stakes downstate on June 22.
Hall of Fame Figures A Wide-Open Heat
A field of eight sophomore males is set to face the starter for Friday's GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, and with six of the runners having posted Beyer Speed Figures in the mid to upper 80s and with none of the entrants having cracked 90, there is no standout.
Neat (Constitution) is the 5-2 favorite on the morning line on the strength of his 13-1 upset of Keeneland's GIII Transylvania Stakes in April and a 3/4-length victory in the June 29 Manila Stakes down at Aqueduct. He can certainly win this, but may need to improve on his Beyer top of 86.
The filly Buttercream Babe (Twirling Candy) owns the field's top turf figure, an 88 Beyer for a one-mile allowance victory over Friday's course and distance on the Belmont Stakes undercard June 8. She was fractionally unlucky to finish second in the Horseshoe Indianapolis Handicap July 13 and she'll have to race without Lasix this time, but cannot be eliminated.
Zverev (Oscar Performance) certainly isn't out of this if he is able to reproduce the sort of form that saw him dominate a June 20 Churchill allowance where he defeated recent Saratoga winner West Hollywood (Uncle Mo).
More consistent than he has been spectacular, Lagynos (Kantharos) has run some competitive races on the grass, finishing a close third at longshot odds in the Transylvania and behind Trikari (Oscar Performance) in the GII American Turf Stakes at Churchill May 4. Second in the June 4 Audubon Stakes over nine panels, he was an even fourth in the American Derby June 29 and maybe this cutback to the mile is what he is looking for.
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