Although in its 30th rendition in 2024, the GII Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga has been contested at the distance of 1 1/2 miles for just the past four years. Only two mares have won those four renewals: War Like Goddess (English Channel) in 2021 and 2022 and now McKulick (GB) (m, 5, Frankel {GB}–Astrelle {Ire}, by Makfi {GB}) in 2023 and 2024. Last year, McKulick denied War Like Goddess a three-peat in a neck victory. This year, McKulick circled six wide to best fellow late runners Parnac (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) and Chop Chop (City of Light) by daylight down the lane.
Last seen finishing fifth in the GI New York Stakes June 7 at the Spa, McKulick broke from the outside Thursday and settled nicely a few paths off the rail near the rear as stablemate and two-back GIII Sheepshead Bay Stakes winner Royalty Interest (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) showed the way through a :23.89 first quarter and :48.17 half. Favorite Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilio {Ire}), who was making her seasonal debut after closing 2023 with two graded wins at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet, tracked the pacesetter as the field lined up single file for the backstretch run. Despite positions changing little as the fillies and mares passed the mile marker, the field compacted noticeably as they geared up for the stretch drive. McKulick, under Irad Ortiz, Jr., went widest of all around the final turn, charging down the middle of the course to briefly join battle with Eternal Hope, who had put away Royalty Interest, and last year's GII Flower Bowl Stakes winner Parnac, who had good momentum and the gameness to match. McKulick was too sharp for the pair, powering clear by 2 1/4 lengths, but Parnac made a race of it under red-hot jockey Dylan Davis and bested this spring's GIII Bewitch Stakes winner Chop Chop, who closed hard under Frankie Dettori, by a head. McKulick covered the 12 furlongs in 2:27.89, slightly off her 2:27.05 time last year, but visibly, she did it with authority.
“Getting her back out to three turns and the mile and a half distance is really what she wants to do,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “She was in a couple races this year that weren't that good after a great 5-year-old debut at Gulfstream and I was a little disappointed. The last race, I thought maybe the two turns got her. She really needs the three turns as a 5-year-old. She trained super coming into this race. I was cautiously optimistic that we would see the real McKulick today with the way she trained.”
Sandwiched between her two Glens Falls scores, the Klaravich Stables runner added wins in the GIII Waya Stakes and the GIII Orchid Stakes last October and this March, respectively. Her other major victories include the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes in 2022 and the GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes that same year. Brown said the bay may next target the Spa's GII Flower Bowl Stakes going 1 3/8 miles on Aug. 31.
Pedigree Notes:
Banstead Manor Stud's spectacular Frankel (GB) is the sire of McKulick and 98 other graded/group winners from his 147 black-type winners. While he stands in the UK, Frankel has had success the world over, including in the U.S. with 2023 U.S. champion turf female Inspiral (GB). Other Saratoga runners for Frankel have included 2024 GI Manhattan Stakes victor Measured Time (GB) and 2022 GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes winner With The Moonlight (Ire). McKulick is Frankel's only stakes winner out of a Makfi (GB) mare, but he does have a dozen–several of them Group 1 winners–out of mares by Makfi's sire, Dubawi (Ire). The G1 2,000 Guineas winner of 2010, Makfi has 18 stakes winners out of his daughters.
The winning Astrelle (Ire) produced three graded/group winners from her first three foals. In addition to McKulick, she is also responsible for GSW-Eng & GSW & G1SP-Ire Just Beautiful (GB) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) and GSW-Ger Fearless King (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Her most recent reported offspring is an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Pinatubo (Ire).
MCKULICK wins the Grade 2 Glens Falls Stakes for the second year in a row! 🏆 Another winning performance by jockey @iradortiz for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/7Q8rSXeffX
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 1, 2024
Thursday, Saratoga
GLENS FALLS S.-GII, $250,000, Saratoga, 8-1, 4yo/up, f/m,
1 1/2mT, 2:27.89, gd.
1–MCKULICK (GB), 122, m, 5, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Astrelle (Ire) (GSP-Eng), by Makfi (GB)
2nd Dam: Miss Mariduff, by Hussonet
3rd Dam: Sopran Mariduff (GB), by Persian Bold (Ire)
(180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Essafinaat UK Ltd (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$137,500. Lifetime Record: GISW, 18-7-5-2, $1,887,290. *1/2
to Fearless King (GB) (Kingman {GB}), GSW-Ger; Just Beautiful
(GB) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}), GSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng,
GSP-Fr, $247,982. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Parnac (Fr), 120, m, 5, Zarak (Fr)–Passing Burg (Fr), by
Sageburg (Ire). O-West Point Thoroughbreds & Dream With
Me Stable; B-Jean-Pierre Dubois (FR); T-Christophe Clement.
$50,000.
3–Chop Chop, 122, f, 4, City of Light–Grand Sofia, by Giant's
Causeway. ($230,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-Selective, LLC;
B-Cobra Farm & MRJ Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
$30,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, HD, 1HF. Odds: 2.30, 21.50, 3.15.
Also Ran: Eternal Hope (Ire), Atomic Blonde (Ger), Alpha Bella, Royalty Interest (Fr). Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
