SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A narrow loser in her debut on Aug. 6, Klaravich Stables's 2-year-old chestnut filly Weigh the Risks (Mendelssohn) showed grit again Sunday to break her maiden in the first race of the afternoon at Saratoga Race Course.
At the end of a nose-to-nose battle through the stretch with Appellate (Constitution), Weigh the Risks reached the wire first with the margin of victory listed as a head. Appellate's Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano claimed foul, alleging interference in the stretch of the 1 1/16 miles turf race, but after a lengthy review the stewards did not change the order of finish. Later Darling (More Than Ready) closed from six lengths back at the top of the stretch to finish third by a neck.
Progeny (Goldencents) and Appellate set the pace with splits of 24.53, 51.14 and 1:16.28. Weigh the Risks was three or four paths off the rail in the backstretch, but had clear running. She went after Appellate in the stretch and they came close to each other three times, which prompted the claim of foul by Castellano.
“She was quite wide in the race off a slow pace,” Brown said. “I'm not saying it was a dream trip, but she didn't have as much trouble.”
Weigh the Risks, the 3-5 favorite, reached the wire in 1:45.49. She paid $3.50 to win. Klaravich purchased Weigh the Risks for $205,000 at Fasig-Tipton October. She was bred by Porta Pai Stables.
“She had a rough trip first time out,” Brown said. “We've always thought a lot of her. An ugly, slow pace today, but she was able to grind it out against another filly who looks like
she's got a bright future. We were just lucky to get our nose down first.”
Weigh the Risks was leading trainer Brown's sixth 2-year-old maiden winner of the Saratoga meet. Five of them have been for Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables.
1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 9-3, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.49, fm, head.
WEIGH THE RISKS (f, 2, Mendelssohn–Beautiful Liar, by Candy Ride {Arg}) was favored in her career unveiling over this course and distance Aug. 6, closing from far off the pace to just get pegged a neck by Ozara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Sent off the 3-5 choice to get the job done this time, the chestnut settled into a stalking fifth behind the leading pair of Progeny (Goldencents) and Appellate (Constitution) through a sensible opening quarter in :24.53. Biding her time two wide down the backstretch, she took aim at the leaders from the four-path approaching the quarter pole. Straightening for home, Progeny began her retreat, while Appellate hung tough as Weigh the Risks reached even terms midstretch. With the leading pair seemingly alternating on the front end with each stride, it was the Chad Brown trainee that gained the narrow victory over Appellate at the wire. Arguably the best performance, however, was produced by Later Darling (More Than Ready), who closed like a freight train after a problematic run early on to finish third. The winner, a half to Cheapskate Diva (Animal Kingdom), MSW, $188,040, is also half to a yearling filly by Protonico and a 2023 colt by Flameaway. Beautiful Liar, who sold for $23,000 carrying a Goldencents colt at Keeneland November in 2019, was bred back to Hard Spun this season. Sales History: $205,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $78,750.
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O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Porta Pia Stables, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
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