By Patrycja Szpyra
A lack of competitors doesn't always translate to a lack of competition and the GII Shuvee S. at Saratoga is a case in point, with an abbreviated field of four featuring a pair of titans. Fellow Curlin daughters Clairiere and Malathaat will bring their rivalry to round six in the 1 1/8-mile contest at the Spa; the latter coming out on the better end on four prior occasions. Malathaat will be breaking from the gate sporting blinkers for the first time in her career, likely intended to combat her tendency to wait on her competition, and she has been working with the new equipment in the mornings as well.
Todd Pletcher will be shooting for his fifth victory in this event (Curalina-2016, Stopchargingmaria-2015, Authenticity-2013, Awesome Maria-2011) should their match up here return in her favor, tying his record with the legendary H. Allen Jerkens for most Shuvee wins as conditioner. Steve Asmussen looks to add his name to the race's annals for the first time after most recently saddling She's a Julie (Elusive Quality) to a third-place finish in 2019. Both Clairiere and Malathaat ran career-high Beyers of 106 last out in the GI Ogden Phipps, and are the horses to beat here, nearly guaranteeing that history of some kind will be made on Spa Sunday.
To their inside, and hoping to play spoiler, is the aptly named Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) for trainer Kenny McPeek, who's riding into the race on the back of a fruitful summer season. The grey has faced Malathaat on three occasions and never been in winning contention in any of those races, but she's the third millionaire in this field, and those purses didn't come without effort. A winner of Turfway Park's Apr. 2 Latonia S. over the synthetic and second last out June 25 in the Lady Jacqueli-e S. at Thistledown behind MGISP Army Wife (Declaration of War), Crazy Beautiful will be trying for her eighth lifetime win here. Former $40,000 claimer Exotic West (Hard Spun) rounds the field from the rail and faces a tall task having never run a number anywhere close to the divisional leaders on her outside.
'Magic' in Del Mar's Cougar II Marathon
MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's GISP Tizamagician (Tiznow) makes his 5-year-old bow while trying to win the GIII Cougar II S. for the second year in a row where the 'Turf Meets the Surf.' Super consistent Dicey Mo Chara (GB) (Adaay {Ire}) will try to make his first dirt marathon a winning one for his eagle-eyed connections of Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rancho Temescal LLC and conditioner Leonard Powell.
Salty Graded Fields North of the Border
It's Kentucky-vs-European-breds in the turfy GII Dance Smartly S. at 1 1/16-miles at Woodbine. The G1SP Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), a 695,000gns purchase by Tracy Farmer from last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale, heads the field carrying solid European form including two black-type wins as a juvenile, though both at shorter distances, as well as a placing in Group 1 company in the English 1000 Guineas last year.
The formidable partnership of Team Valor International and Gary Barber will try to circle the field with their two classy fillies, namely GISP Wakanaka (Ire) (Power {GB}) and French stakes-winner Keyflower (Fr) (Kheleyf). Charles Fipke's 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) and the Josie Carroll-trained Seasons (Tapit) round out the Kentucky-bred contingent, while Ontario-bred horse-for-course Munnyfor Ro (Munnings) will try to parlay her liking for the track into her first seasonal win.
Before the turf fillies get rolling, the synthetic sprinters will shine in the GIII Hendrie S. with heavy favorite Boardroom (Commissioner) slated to take most of the action at the ticket windows. Familiar foes Amalfi Coast (Tapizar), conditioned by Mark Casse, and Artie's Princess (We Miss Artie) return to continue the rivalry triangle, and MGSP La Libertee (Consitution) will try to out-finish her Casse stablemate.
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