The Schuylerville (Grade 3)- $175.000 Purse
SAR- For Fillies Two Years Old
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 13, 2023

Welcome to Saratoga for another year of fabulous racing! The first stake of the meet will be the 20th running of the Grade 3 Schuylerville, which is for two-year-old fillies. With the stake season just getting underway for two-year-olds, there are plenty of opportunities for younger horses to make a name for themselves here at the Spa. By the time the meet concludes in September, we will have a much clearer picture on who some of the best juvenile horses are in the game in 2023. There were plenty of nominations for this one, but only twelve can take part and they will give us a great race, for sure! Last year, Rock Creek picked up the victory with his filly, Sioux Gathering, but she was not really able to get any momentum off of that and has had a quiet three-year-old campaign. None of the top five horses in the BC Juvenile Fillies ran in the Schuylerville, though perhaps that will change this time around. Here is a look at our field!

#1- I Made A Decision (Jireh, ridden by J J Castellano)- At present, this trainer has only made one career start, but they appear to be active making claims. That’s how he got I Made A Decision, who won a $40.000 maiden claimer at BEL with First Flight Stable. Has some good work times, so she’ll be a good horse for the trainer to get started with. I’d have to lean towards the more experienced trainers at this time.

#2- Rubimaulu (Arindel, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Is there a better mare in the game right now than Hanamaula when it comes to consistently producing high quality foals? How good Rubimaulu gets is still to be determined, but in three starts at high level tracks, there’s plenty to like. This is a full sibling to Sinamaulu, otherwise known as the runner-up in the BEL last month.

#3- Creepy Mystery (Arkansas Elite, ridden by J L Ortiz)- Won on debut at PRX at the end of April, and has been idle ever since. Doesn’t have any public works for thirty days, making it hard to measure her up to the rest of the field, but what was there is a tick slower than others. Though, it could have simply been an add being tested that she didn’t like.

#4- Piccadelly (Hippyheart, ridden by T McCarthy)- In the very next race at PRX after Creepy Mystery won, Piccadelly got a win of her own. Good thing the split separated them, I suppose, but there is no keeping them away from each other here, not even in the starting gate. Piccadelly also has not raced since that day but has more recent public works which look outstanding!

#5- Joanee Rose (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Has run in two NY-bred races so far, placing second on debut at the Big A before going to BEL and breaking her maiden there. That came in late May, so she has had about six weeks to get ready for this one. Unfortunately, she’s another one with not many public works, especially after her first race.

#6- Sister Of The Moon (Avenue Z, ridden by J Lezcano)- Took on CA-breds on the second of April and got the win right then and there. When you win so early, there’s not much you can do for a little while, but the trainer worked on her adds and had her ready to roll at SA for the FT Debutante last month, where she ran second to Silver Springs and will get a rematch with that one as a part of her experience here.

#7- General Slot (Jive Inc, ridden by T Howell)- Picked up in private sales for $40.000 as an unraced filly, and made her debut last month at GG against CA-Breds, and got the victory! The effort earned her an 89 SRF, and it looks like she got a bit of a bump from that race which could make her even more of a threat here.

#8- Midway Miss (Alydar Stables, ridden by E Cancel)- This filly made her debut on the first day she was allowed to race, but did not factor into things at GP that day. A month later, she made the trip to CD and broke her maiden there. It’s been about two months since then, and now Alydar Stables is ready to truly see what he has. Others in here are working slightly faster, but I think it’s still within reason for her to come up big against them on race day.

#9- Silver Springs (South Shore Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)- One of three stake winners in the field, and the post draw sends them all to the outside. Back in June, Silver Springs was victorious at SA in the FT Debutante, beating Sister Of The Moon by half a length. She’s also run in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, and while she was not badly beaten there, she was not able to get a cut of the purse.

#10- Violate (Tockyocky, ridden by D Davis)- Speaking of the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, which is a turf race, the winner there was Violate with an impressive come from behind style. This will be her debut for Tockyocky, who bought her in private sales at the beginning of June for $200.000. Dirt works look good, so right now, you have to like the potential that she has on either surface.

#11- Purple Charger (Fractious, ridden by M Franco)- In her first two starts, this filly has done nothing wrong, ending up in the winner’s circle after both of them. She would win on debut at PIM in May, and afterwards would make her way to BEL, where she would win the $150.000 Astoria. That would be it for her and her prior trainer Our Athletes, as Fractious picked her up in private sales for $550.000 just a week ago. Her works are great, so there’s really nothing to dislike about her. Not even the post, because she won the Astoria from post 12.

#12- Improvised Sin (Asgar, ridden by F Prat)- Rounding out the field, we get this filly who started her career by running one of those two-furlong races, coming at TAM in April. She’d break her maiden six weeks later at GP against FL-Breds and has been resting for this moment ever since. Work times are solid, and should put her in the mix, but she’s got some tough company near her in the starting gate.

Prediction: 11-10-9-7

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES