Meet gets off to roaring start
Dream It Is captures Schuylerville Stakes, while Proctor’s Ledge wins Lake George Stakes
Despite winning both of her career starts, including a minor stake at Woodbine last out, Dream It Is could do no better than fourth choice at 9-2 in the $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes (G3), Friday’s opening-day co-feature at Saratoga Race Course.
The Canadian invader rewarded her backers with an impressive offthe-pace score in the six-furlong test for two-year-old fillies. Putting away pacesetting Best Performance late on the turn, Dream It Is powered through the stretch as though being chased by demons. The lead was five lengths at the furlong pole and nine at the wire, as the winner stopped the clock in 1 minute, 11.85 seconds on a fast main track.
Best Performance held on for second in the field of eight. Stainless finished four lengths back in third. Favored Snowfire (2-1) was fourth, another 1¼ lengths behind. Buy Sell Hold, Pacific Gale Laudation and Mel’s Gone Wild completed the order of finish. Limited View was scratched after acting up in the paddock.
In the other co-feature, the Lake George Stakes, Proctor’s Ledge won by 1¾ lengths.
“It’s amazing — what can I say?” said Barbara Minshall, trainer of Dream It Is. “To win a race and to win it like that. We came with a horse that we thought was a good filly and had a shot, but I can’t say I expected her to run as good as she did.”
Breaking from the two inside posts, Best Performance and Buy Sell Hold were fastest out of the gate, with the latter in front after a quarter in 21.99 seconds. Buy Sell Hold was still there after a half in :46.22, with Dream It Is — ridden confidently by Luis Contreras — a looming threat on the outside. Buy Sell Hold held on for a few more strides before giving way to the eventual winner.
“She made it really nice and easy,” said Contreras, who has been aboard for all three of Dream It Is’s starts.
“She’s got a lot of speed and likes to go. Today she was nice and relaxed. I was waiting, and every time I let her go, she would open up.”
“This is why we brought Luis here,” said Minshall. He’s very confident, and he’s a very good rider. He gave her a great ride, and we knew her ability coming in, but she really showed another gear today.”
Dream It Is, a daughter of second-crop sire Shackelford, races for Hoolie Racing Stable LLC. The $90,000 winner’s share of the Schuylerville bumps her career earnings up to $162,447.
Coming into the Lake George Stakes (G3), Proctor’s Ledge had run respectably in three gradedstakes tries, finishing no
worse than fourth in any of them. But the three-yearold Ghostzapper filly had yet to make it into the winner’s circle in an added-money race.
All of that changed in the $150,000 Lake George. Given a moderate amount of respect at 6-1, Proctor’s Ledge broke away from a crowded field in upper stretch, drawing off in the final furlong to prevail by 1¾ lengths. The running time was 1 minute, 41.47 seconds for 1 1/16 miles over firm Mellon Turf.
Party Boat was second, followed by Fifty Five, Chubby Star, Fizzy Friday, favored Defiant Honor (3-1), Dream Dancing, Victory to Victory, Super Marina and Sweeping Paddy.
“(This) is huge for me,” said winning trainer Brendan Walsh. “Everything hasn’t quite fallen into place the last few times, but she
did it today, so I’ll credit everybody. We finally got it right.”
Longshot Chubby Star (16-1) led the field of 10 through three-quarters in a pokey 1:13.18, with Sweeping Paddy and Victory to Victory keeping her company in second and third. Proctor’s Ledge, in good stalking position in fourth, was urged on by jockey Javier Castellano, reaching contention at the top of the stretch.
With three-sixteenths to run, a half-dozen horses appeared to be still in with a chance. But Proctor’s Ledge spurted away to a 1½-length lead at the eighth pole, and was able to maintain that advantage to the wire.
“I loved the way she did it,” said Castellano. “She got a slow pace, good position and she finished good. She was in a comfortable rhythm. She was in a good spot, and turning for home
she kicked really well.
“It feels great to get a (stakes) win at Saratoga (on Opening Day),” Castellano added. “I get to ride the best horses in the country. The top jockeys are all here, and everybody wants to be at the top.”
Castellano was third in last year’s contest for top jockey and second in 2015.
The win was Proctor’s Ledge third in seven starts, and the $90,000 winner’s share increased the Patricia L. Moseley homebred’s career earnings to $181,083.
Asked about plans for the Kentucky-based winner, Walsh said, “We might come back to run later in the meet. We’ll leave her here and see how she comes out of (this race), and go from there. I think she’s going to have a hell of second half of the year, and I think she’s going to be a better filly next year.”