Ballston Spa gets Lady Eli, adding to strong Travers card

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In a surprising move, trainer Chad Brown entered Lady Eli in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa Stakes, adding another big name to a star-studded lineup for the 13-race Travers Stakes card at Saratoga.

The Ballston Spa goes as race 12, immediately following the Grade 1 Travers, which features Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, Preakness winner Cloud Computing, and Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit. The card also includes the Grade 1 Personal Ensign, topped by two-time Eclipse Award champion Songbird.

After Lady Eli won the Grade 1 Diana here on July 22, Brown said he was going to wait to run her in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl at Belmont Park on Oct. 8 as her last race before the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

However, Lady Eli is training superbly, and the forecast for the week virtually guarantees that the turf will be firm Saturday.

“As I look at the break between the Diana and the Flower Bowl, God forbid there’s a lot of rain and a soft turf course [at Belmont] going a mile and a quarter,” Brown said. “It’s not the ideal prep for the Breeders’ Cup for her. Then I might be forced to ship her to Keeneland for the First Lady, and then I’m shipping her around.”

Brown also entered Antonoe, the Grade 1 Just a Game winner, and Roca Rojo, the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile winner, in the Ballston Spa. Others entered were Dickinson, who beat Lady Eli in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April; On Leave, a Grade 2 winner; and Time and Motion, last year’s Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup winner.

Songbird looks like the speed

Songbird, who last summer earned Grade 1 wins here in the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama, drew post 2 in a field of five entered for the $700,000 Personal Ensign for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.

Songbird, who arrived from Southern California on Tuesday, jogged once around the Saratoga main track Wednesday. She will be ridden by Mike Smith and projects to be the primary speed in a field that includes Forever Unbridled, Eskenformoney, Going for Broke, and Flora Dora.

Songbird enters off a onelength victory in the 1 1/4-mile Delaware Handicap that has some wondering if she’s the same superior filly that she was a year ago. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Songbird has moved forward since the Delaware Handicap.

“We think she’s doing better than she was going into the mile-and-a-quarter race, feeling better and acting better,” Hollendorfer said. “She’s done everything we’ve asked her to do and has come through every time, so I’m pleased with her.”

Baffert sprinters land outside

When Drefong won the Grade 1 King’s Bishop here last summer, he did so breaking from the outside post in a 12-horse field. On Saturday, Drefong will break from the outside post in a 10-horse field entered for the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego Stakes at seven furlongs.

Drefong, the defending male sprint champion, was shipped here by trainer Bob Baffert after he was bumped and then ducked into the gap and unseated jockey Mike Smith in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar, his first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last year.

“He did run that day – without the weight, but he did run,” said Jimmy Barnes, Baffert’s assistant. “He broke, the horse to the outside kind of nudged him a bit, and he saw the opening, and he took off. We’ve worked him from the gate since then.”

Drefong will take on Mind Your Biscuits, the winner of the Dubai Golden Shaheen and the Grade 2 Belmont Sprint Championship, who drew post 6 for the Forego.

Also entered were Stallwalkin’ Dude, Ross, Tom’s Ready, Divining Rod, Awesome Slew, Tommy Macho, Tale of S’avall and Very Very Stella.

The King’s Bishop is now known as the H. Allen Jerkens, and Baffert will seek to win it this year with American Anthem, who drew the outside post in a field of nine. American Anthem has not run since winning the Grade 2 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park on June 10.

“He’s doing awesome,” Barnes said. “He’s had some serious works at Del Mar.”

American Anthem will take on the undefeated Coal Front, who enters off a victory in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes and drew post 7, and Practical Joke, last year’s Hopeful winner, who drew the rail. Also entered were Takaful, Tale of Silence, Wild Shot, Ann Arbor Eddie, Phi Beta Express, and No Dozing.

Hunter O’Riley in upset bid

Hunter O’Riley was 16-1 when he upset the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes here on July 29. He figures to be a big price again in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer Stakes here going 1 1/2 miles.

Hunter O’Riley will take on Money Multiplier, second in last year’s Sword Dancer, Sadler’s Joy, and the European imports Erupt and Idaho in a seven-horse field.

Last fall, Erupt and Idaho both shipped to North America for the Grade 1 Canadian International, which Erupt won at odds of 12-1 while Idaho was fifth as the 7-5 favorite. Idaho, trained by Aidan O’Brien, is coming off a third-place finish in the Grade 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 29.

Three try again in Ballerina

Last year, By the Moon, Carina Mia, and Paulassilverlining finished second, third, and fifth in the Grade 1 Ballerina. On Saturday, that trio is part of a seven-horse field entered for the $500,000 Ballerina for fillies and mares at seven furlongs.

Carina Mia and Paulassilverlining are now trained by Chad Brown, and neither has lost in his care. Paulassiverlining is 3 for 3 for Brown, with two Grade 1 victories and a win in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss, all coming by a neck.

Carina Mia won the Shine Again Stakes in her first start after being transferred to Brown by owner Three Chimneys Farm.

That trio will take on Curlin’s Approval and Distinta, the 1-2 finishers in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream Park on July 1.

Birdatthewire drew the rail and is followed in post-position order by Curlin’s Approval, Paulassilverlining, By the Moon, Carina Mia, Distinta, and Highway Star.