Speed galore in Union Avenue

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The reaction to the seeming plethora of speed signed up for Thursday’s $100,000 Union Avenue Stakes at Saratoga elicited different reactions from trainers Linda Rice and John Morrison.

Rice, who sends out the closer Holiday Disguise, said she was “glad to see that” as she counted the number of fillies who look like they want to be forwardly placed in the 6 1/2-furlong Union Avenue for New Yorkbred fillies and mares.

Morrison, who sends out the fast filly Carrera Cat, said, “I wish there was less speed in there.”

Holiday Disguise and Carrera Cat are two of eight entrants in the Union Avenue, the featured event on a rare nine-race Saratoga Thursday card. Holiday Disguise, a 5-year-old daughter of Harlan’s Holiday, is a fivetime New York-bred stakes winner who is nearing the end of her career.

Though Holiday Disguise is a graded winner, Rice said the plan is to concentrate on statebred stakes through the end of the year before Holiday Disguise is retired to broodmare status.

Holiday Disguise is coming off a 1 1/2-length victory in the Dancin Renee Stakes on June 15 at Belmont, where she beat Jc’s Shooting Star and Pauseforthecause, both of whom are back in the Union Avenue. Holiday Disguise will break from the rail under Jose Lezcano, but Rice is banking on an expected quick pace to spread the field out.

“It looks like there should be a lot of speed, so we should be all right,” Rice said.

Rice also entered Flat Calm, who makes her first start since winning a New York-bred second-level allowance on New Year’s Day at Aqueduct.

It took eight races for Carrera Cat to win her maiden, but once she got that winning feeling she obviously liked it. Carrera Cat went through her two New York-bred allowance conditions and won an open allowance June 13 at Belmont. Her four-race winning streak was snapped in an open secondlevel allowance here when she finished a half-length behind Special Relativity and a neck in front of Talk Veuve to Me.

Special Relativity came back to win the Shine Again Stakes, while Talk Veuve to Me won an allowance race here Sunday.

Though Carrera Cat’s success has come when she’s able to make the early lead, Morrison said, “I don’t think we have to have the lead. It wouldn’t surprise me if we’re sitting second or third down the backside.”

Morrison believes Baby Boss, winner of two straight open allowance races at Laurel, or Fair Regis could outfoot Carrera Cat early.

A hot pace would aid Jc’s Shooting Star, a 7-year-old mare making her 46th career start. After finishing second to Holiday Disguise in the Dancin Renee, Jc’s Shooting Star finished seventh in the $200,000 Caress Stakes on turf. She has a good post on the outside.

Bonita Bianca won this race last year, and this will be her first start sprinting since then. She has finished a well-beaten third in her last two New Yorkbred stakes starts, both going a one-turn mile.