Minit to Stardom earns a 94 Beyer Speed Figure in Honorable Miss
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Brittlyn Stable’s Minit to Stardom earned a careerbest 94 Beyer Speed Figure for her front-running victory in Wednesday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap, a six-furlong main track sprint for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Jose Camejo and piloted by Alex Cintron, Minit to Stardom was sent to post as the longest shot on the board at 20-1 and wasted no time wrestling the lead away from Grade 1-winner Mia Mischief to notch the opening quarter-mile in 22.49 seconds. From there, the 4-year-old daughter of Star Guitar never looked back, fending off all comers, including the belated charge of Chalon for a 1 ½-length win in a final running time of 1:08.81.
Camejo, who took over training duties for Minit to Stardom in the spring, said the filly is improving with each start.
“She’s doing good this morning. She’s already home at Delaware,” said Camejo. “It was very impressive. The best part of this, for me, is that every race she continues to improve and do better and better. Everything we’ve asked her to do, she’s responded very well.”
Minit to Stardom, a homebred daughter of Star Guitar bred in Louisiana, launched her career with a three-race win streak in November 2017 with a 5 ¼-length score in a Fair Grounds maiden when under the tutelage of Al Stall, Jr. She followed up with a victory in the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie ahead of a score in an optional-claiming tilt at Churchill Downs.
The talented bay finished sixth in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Longines Test at Saratoga in August before heading home to Louisiana, where she finished second in a trio of starts.
Since being transferred to Camejo, Minit to Stardom is perfect in three starts with optional-claiming scores at Delaware Park and Laurel. The former jockey turned trainer said he has big plans for the improving filly.
“Our plan was to win a graded stakes race and to see how far she can go,” said Camejo. “She’s improved a lot since we got her and every time she runs, she’s doing better. She’s healthy and sound and happy.”
One date that looms large on the Saratoga stakes schedule is the Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina on August 24. The seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race offering a berth in the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint.
Camejo said Minit to Stardom, who has yet to win beyond six furlongs, could get the distance, but is unsure of the timing.
“I do [think she can go seven furlongs], but I think it’s cutting it close,” said Camejo. “I’ll check how she is in a couple of days and she how she handled the race. It will depend on her and how she comes back to the track.
“We’ve already found out what kind of horse she is and how capable she is,” added Camejo. “I’ve had faith in her since the day she ran for the first time at Delaware. I’ll wait and see how she comes out of the race and make a plan.”