SARATOGA California trio invade for Test

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – California invaders have had success in this decade shipping east for the Grade 1 Test Stakes, and with no suitable options in the 3-year-old filly sprint division at the Del Mar meeting, a trio of West Coast invaders will try to add to that recent history in the $500,000 Test on Saturday’s Whitney Stakes program at Saratoga.

California shippers won the Test four years in a row from 2010-13, and two of the three fillies shipping east for Saturday’s renewal, Chalon and American Gal, have already made their mark in New York, registering easy stakes victories at Belmont. They’ll be joined in the 10-horse field by the red-hot Faypien, whose trainer, Bob Baffert, won the Test with Indian Blessing in 2008 and Contested in 2012.

The local contingent is topped by Grade 2 winner Tequilita, the undefeated Your Love, and multiple stakes winner Chanel’s Legacy. Cursor, Divine Miss Grey, Minnie Blip, and Vertical Oak complete the lineup.

Chalon has not started since winning the six-furlong Jersey Girl at Belmont by 6 1/2 lengths eight weeks ago in far and away the best effort of her four-race career. She received a 93 Beyer Speed Figure in that race, tops in the Test field. The sevenfurlong Test will, however, be the first time she’s competed beyond 6 1/2 furlongs.

“She ran well the last time we shipped her, she’s doing super, and we figured why not take a shot?” trainer Peter Miller said from California.

Miller said he considered running Chalon at Belmont again in the Victory Ride on July 9 but decided that he didn’t want to ship her from California to New York and back three times over the summer.

The speedy Chalon will break from post 3 in the Test, which might be more of a problem for her than the distance or weather forecast, which is calling for a 90 percent chance of rain here Saturday.

“She trains like a horse who wants seven furlongs – it shouldn’t be an issue – and she’s already won on a wet track,” said Miller. “There’s not much we can do about the post, but she’s a real good gate horse, has tactical speed, and I don’t think she necessarily needs the lead, even though she’s been in front in all her previous races.”

Motion pair on upswing

Trainer Graham Motion sends out the improving pair of Guilty Twelve and Lottie in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Waya, one of three turf stakes on the Whitney undercard.

Guilty Twelve, a 5-year-old daughter of Giant’s Causeway, is 2 for 2 this year, with narrow victories in a Belmont allowance and the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park. This will be her first start at 1 1/2 miles.

“I don’t think it’s going to hurt,” Motion said of the distance, adding that jockey Chris DeCarlo told Motion after the last race, “She’ll go all day.”

Guilty Twelve will break from post 8 under DeCarlo.

Lottie, a 4-year-old daughter of Arch, won a Belmont allowance in June and finished third, beaten a half-length by Apple Betty, in the River Memories at Belmont.

“I thought she ran very well,” Motion said. “We were testing out to see if she could compete with these. I think we felt that she was a little unlucky being a bit wide coming off the turn.”

Joel Rosario will ride Lottie from post 5.

Completing the field of eight are Apple Betty and Summersault, the 1-2 finishers in the River Memories; Suffused, beaten a head in last year’s Waya; Estrechada, Evidently, and Gone Away.

Brown sends three in Lure

Trainer Chad Brown has won 20 stakes on turf in the U.S. this year, and that’s without contributions from Camelot Kitten, Projected, and Takeover Target. That trio was part of an 11-horse field entered for turf in Saturday’s $100,000 Lure Stakes at a mile at Saratoga.

For Camelot Kitten and Takeover Target, the Lure represents their first start of the year. For Projected, the Lure is his first start since the Grade 3 Poker in June, a race he lost by a neck after being impeded late.

Projected drew the rail, while Takeover Target drew post 2 and Camelot Kitten post 11.

Also entered in the Lure were Aubenas, Blacktype, Fire Away, Macagone, Our Way, Ring Weekend, Vorticity, and Zennor. Mohaymen and Red Rifle were entered for the main track only.

Sassy Little Lila overdue

As well as she’s run in a pair of Grade 1 races, it’s hard to believe that Sassy Little Lila is still in search of her first stakes victory. She could be well spotted to get that stakes win Saturday in a field of 12 for the $100,000 De La Rose at a mile on turf at Saratoga.

Sassy Little Lila ended her 3-year-old season with a nose loss to Decked Out in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita. After winning a secondlevel allowance at Churchill to kick off her 4-year-old season, Sassy Little Lila finished second in the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont.

Sassy Little Lila does her best running on the front end, and there appears to be other speed in this field, including Proper Discretion and Freudie Anne.

Closers such as On Leave, Elysea’s World, Bar of Gold, and Boreale would benefit from a contested pace.

The others entered for turf are Laur Net, Light In Paris, Puca, Sky My Sky, and Thundering Sky. Clipthecouponannie was entered for the main track only.