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Cilla Rallies In Saratoga Stretch To Win Prioress

After a stretch duel with Souper Sensational that saw the two brushing not once but twice, Cilla, last-out winner of the Blue Sparkler at Monmouth Park, rallied late to win by a half-length at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Under Tyler Gaffalione, Cilla broke sharp and then settled into fourth behind Oxana and Edie Meeny Miny Mo, who traded the lead early in the six-furlong Prioress. Victor Espinoza, in from California to ride Edie Meeny Miny Mo for a second time, took over entering the far turn, but could not hold on to the advantage entering the stretch. To her outside, both Cilla and Souper Sensational took up position for their stretch runs, with Ricardo Santana, Jr. poised to send Souper Sensational on as they hit the Saratoga straight.

Gaffalione and Cilla stayed with her, the two fillies dueling in the race's final furlong. As they approached the wire, Cilla rallied past Souper Sensational in the race's final yards to a half-length lead at the finish. Li'l Tootsie was third.

Ricardo Santana, Jr. claimed foul after the race, citing interference by Cilla and Gaffalione in the stretch, but the stewards dismissed the foul, allowing the final results to become official.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.05 over a fast track. Find this race's chart here.

Cilla paid $23.40, $6.20, and $3.40. Souper Sensational paid $2.50 and $2.10. Li'l Tootsie paid $3.50.

“She's fast and she's a 3-year-old. There's limited opportunities for those fillies. We felt like after we got her on track a couple of races ago and that we were going to let her step along and buy her way to the next one. She's obviously bought her way to this one.” Brett Brinkman said after the Prioress.

“As soon as Ricardo [Santana, Jr., aboard Souper Sensational] put a head in front of me, I asked her and she surged back to them, so I was confident that we were going to be able to come back to them. I was confident that we were able to get back,” Gaffalione told the NYRA Press Office after the race. “She fought gamely and all the credit goes to the connections for having her ready.”

Bred in Louisiana by Brett A. Brinkman and P. Dale Ladner, the 3-year-old filly is by California Chrome out of the Into Mischief mare Sittin At the Bar, a black-type stakes winner in Louisiana. Owned by P. Dale Ladner, Cilla is trained by Charlton Baker. The Grade 2 Prioress is the filly's fourth win in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in ten starts.

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Awesome Debate, Sadie Lady Head Field For Union Avenue At Saratoga

Van Vranken Racing and NRB Racing Stable's Awesome Debate will look to make amends in her second start for trainer Bruce Brown in Thursday's $100,000 Union Avenue, a 6 1/2-furlong handicap on the main track for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Claimed for $45,000 out of a winning effort on July 18 at Saratoga, the 5-year-old Honorable Dillon grey went to post as the odds-on favorite last out in an optional-claiming sprint on August 9 at Finger Lakes. After being fractious in the gate, Awesome Debate broke in the air, stumbled, and trailed the field of five throughout.

“That wasn't how it was written up,” said Brown, with a laugh. “She was supposed to win by 10 in a gallop and then I was going to run her back in this race, but it didn't quite work out that way.

“It's just one of those things. Bad racing luck,” he continued. “She came out of it great. Coming back out of that race was going to be running her back pretty close, but she didn't really do a whole lot of running that day. It was a public workout more than anything.”

Brown said Awesome Debate was very professional when schooling at the gate Saturday at Saratoga.

“She didn't turn a hair….which figures,” Brown said.

Bred in New York by Charlton Baker, who trained her through her first 13 starts, Awesome Debate has posted a record of 15-7-3-1 with purse earnings of $267,577. She was claimed for $45,000 out of a runner-up effort in May at Belmont by Danny Gargan and returned July 18 with a stylish score in a six-furlong state-bred optional-claiming sprint contested on a sloppy and sealed main track.

Brown said he appreciated the mare's nose for the wire.

“She's been very consistent lately. I've always liked that group of higher-priced New York-bred claiming fillies and older mares,” Brown said. “If you can have a decent one of those that's usually a pretty good thing.”

With the speedy Sadie Lady likely to dictate terms Thursday, Brown said the often-prominent Awesome Debate may utilize different tactics while trying to win beyond six furlongs for the first time.

“She's very tactical,” Brown said. “When I claimed her, I thought she had the look of a pure speed horse, but that day she sat off it and then went on with it. I don't think six and a half [furlongs] will be a problem for her.”

Awesome Debate, assigned 119 pounds, will emerge from post 5 under Luis Saez.

Dennis Narlinger's graded stakes-placed Sadie Lady has won three of her last four starts dating back to a 2 1/2-length optional claiming win in December, sprinting six furlongs at Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The Rob Atras trainee, bred by JMJ Racing Stables, followed with a head score in the six-furlong Correction Stakes in March at the Big A against open company ahead of a game second in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Vagrancy in May at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Last out, the 5-year-old daughter of Freud made every call a winning one in the six-furlong Dancin Renee against fellow state-breds at Belmont.

Jose Ortiz retains the mount from the inside post as Sadie Lady, an eight-time winner from 20 starts, makes her Saratoga debut while carrying a field-high 124 pounds.

TLC Thoroughbreds homebred Hannah Dances is undefeated in four starts this campaign, all in sprint races at Finger Lakes, for trainer M. Anthony Ferraro.

The 4-year-old Shakin It Up grey, who will make her stakes debut while racing beyond six furlongs for the first time, boasts a record of 11-7-1-0 with purse earnings of $107,890.

Hannah Dances, carrying 118 pounds, will exit post 4 under Luis Perez.

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Trainer Ray Handal will saddle a formidable pair in stakes-placed Irish Constitution [post 3, Joel Rosario, 115 pounds] and eight-time winner Diva Banker [post 6, Dylan Davis, 116 pounds].

Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and West Paces Racing's Irish Constitution graduated on debut last July at Saratoga and followed with a distant fourth in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes. She completed her juvenile campaign with a runner-up effort in the Joseph A. Gimma in October at Belmont.

An optional-claiming winner in March at the Big A, the 3-year-old Constitution chestnut, bred by SF Bloodstock, was last seen finishing third – 5 1/2-lengths back of runner-up Awesome Debate – in a state-bred optional-claiming sprint on May 14.

The Handal-owned Diva Banker, a 5-year-old Central Banker mare bred by Jonath Meadean Inc., was claimed for $5,000 in January at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., and two starts later captured an open claiming sprint in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. She followed with an off-the-pace state-bred allowance score in June at Belmont, but failed to fire last out in a state-bred optional claimer on August 11 at the Spa.

Rounding out the field is Joseph G. McMahon, Anne McMahon and Albert Lewis' Lot of Honey, a 3-year-old daughter of Central Banker who graduated in an off-the-turf state-bred maiden special weight sprint in June at Belmont.

Trained by James Ferraro and bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Lot of Honey, assigned 114 pounds, will exit post 2 under Manny Franco.

The Union Avenue is slated as Race 9 on Thursday's 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Excellent Timing Takes New York-Breds By Storm In Damon Runyon

Excellent Timing made his first start for new connections a winning one with a geared-down 6 3/4-length front-running win in Sunday's $100,000 Damon Runyon, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The Not This Time colt was purchased privately by Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Dubb following a second-out maiden win for conditioner Charlton Baker in December at the Big A and transferred to the care of four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

Excellent Timing trained with Brown's string at Payson Park in Florida before shipping back to New York and breezing once at Belmont Park last Sunday ahead of his stakes debut.

“We had open company on our mind, but this time of year, everyone throws 3-year-olds to the wolves,” said Dubb, who celebrates his 65th birthday on Monday. “This horse could have a nice and long career, so we wanted to develop the horse the right way and not get him where he loses interest. We want to get him used to winning. Hopefully, once we do that, we can go to open company. It's the right thing to do with the horse.”

With Manny Franco up, Excellent Timing did not break sharp but was hustled to the front to mark the opening quarter in 24.49 seconds on the fast main track. The dark bay showed the way down the backstretch under pressure from It's Gravy as Perfect Munnings drafted behind rivals in third.

It's Gravy continued to press Excellent Timing into the turn as A Longlongtimeago was angled off the rail by Eric Cancel and rallied into contention with the half-mile ticking by in 49.19. Excellent Timing put away It's Gravy through the turn and opened up a 6 1/2-length lead on Perfect Munnings at the stretch call. Perfect Munnings chased in vain but there would be no catching the 3-5 mutuel favorite, who stopped the clock in a final time of 1:28.02.

Perfect Munnings completed the exacta by five lengths over It's Gravy. Rounding out the order of finish was It's a Gamble, A Longlongtimeago, Echoes of Destiny, Reggae Music Man and The King Cheek. Reggae Music Man, who leapt at the break and was caught in the hands of the starter, was declared a non-starter. Eagle Orb was scratched.

Franco said he followed instructions to the letter.

“The plan was to go to the front,” said Franco. “I just let him break out of there and get comfortable. He took me to the lead and did the rest. He's getting better. Chad had him for the first time today and did a really good job with him and I think he'll keep improving. I think he can go a little further, a mile maybe. We'll see what Chad does with him.”

Brown's New York-based assistant Dan Stupp said he was pleased with the effort.

“The horse ran huge,” said Stupp. “The team down at Payson did a good job preparing him this winter. He came up in great shape; he put on some weight and his coat looks great. Manny did a great job allowing him to show his natural cruising speed and getting him to relax and settle. The horse did the rest from there.”

Bred in the Empire State by Sequel Stallions New York and Lakland Farm, Excellent Timing banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 3-2-1-0. He returned $3.30 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Friday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Mr. Buff Wins His Third Consecutive Jazil Stakes In A Laugher

Chester and Mary Broman homebred Mr. Buff improved to 3-for-3 all-time in the $100,000 Jazil, defending his crown by drawing away to an impressive seven-length victory in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile contest for 4-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The veteran Mr. Buff ended his 2020 campaign with a strong stakes showing, running second in the Alex M. Robb against fellow New York breds on December 12. Returning to open company for his 7-year-old bow, the Friend Or Foe gelding broke well from post 4 under Aqueduct meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche, pressuring pacesetter Musical Heart through the opening quarter-mile in 23.96 seconds and the half in 48.95 on the fast main track.

Mr. Buff took command out of the turn and Carmouche sustained the push through the stretch, outkicking a rallying Tenderfoot to complete the course in 1:53.47 and match his margin-of-victory to his age for trainer John Kimmel.

“That was perfect. I told Kendrick that he doesn't have to be on the lead,” Kimmel said. “The race was perfect. He looked terrific. He just looks good and is just an amazing animal.”

Competing without Lasix, Mr. Buff still showed the form that saw him close 2020 with three consecutive efforts that garnered Beyer Speed Figures of 90 or better.

Mr. Buff improved to 16-8-4 in 43 career starts. He has never won the Jazil by less than five lengths, with his combined margin for the three-peat 17 ¼ lengths. He has won at least one race every year since 2016.

“I think he's the winningest horse I've ever had,” Kimmel said. “He's settled more and more. He's just a very good and sound horse. He's stayed very healthy all through the years. That's the key with these horses; to keep them sound and healthy.”

Off as the 2-1 second choice, Mr. Buff returned $6.10 on a $2 win wager. The millionaire improved his career earnings to $1,295,786.

“He broke really good,” Carmouche said. “Mr. Kimmel said to do what I think is best in the race. If they don't break, go. If they want to go, you can sit. I just sat on him all the way around there. He does it all on his own. You just have to stay out of his way and let him get into his stride.”

Tenderfoot, a 4-year-old making his stakes debut in his eighth career start, held off Musical Heart by 1 3/4 lengths for second for trainer Charlton Baker.

“He's improved a lot,” said Tenderfoot jockey Eric Cancel. “Today, he was facing a much tougher field and he came with his A game. He tried hard against Mr. Buff. He is a really, really good horse and he still gave his run. He ran a huge race and I think he'll definitely keep on improving.

“Charlie [Baker] always gave me the confidence just to try to do everything right with him and take my time,” he added. “I gave him his time and was patient with him. Once I felt he was ready to go, he went for it.”

Backsideofthemoon, who broke slowly as the 9-5 favorite, and Fame to Famous completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card, highlighted by the $100,000 Busanda for sophomore fillies going 1 1/8 miles in Race 8. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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