Test Runner-Up Faces Array of New Shooters in Prioress

Heavily favored on the morning line, Live Oak Plantation's GI Longines Test S. runner-up Souper Sensational (Curlin) will likely need to run that race or better as she faces an intriguing field of emerging sophomore filly sprinters in Saturday's GII Prioress S. at Saratoga.

Named a 'TDN Rising Star' for an easy debut graduation last September at Woodbine, the $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buy quickly backed that designation up with a four-length conquest of the Glorious Song S. Runner-up in the Silverbulletday S., she fell off the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks trail after running sixth in the GIII Rachel Alexandra S. and third in the GII Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks and was given a brief respite after a troubled-trip fourth in the GIII Eight Belles S. Apr. 30 at Churchill. Returning with a career high when annexing the GIII Victory Ride S. by 3 1/4 lengths July 10 at Belmont, she was no match for the dominant Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot) in the Test, but kept on well enough to complete the exacta at 13-1.

Parx sensation Oxana (Uptowncharlybrown) gets her chance against the big girls after toying with a pair of overmatched fields at her home base. Fading to seventh debuting in a Monmouth turf sprint June 6, the $65,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic buy switched to the main track 17 days later and blew apart Pennsylvania-bred maidens to the tune of an 18-length victory, earning a 96 Beyer. Running identical quarter and half-mile splits next out in an open allowance there July 10, she again was all by herself in the lane, coasting home 10 1/4 lengths to the good.

Amendment Nineteen (Constitution) makes her first start for Juddmonte and Brad Cox following a private purchase from D J Stable and three promising starts for Linda Rice. Finishing full of run to be second on debut behind 'TDN Rising Star' Always Carina (Malibu Moon), the $20,000 Keeneland November bargain overcame a slow break and wide trip to graduate next out over a sloppy mile May 31 at Belmont and was runner-up in a local allowance July 24 while finishing nine lengths clear of third.

Edie Meeny Miny Mo (Upstart), an open-lengths winner against $40,000 maiden claimers on debut Apr. 23 at Pimlico, repeated by six lengths with a 91 Beyer in an allowance/optional claimer there June 13 and turns back after not quite being able to see out two turns when second as a 6-5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Monmouth Oaks July 31.

Louisiana-bred Cilla (California Chrome) makes her first start for the Charlton Baker barn after back-to-back sharp stakes successes in the state-bred Louisiana Legends Mademoiselle S. at Evangeline and off-the-turf Blue Sparkler S. July 10 at Monmouth.

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Bella Sofia Blasts Home in Test

Modestly bred Bella Sofia got the better of the bluebloods Saturday to make the grade in this prestigious event for sophomore fillies. An 11 1/4-length debut romper at Belmont May 6, the dark bay settled for second after showing the way in a competitive running of the Jersey Girl S. downstate a month later. She bounced back, and paired up the 94 Beyer Speed Figure she earned on debut, when crushing first-level allowance foes by 6 1/4 lengths back at Big Sandy July 11.

Away on top from her wide draw, Bella Sofia stalked Bob Baffert-trained invader Illumination (Medaglia d'Oro) through an opening quarter in:22.84 before allowing Souper Sensational to sneak up the fence and briefly apply more pressure. The pacesetter shook free through a :45.70 half, but Bella Sofia sidled up to her right flank once again as they spun for home. The battle was brief, and Bella Sofia leveled off and kicked away in midstretch as Souper Sensational re-rallied for second and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up and GI Acorn S. winner Search Results (Flatter) never seriously threatened in third.

“We just let [Luis Saez] ride her the way he wants to ride her,” said winning conditioner Rudy Rodriguez. “We drew a very good post and we're just thankful for the opportunity.

“I know we asked a lot. We're just happy to have her in the barn. The day she broke her maiden, she put everybody away impressively. She was training good. You know when you draw the outside, you pretty much just let the jockey figure out what they want to do. She broke better than anybody. I thought she was going to be out front when she broke that good. She was nice and comfortable and she was running very well for him and when he asked her, she was there for him.”

Saez said, “She broke perfectly. We were looking for that spot right there to sit and make a run into the stretch. She did it so well and so beautifully. She came through the stretch pretty smoothly. I knew [Illumination] had some speed, so the plan was to break from there, relax and make one move with her. She's a pretty nice filly.”

Saturday, Saratoga
LONGINES TEST S.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-7, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:21.54, ft.
1–BELLA SOFIA, 118, f, 3, by Awesome Patriot
                1st Dam: Love Contract (MSP, $202,040),
                                by Consolidator
                2nd Dam: Option Contract, by Forty Niner
                3rd Dam: Infinite, by Majestic Light
 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
 WIN. ($20,000 2yo '20 OBSOPN). O-Michael Imperio, Vincent
Scuderi, Sofia Soares, Gabrielle Farm, Mazel Stable Partners,
LLC & Matthew J. Mercurio; B-Two Tone Farms (KY); T-Rudy R.
Rodriguez; J-Luis Saez. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0,
$405,100. Werk Nick Rating: C. 
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Souper Sensational, 120, f, 3, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Kateri, by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Sue's Good News, by Woodman
                3rd Dam: Montera, by Easy Goer
'TDN Rising Star' ($725,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Live Oak
Plantation; B-Newtownanner Stud (KY); T-Mark E. Casse.
$100,000.
3–Search Results, 124, f, 3, by Flatter
                1st Dam: Co Cola (GSP), by Candy Ride (Arg)
                2nd Dam: Yong Musician, by Yonaguska
                3rd Dam: Alljazz, by Stop the Music
($310,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $60,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, 1HF, 2. Odds: 4.20, 13.30, 1.60.
Also Ran: Always Carina, Obligatory, Illumination, Zaajel, Make Mischief. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Bella Sofia cost just $20,000 at last year's pushed-back OBS July sale off a :10 2/5 breeze and completed a graded stakes double for that auction Saturday, scoring one race after $30,000 2019 graduate War Like Goddess (English Channel) impressed in the GII Glens Falls S.

She is the lone Northern Hemisphere stakes winner for Awesome Patriot (Awesome Again), who also has two Group winners, including one at the highest level, in Chile. A $350,000 yearling, GSP juvenile and stakes winner around two turns on synthetic for Bob Baffert, Awesome Patriot is a full-brother to GI Preakness S. winner Oxbow and is closely related to Paynter (Awesome Again), sire of Saturday's GI Whitney S. winner Knicks Go. He began his career in Kentucky, shuttled to Chile and appears to have most recently stood in Ohio. Awesome Patriot has six yearlings and did not breed any mares in 2020.

Bella Sofia's dam Love Contract was just a $3,000 yearling herself who was claimed twice en route to better than $200,000 in earnings. Her prior two foals are both winners, but have run for as cheaply as $4,000 and $5,000, respectively. Love Contract produced a V. E. Day colt last April.

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