Star Devine Shines In Galway Stakes At Saratoga

Star Devine made a strong move from the outside and prevailed by a head in a blanket finish to capture Sunday's $120,000 Galway for 3-year-old fillies sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Lawrence Goichman's Star Devine notched her first stakes victory, edging Illegal Smile to win for the second time in four career starts.

After a brief delay when Dr B broke through the gate and was re-loaded, Star Devine was sent away from the outermost post under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, stalking the pace in fifth position as Wink led the 10-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :22.13 over firm going.

Out of the turn, Star Devine was kept four-wide with Wink, Mischiefful, and Illegal Smile to her inside with the half in :45.20. After briefly running eye-to-eye with Mischiefful, Star Devine pulled away and then gained on the pacesetter under Velazquez's right-handed encouragement.

Bye Bye made a strong bid up the rail and Illegal Smile, under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., challenged to the wire, but Star Devine outkicked her rivals to complete the course in 1:02.37 for trainer Jorge Abreu.

“I had not much of a choice [but to go to the outside],” Velazquez said. “I tried to cover up behind Irad and he didn't go in there. Jorge said, 'I don't care where you are, I just don't want you on the lead.' We got a good post from the outside and I saved it for the end. That's the way it worked out.”

Star Devine was a debut winner in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., before running a competitive fourth in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly in May at Belmont Park. The Irish-bred ran third when stretched out to 1 1/16 miles on the Belmont turf on June 17 but was shortened up for the second running of the Galway while having Velazquez in the irons for the first time.

“I thought she was going to come from a little bit off the pace, but she broke so sharply and Johnny just took advantage of it,” Abreu said. “I knew she was going to run well. She was just looking for a little cut back. She's better going short than going long.

“I was a little concerned around the turn because I thought he was going to take her back and I thought, 'Don't do that', but then she kicked in again,” Abreu added. “He gave her a good ride.”

Off at 7-1, Star Devine paid $17 on a $2 win bet. The Fastnet Rock filly increased her career bankroll to $127,040 and will now target the 6 1/2-furlong $500,000 Music City on September 12 at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky.

“We're going to go to Kentucky Downs,” Abreu said. “I've had some good luck there and I like going there. We'll see how she comes out of it and that's where we'll aim.”

Illegal Smile, one of two entrants for trainer Wesley Ward along with Wink, bested Bye Bye by a head. It was the fourth time in eight starts [1-4-1] Illegal Smile has finished the runner-up.

“That was so close,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “It was a good race. My filly ran hard and gave me everything she had.”

Mischiefful, Tuscan Queen, Alwayz Late, Wink, Goin' Good, Li'l Tootsie, and Dr B completed the order of finish. What a Trick and main-track-only entrant Summer Brew scratched.

Live racing resumes Wednesday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring two stakes, starting with steeplechase action via the $150,000 Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard in the opener at 1:05 p.m. Eastern. The $120,000 Bolton Landing for 2-year-old fillies going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf is carded as Race 9 at 5:39 p.m.

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Can The Queen Best In Sensible Lady At Pimlico

Joanne Shankle's Can the Queen, beaten less than three lengths in the Jameela Stakes last out after setting the pace, came from just off the pace Saturday to win the $100,000 Sensible Lady at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. by 1 ¾ lengths over Flyingontheground. What a Trick finished third while 7-5 favorite Golden Can was fourth.

Can the Queen, a 5-year-old daughter of Can the Man, covered a firm five-furlong turf course in :56.41 under jockey Victor Carrasco for trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon.

Can the Queen broke alertly and raced three-wide outside pacesetter What a Trick and Golden Can past an opening quarter in :21.63. After Golden Can dropped back a bit on the turn, Can the Queen chased What a Trick and jockey Feargal Lynch into the stretch before driving to the lead and finish line.

The mare set the pace in the Jameela July 4 with an opening quarter in :22.60 before finishing fourth.

“I'm so excited for this filly,” said Sanchez-Salomon. “I never expected her to run this good. She just needs a good ride, patient, and she can run a little bit. At the end when she started moving up, I was just hoping she wouldn't stop because she usually stops a little bit when she gets in front. She got a perfect ride. She wasn't rushed in the beginning; she was just sitting there waiting for the moment to move on.”

“The instructions were to be forwardly placed,” Carrasco said. “I got out there the first few jumps to make sure I'm on the lead or second and then when we got near the quarter pole I was just sitting on her and I see Feargal already asking and I'm just sitting there. When I said go, she exploded and got the job done.”

Can The Queen has now won four of 12 starts. She was bred in Maryland by Carol Ann Kaye.

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