SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A Kentucky Oaks rematch looks to be in the offing Friday when Thorpedo Anna and Just F Y I head a field of nine 3-year-old fillies that were entered Saturday for the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn Stakes at Saratoga.
Regulatory Risk, who finished third in the Kentucky Oaks, is also part of the Acorn field.
The Acorn, which this year will be run at 1 1/8 miles, goes as the last of 12 races on a sensational card that includes the Grade 1, $750,000 New York Stakes, which drew a field of 13 females at 1 3/16 miles on turf; the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game for females at one mile on turf, and the Grade 2, $250,000 Intercontinental for filly and mare sprinters on turf. First post Friday is 12:20 p.m.
Thorpedo Anna beat Just F Y I by 4 3/4 lengths in the Kentucky Oaks. Thorpedo Anna’s victory kicked off a historic weekend for trainer Ken McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who came back the following day to win the Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan.
Thorpedo Anna was being considered for the Belmont Stakes on June 8 - and could still be entered in that race - but all indications Saturday morning were that she would run in the Acorn while Mystik Dan runs in the Belmont.
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Both Thorpedo Anna and Just F Y I, last year’s 2-year-old filly champion, are relatively fresh horses having each run just twice so far in 2024.
Thorpedo Anna won the Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn on March 31 while Just F Y I finished second to Leslie’s Rose in the Grade 1 Ashland on April 5.
Thorpedo Anna will break from post 9 under Hernandez while Just F Y I drew post 4 and will be ridden by Junior Alvarado.
Leslie’s Rose, who did not care for the slop when finishing 13th in the Kentucky Oaks, will break from post 3 under Irad Ortiz Jr. Leslie’s Rose is trained by Todd Pletcher, who was also planning to run Candied in the Acorn. However, Candied did not enter and will now be pointed to the Monomoy Girl at Churchill Downs on June 15, Pletcher said.
Power Squeeze and Where’s My Ring, sixth and 10th, respectively, in the Kentucky Oaks, are back for another run in the Acorn.
Gun Song, the Black-Eyed Susan winner, drew post 8 for the Acorn, while My Mane Squeeze, the Grade 2 Eight Belles winner, drew post 5.
Becky’s Joker, who is also entered in Thursday’s $150,000 Jersey Girl, drew the rail for the Acorn.
War Like Goddess returns in loaded New York Stakes
The nine-time graded stakes winner War Like Goddess heads a loaded field of 13 fillies and mares entered in Friday’s Grade 1, $750,000 New York Stakes.
The 13 entrants have combined to win 35 group or graded stakes.
War Like Goddess, who beat males in each of the last two runnings of the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, will be making her 7-year-old debut in the New York, which, due to the change of venue from Belmont to Saratoga, is shortened to 1 3/16 miles. War Like Goddess was scheduled to make her seasonal debut in the Bewitch at Keeneland in April, but she cut herself in a stall incident and had to scratch.
War Like Goddess, trained by Bill Mott for George Krikorian, has won 11 of 18 starts. She will break from post 10 on Friday.
Didia, who has transferred her terrific Argentina form to the U.S., won the Grade 3 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream and finished third to Beaute Cachee in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley last out. She finished second in this race last year and will break from post 3 in this year’s running.
Chad Brown ran first and third in last year’s New York with Marketsegmentation and McKulick. The latter is one of two horses Brown has in this year’s running. Royalty Interest, who beat McKulick in the Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay, is Brown’s other entrant this year.
McKulick breaks from post 1 and is followed in post order by English Rose, Didia, Aspen Grove, American Sonja, Fev Rover, Neecie Marie, Be Your Best, Sparkle Blue, War Like Goddess, Star Fortress, Royalty Interest and Surprisingly.
Brown dominates Just a Game
Chad Brown has five of the seven fillies and mares entered in Friday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game at one mile.
Beaute Cachee, upset winner of the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, and Whitebeam, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Diana here, head the contingent that also includes Coppice, Gina Romantica and Chili Flag.
Trainer Graham Motion entered Mission of Joy, who finished fourth behind the Brown trio of Chili Flag, Coppice and Delahaye in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile. Trainer Mertkan Kantarmaci entered Evvie Jets, last year’s Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes winner.
Roses for Debra tops Intercontinental
Roses for Debra, a winner of 9 of 12 career starts including two stakes last summer at Saratoga, heads a field of 10 entered in Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs
Roses for Debra, trained by Christophe Clement, won the Grade 3 Caress and the Smart N Fancy here last summer. She will break from post 6 under Irad Ortiz Jr. in the Intercontinental. She kicked off her 4-year-old campaign with a 1 3/4-length victory over Love Reigns in the Grade 3 Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland. Love Reigns is also back in this field.
Gal in a Rush, also trained by Clement, finished second to the Clement-trained Dontlookbackatall in the License Fee Stakes at Aqueduct.
Others entered in the Intercontinental are Run for the Hills, Kaufymaker, Everbodyloveslinda, Lady Milagro, Future Is Now, Medalla Match, and Spicybug.
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