TurfPublicists: SCHUYLERVILLE (G3) ADVANCE; for Friday, July 23

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Contact: Jenny Kellner

SCHUYLERVILLE KICKS OFF STAKES ACTION IN SPA OPENER

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The gates open at Saratoga Race Course for the 142^nd time on Friday, and in keeping with tradition, 2-year-old fillies take center stage in the Grade 3, $100,000 Schuylerville, the first of 52 stakes scheduled for the meet.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, a six-time winner of the Saratoga training title, looks to get things off to a flying start as he sends out Repole Stable’s Stopspendingmaria in the six-furlong Schuylerville, which drew a field of seven for its 92^nd running.

Also on the 10-race card, for which The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is offering free grandstand admission, is the $75,000 James Marvin, which drew 10 3-year-olds and up going seven furlongs, headed by Vineyard Haven, Friesan Fire, Le Grand Cru and Cool Coal Man.

Stopspendingmaria, a daughter of Montbrook who was third in her debut at Delaware Park, caught everyone’s attention at Belmont Park on July 1 when she ran off to a seven-length victory. Her winning time of 1:03.97 for the 5 ½ furlongs earned her a Beyer Speed Figure of 93 and a berth in the “New York Watch” series, which shines the spotlight on promising colts and fillies at NYRA’s three racetracks.

“We were very pleased with her maiden win,” said Pletcher, who won the Schuylerville in 2002 with Freedom’s Daughter, in 2003 with Ashado, and in 2006 with Cotton Blossom. “She came out of the race in good order, has been training well, and we’re excited about running her.”

Stopspendingmaria, 7-2 on the morning line, will be ridden by John Velazquez from the rail.

Another who turned in an eye-catching performance in her first start at Belmont was Let’s Get Fiscal, who scored a 5 ½-length victory under Alan Garcia on June 17. The Eddington filly, a $130,000 purchase from the OBS February Select Sale of 2-year-olds in training, breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.43 on Sunday in preparation for the Schuylerville.

“She breezed very well the other day, and she’s been very professional since the day we first put tack on her,” said Rick Violette, who trains Let’s Get Fiscal for Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence. “It’s time to get the show on the road.”

Garcia will be back aboard Let’s Get Fiscal, who is 7-2 from post position 3.

Trainer Wesley Ward will choose one from a pair of New York-bred fillies entered in the Schuylerville; the undefeated Final Mesa, who scored her third straight win in the My Dear Stakes at Woodbine on June 26, and the appropriately named Spa Sunrise, a front-running winner in her debut at Belmont Park on July 8.

“Right now, I’m leaning toward running Spa Sunrise,” said Ward. “They’re both talented fillies with similar physical attributes. The good thing about Spa Sunrise is her mind, and I think that will help her go a little longer.”

Eibar Coa was named on both of the Ice Wine fillies as Final Mesa drew post 7 and Spa Sunrise post 4, with the entry 2-1 on the morning line.

Rounding out the field are Lansdon B. Robbins’ homebred Le Mi Geaux, who enters the Schuylerville off a 7 ¼-length maiden win at Churchill Downs on June 20; Show Me the Bling, a maiden winner at Monmouth Park on June 5; and Dos Lunas, a six-length maiden winner on the turf at Churchill Downs on June 27.

The field for the Grade 3 Schuylerville:

Program No.	PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	Odds
1	4	Spa Sunrise (NY)	E Coa	119	W A Ward	2-1
1a	7	Final Mesa (NY)	E Coa	119	W A Ward	2-1
2	1	Stopspendingmaria (FL)	J Velazquez	119	T A Pletcher	7-2
3	2	Le Mi Geaux (KY)	F Lenclud	119	R E Dutrow Jr.	6-1
4	3	Let’s Get Fiscal (FL)	A Garcia	119	R Violette	7-2
5	5	Dos Lunas (KY)	J Court	119	J Glenney	12-1
6	6	Show Me the Bling (FL)	J Leparaoux	119	P L Biancone	3-1

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