SARATOGA SPRINGS — With four days down and 36 to go, the meet of the fabulous fillies is in full swing. On opening day, the 2-year-old Georgie’s Angel evoked the spirit of her namesake, George Steinbrenner, winning the Schuylerville. The next afternoon, the 3-year-olds It’s Tricky and Plum Pretty staged a barn-burner in the Coaching Club American Oaks. They could meet again in the Aug. 20 Alabama.
The arch-rival 4-year-old fillies Blind Luck and Havre de Grace are scheduled to race here later in the meet, but not against each other. Blind Luck is pointed to the Aug. 28 Personal Ensign; Havre de Grace, the Sept. 3 Woodward.
And in today’s Grade 2, $150,000 Lake George at 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf, Winter Memories makes her return to the Old Spa, where she broke her maiden first time out last summer over the Mellon course. She is ready to take her place among the many top-class turf fillies over the years trained by Jimmy Toner, including champion Soaring Softly and Winter Memories’ dam, Memories of Silver.
Winter Memories, by El Prado, is 4-for-5 in her career, including two stakes wins this year. Her only loss came when she was second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“She’s done everything she’s supposed to do,” Toner said. “She’s filled out, she’s matured and developed, and we couldn’t be happier with the way she is doing. So far, so good. We’re ready to go and anxious to get started.”
Also in the field of six 3-year-old fillies is the winner of the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, More Than Real, trained by Todd Pletcher for celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who will be the keynote speaker at the Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony here on Aug. 12.
In her only start this year, More Than Real traveled to England for the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Ascot and finished far back.
“She seemed to handle the Ascot trip well,” said Pletcher. “We’re trying to get back on course, so we’ll hope that she’s back to her Breeders’ Cup form. She’s training very well and we’re ready to run.”
