Her Smile ready for another Grade 1 win, but Turbulent Descent has other plans in the Test Stakes at Saratoga
The 3-year-old Todd Pletcher trained Her Smile, coming off of a career defining performance in the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes, has entered the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga.
On the other hand, the connections of Turbulent Descent have wanted the stakes race all along, but they have to contend with the three-year-old who is coming off the best performance of her career.
The difference between the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes and the Grade 1 Test Stakes is their distance. Prioress is six furlongs' and Test is seven furlongs' long dash at the Saratoga racecourse.
Privately Purchased by Bobb Flay, Her Smile was handed over to Todd Pletcher and since then the filly’s graph has taken an upward curve.
She ran a spirited race in the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes, and on the surface it looked like one of the Todd Pletcher planned strategic races run by Javier Castellano and Her Smile to win the race.
The race was held at Belmont Park dirt course over at a distance of six furlongs, and jockey Javier Castellano rode the filly for the first time in her 2-year-old career.
The six furlong distance wasn’t long to start with, holding the filly back, but that is what Javier did.
Coming off the pace, he shook up Her Smile with 2 furlongs to go, and the filly responded in emphatic style as she rallied very late from behind to finish on top of the pile, defeating Pomeroys Pistol by half a length.
She’s coming off her best race and training very well for this one,” Pletcher said. “We got the trip we wanted in the Prioress, off the pace and saving ground. She had to wait briefly for a seam to open up, but otherwise it was perfect. Hopefully, we’ll
get the same kind of trip on Saturday, and the faster the pace, the better for her.”
The 3-year-old Mike Puype Turbulent Descent is coming off an excellent run herself, valiant in defeat.
Turbulent Descent ran her heart out in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes held at Belmont Park on 11 June, 2011.
Under jockey David Flores, the filly tracked It’s Tricky but couldn’t go past her and lost the race by a shoulder. The final time was a fast 1 minute and 35.48 seconds over at a distance of 1 mile.
The daughter of Congrats, Turbulent Descent, will break from post number six under her usual rouse David Flores, who has ridden the filly from her first maiden race to her last at Belmont.
Her Smile will break from Post number 8 in the Test Stakes, under Javier Castellano.
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