SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After facing Grade 1 company in three of her last four starts, Evvie Jets will theoretically be getting some class relief when dropping into Wednesday’s main event at Saratoga, the $135,000 De La Rose, a race carded for fillies and mares who have not won a graded stakes in 2024. Despite its restricted status, however, the one-mile De La Rose is anything but a soft spot and has lured a field of 10, that aside from Grade 2 winner Evvie Jets, includes seven graded stakes-placed rivals as well as the Group 3 European winner Immensitude.
Evvie Jets finished third in the Grade 1 First Lady to close out a 2023 campaign during which she won three stakes highlighted by her game victory over Fluffy Socks here in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa. She has finished seventh, beaten just 3 1/2 lengths in the Grade 1 Diana, and fourth, just a length back of Chili Flag, in the Grade 1 Just a Game in her last two outings for trainer Mertkan Kantarmaci, who has reached out to Flavien Prat to ride the star of his stable for the first time.
“She’s shown she can go either way, win from in front or behind, but I don’t think anyone looks as fast as her in this race so the plan would be to go to the lead. I’ll let Flavien decide off the break,” said Kantarmaci. “I think she should run very well in this easier spot. I like her on the inner turf and one mile is definitely her best distance. We stretched her out to a mile and an eighth in the Diana, which is a little long for her, so we tried rating her off the pace because of the extra distance and she still didn’t get beat that far.”
Mouffy comes into the race in peak form for trainer Jonathan Thomas, having finished worse than second but once in six starts on grass. She is undefeated in three races on firm turf, keeping that mark perfect with a game and popular neck decision over Midnight Mile in the one-mile Perfect Sting at Aqueduct earlier this month. She is also graded stakes-placed twice on less than firm ground, having finished second over courses rated as good in both the Grade 3 Megahertz and Grade 2 Buena Vista earlier this season at Santa Anita.
Midnight Mile will get another crack at Mouffy while making her third start since returning to the U.S. and joining trainer Chad Brown’s barn earlier this year. Midnight Mile, who breaks from the extreme outside in post 10, made her first North American appearance as a 2-year-old when rallying from last to finish fourth in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“It’s a tough post, she’ll have to overcome that, but she’s doing well,” said Brown.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has entered a pair of graded stakes-placed fillies, Sister Lou Ann and Be My Sunshine. The former, third in the Grade 3 Suwannee River last December at Gulfstream Park, is coming off a hard-fought victory in a high-priced optional-claiming and allowance race decided at a mile on June 22 at Churchill Downs. Be My Sunshine finished second in the Grade 3 Endeavour at Tampa Bay Downs to kick off the year.
“They’re both doing pretty good,” said Joseph. “Sister Lou Ann ran very well last time while showing she can come from off the pace and win. Be My Sunshine kind of lost her action in her last start and I think a mile is her best distance. Hopefully they will both get some help with the pace.”
Immensitude won a Group 3 Stakes in her 3-year-old finale last fall at Chantilly but is winless in two tries since coming to North America and being transferred to trainer Bill Mott.
The well-traveled Spirit And Glory could provide an early challenge for Evvie Jets and has been holding her form well of late, finishing third in a pair of Grade 3 events, at Monmouth Park and Aqueduct, while racing on the front end in each of her last two outings.
– additional reporting by David Grening
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