SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Make Haste should be fresh and ready to flaunt her speed when she heads the field of 3-year-old fillies entered in Friday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Coronation Cup scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs over Saratoga’s Mellon Turf Course. Seven were entered for turf in the Coronation Cup, though Laurice and Gata Brazil were cross-entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Blue Sparkler, also a turf sprint, at Monmouth Park.
The Coronation Cup is part of a $1 pick six sequence that starts with a carryover of $118,028 after the bet went unsolved on Thursday's opening-day card.
It is not by design that Make Haste hasn’t run in the nearly 15 weeks since she won a first-level allowance April 13 at Gulfstream Park. Make Haste was entered in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly on June 8 at Saratoga, but she was scratched when that race was rained off the turf. Trainer Miguel Clement then entered her in the June 15 Stormy Blue Stakes at Laurel but had to scratch because she was coming from Belmont Park, where a barn had been placed under quarantine due to a case of strangles and Laurel was not accepting Belmont shippers.
“She’s been sitting on go for a while,” Clement said. “It’s a shame she hasn’t run since April. She’s had no issues. We’re appreciative of the connections keeping the filly with us.”
Make Haste, owned by Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods, has run twice this year. In March, in the Melody of Colors Stakes at Gulfstream, she had a little bit of a troubled trip early as she was pushed down toward the inside, steadied slightly, and finished fourth, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Cloe. On April 13, Make Haste came back and went gate to wire, carving out very fast fractions in a first-level allowance race. She figures to try similar tactics under Flavien Prat on Friday.
“I thought she was dazzling,” Clement said of the allowance win. “We have Mr. Prat on board. He wins more than anyone at the moment. We’ll let him figure it out.”
Jose D’Angelo sends out the uncoupled pair of Cloe and Spirited Boss, who finished second and third, respectively, behind Saturday Flirt in the off-the-turf Soaring Softly Stakes.
Cloe, who beat Make Haste in the Melody of Colors, raced with blinkers for the first time in the Soaring Softly. D’Angelo said that Luis Saez, who rode Cloe in the Grade 3 Senorita at Santa Anita in April, felt his filly was loose and not focused in that race and suggested the blinkers.
D’Angelo said he gave Cloe a little freshening going into the Soaring Softly, only working her twice in between the Senorita and the Soaring Softly.
“I gave her a break after California. She had just two short workouts for Saratoga,” D’Angelo said. “Now, with that race under her belt, two good workouts, she knows the place. She’s training there every day. There should be nothing new for her now.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Cloe in the Soaring Softly, has the return call.
Spirited Boss lost her rear footing leaving the gate in the Soaring Softly and rallied from last to be third.
“She missed the break but ran pretty well. She closed hard and her gallop-out was pretty good,” D’Angelo said. “Same as Cloe, she knows the place, I [broke] her from the gate to have a better start. I think she’s tough, too. She always puts her heart out there. I like our chances with both of them.”
John Velazquez rides Spirited Boss from post 5.
Abientot won a maiden race going 5 1/2 furlongs here last summer and won the Grade 3 Matron at Aqueduct last fall. She is coming off a ninth-place finish in the Grade 3 Mamzelle Stakes last month for trainer Mark Casse.
Italian Soiree, who won her debut sprinting on dirt last July, gets her first opportunity to sprint on the turf in this spot, while You’ll Be Back, second to Echo Sound in the Miss Preakness; Twirling Beauty; and Flat Out Time are all entered for the dirt.
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