SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer George Weaver is sure to be the busiest man in Saratoga Springs around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday as he’ll saddle four of the 12 prospective starters in the $150,000 Galway Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf.
Weaver has entered Pop Idol, Regalton, Silsbee, and Laurice for the 5 1/2-furlong Galway and plans to run all four while taking on a very evenly matched field that also features the Miguel Clement-trained duo of two-time stakes winner Love Cervere and Make Haste.
“I really hate it,” said Weaver of running four horses in the same race. “But they’re all where they are and it’s an opportunity for them, so we’ve got to run them.”
Laurice and Pop Idol are the most accomplished of the Weaver quartet. Laurice was graded stakes-placed in her last start, finishing third while beaten just one length in the Grade 3 Coronation Cup. Pop Idol has not started since closing out her 2-year-old campaign with a pair of victories, including the restricted Shady Well Stakes over the synthetic track at Woodbine on November 23.
“Laurice has been knocking on the door,” Weaver explained. “She ran a big race in the Coronation Cup, while Pop Idol put together a nice campaign last year at 2 and she’s doing really well. She’s only run once on grass, but she worked very well over the turf here last week.”
Regalton and Silsbee are both coming off impressive maiden wins. Regalton defeated older horses over the local course on July 20, while Silsbee won a maiden race at Aqueduct on May 25. There, she earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure and defeated New York-bred maiden special weight company by five lengths in her lone start at 3.
“Silsbee won against New York-bred maidens, which is obviously softer company than this, but she won stylishly and is doing well,” Weaver said. “And I was really impressed with Regalton in her turf debut not long ago. There are going to be one-other-than allowance races every month for them the rest of the year, but there aren’t that many stakes opportunities sprinting for 3-year-old fillies on the turf, and they both deserve a chance as well.”
Love Cervere could wind up the tepid favorite coming into her local debut off stakes victories in the Take The A Train going six furlongs at Aqueduct on May 10 and the Alywow at 6 1/2 panels six weeks later at Woodbine. Clement did express some concern about Love Cervere being drawn on the outside, in post 11, and the turn back in distance, as shell run 5 1/2 furlongs for the first time in her career in the Galway.
“She is versatile. She won the stakes at Aqueduct coming from last with a devastating turn of foot, and in Canada she won the stakes by being forwardly placed,” said Clement. “Unfortunately, we’re drawn poorly, but she couldn’t be doing any better than she is at the moment. If she gets beat, it will probably be more due to the race dynamics than ability.”
Make Haste was a 9-5 favorite in the Coronation Cup but finished a distant sixth and last after getting into a suicidal early speed duel over a good turf course.
“Just draw a line through her last performance. It’s not a true representation of the filly,” Clement declared. “In fact, we were so disappointed with her race, we had Flavien [Prat] come in and work her twice and she’s been training very well. There’s a lot of speed in this race, but she doesn’t have to be on the lead. She’s very versatile and I’m expecting both our fillies to give a very good account of themselves.”
Several other key contenders in Thursday’s main event are also speed types, including Luna Louska and Roja, who come into the race off stakes victories at Indiana and Monmouth Park, respectively, and Proud Starlet. Proud Starlet led at every call winning a first-level allowance/optional-claiming race at Del Mar less than three weeks ago while posting a 94 Beyer for the effort, tops of any member of the Galway lineup.
Proud Starlet will be making her first start since being sent east and transferred to trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn shortly after her recent win.
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