Pedigree notes for Schuylerville and Friday juvenile maiden at Saratoga

Saratoga is synonymous with promising two-year-olds, so it’s apt that the historic meet wastes no time in featuring the emerging youngsters. Friday’s co-feature, the $150,000 Schuylerville (G3), begins the Spa series for juvenile fillies that continues with the August 12 Adirondack (G2) and concludes with the September 2 Spinaway (G1).

Here is the Schuylerville field from a pedigree perspective.

Buy Sell Hold has put freshman sire Violence in the headlines. As the hero of the 2012 CashCall Futurity (G1) and Nashua (G2) as well as a Saratoga debut winner, the exquisitely bred Medaglia d’Oro stallion figured to get good juveniles in his mold. Although a moderately priced yearling who didn’t reach her sire’s average ($79,727), the $67,000 Keeneland September purchase has a fine pedigree. She’s the first foal from Melody Lady, the stakes-winning daughter of Unbridled’s Song and multiple Grade 1 star Lady Tak. A Steve Asmussen trainee like her granddaughter, Lady Tak posted her marquee wins at Saratoga in the 2003 Test (G1) and 2004 Ballerina (G1). She descends from Dangerous Dame, ancestress of Sakhee, Broad Brush, Capote, and Exceller.

Asmussen’s other entrant, the well-named Laudation, is by Congrats out of Rite Moment, a Vicar mare who captured a pair of Aqueduct graded sprints in the Distaff H. (G2) and Bed o’ Roses (G2). Rite Moment has already produced an early juvenile stakes winner, Moment Is Right, victorious in the 2015 Astoria. She went on to win another sprint stakes at Remington last September and placed in three others. Laudation brought $110,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September.

The Mark Casse-trained Snowfire ranks as the most expensive auction purchase in the field, commanding $500,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga last summer. That stands to reason for a filly by leading sire Tapit (responsible for last year’s Schuylerville winner, Sweet Loretta) and her dam, Upperline, is a multiple Grade 3 winner who’s already off to a flyer as a producer. The Maria’s Mon mare’s only previous foal, War Secretary, landed the April 12 Patton S. at Dundalk for Aidan O’Brien. Snowfire’s pedigree suggests she’ll want much longer than six furlongs in time, so if she can beat speedier types at their own game, it would bode very well for her long-term prospects.

Best Performance, by Broken Vow, sold for $300,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s Gulfstream Sale in March. Half-sister My California was stakes-placed at two in a Cal-bred/sired stakes at Del Mar. Their dam, the Smart Strike mare Give My Regards, is in turn a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 victor Broadway Empire and to Grade 2-placed stakes scorer Cinderella’s Dream. As mentioned in the early look ahead to the Schuylerville, the Christophe Clement trainee is nominated to the Del Mar Debutante (G1) too.

The ubiquitous Todd Pletcher sends out Stainless, a Flatter filly who was purchased for $75,000 at Keeneland September. Interestingly, her dam, the Unbridled’s Song mare Spring Storm, is a half to the dam of this season’s UAE Oaks (G3) third Complimenti. Since Complimenti is by Flatter’s full brother Congrats, they match up well with this family. Their sire A.P. Indy did also, getting stakes winners Beautiful Daniele and Mama Nadine from another pair of half-sisters close up on the page. Mama Nadine’s dam is none other than champion two-year-old filly Countess Diana, who garnered the Schuylerville during her 2007 Eclipse campaign.

Dream It Is, a $50,000 Keeneland September yearling by Shackleford, has a terrific family if you go a couple of generations deeper. Her first two dams were both unraced, the Medaglia d’Oro mare Reve Enchante and Reve de Fille by Storm Cat, but third dam is the mighty British champion Bosra Sham. Although not a memorable producer, Bosra Sham is in turn a full sister to Hector Protector from the prolific tribe of Royal Statute.

Pacific Gale is from the first crop of Flatter’s $3.6-million earner Flat Out. The $72,000 OBS April buy is out of the unraced Forestry mare Pacific Whisper, and her second dam, the stakes-winning West’s Secret, is a half to multiple Grade 2 heroine and near-millionaire Top Secret.

Mel’s Gone Wild went for only $15,000 at OBS this March, but she’s bred to be quick as a daughter of Wildcat Heir. The Florida-bred is out of the unraced Melrose, by unbeaten champion two-year-old colt Vindication, and her second dam is 2004 Azalea (G3) romper Dazzle Me.

Limited View was even cheaper when bringing the gavel down at $5,200 as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall yearling. The Maryland-bred became the first winner for freshman sire Freedom Child, and she also rates as the only winner so far for her dam, the Not for Love mare Loves to Glance. While there’s little black type under her first four dams, the notable exception is her second dam Mingling Glances, a four-time stakes heroine who was multiple Group-placed.

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Earlier in Friday’s 5TH race, several well-bred two-year-old fillies will try to break their maiden over 5 1/2 furlongs.

Calumet homebred Honey Glow is by Speightstown and out of the A.P. Indy mare Mahogany Lane, herself an unraced full sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Indian Vale. Honey Glow’s second dam is Marley Vale, who scored her signature win at the Spa in the 1999 Test. Both nature and nurture (as a Todd Pletcher pupil) suggest she can win first up.

Amazing Belle ($230,000 Keeneland September yearling) is a Midnight Lute half-sister to 2010 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) scorer and millionaire Unrivaled Belle, now famous as the dam of Unique Bella. Unrivaled Belle and Amazing Belle are out of Queenie Belle, a multiple Grade 2 winner by Bertrando.

Country Affair ($350,000 Keeneland September yearling) likewise has top-class relations, being by Uncle Mo and out of a Street Cry half-sister to Pioneerof the Nile. As a Wayne Lukas debutante, however, she probably needs a race to get going.

More Mojo ($325,000 Keeneland September yearling) is a More Than Ready half-sister to stakes winners Praetereo and Simply Spiteful as well as to Grade 2-placed Dawn’s Charm. They were produced by the Silver Charm mare Deb’s Charm, third in the 2004 Alcibiades (G2), who is herself a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 scorer Tasha’s Miracle (winner of Del Mar’s Sorrento [G3] as a juvenile). This is also the immediate family of last year’s Mother Goose (G1) (and 2015 Schuylerville) heroine Off the Tracks and Grade 2 victor Concord Point.

Crimson Creed ($105,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May juvenile) is by hot freshman sire Jimmy Creed, represented by six winners from 13 starters (31 percent on debut). The juvenile is therefore a three-quarter sister to multiple stakes victor Crimson Comic, who is by Jimmy Creed’s sire, Distorted Humor. Crimson Creed and Crimson Comic are both out of Canadian Grade 3-placed stakes scorer Madame Red, by Forest Wildcat.

Sagamore Farm homebred Southampton Way, a May 6 foal, is an Into Mischief half-sister to three stakes performers – Tell a Story, a Grade 2-placed stakes scorer; Grade 2-placed Give No Quarter; and stakes-placed All I Karabout. Their dam, the unraced Not for Love mare Roadtohanna, descends from a productive Midlantic family.

Sororitysweetheart ($175,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall yearling) is a full sister to Classy Class, recently successful in the Salvator Mile (G3), and to current Gazelle (G2) third Full House. They’re all progeny of Discreetly Mine and the Saarland mare Collegiate, the third-placer in the 2008 Spinaway (G1).

Kickin Kimberly ($75,000 OBS March juvenile) is by Eskendereya and out of the winning Christina’s World, a daughter of Unbridled’s Song and Grade 3 vixen and 2003 Prioress (G1) runner-up Chimichurri. Fourth dam is the influential matron Homespun.

Sunny’s Funny ($65,000 OBS April juvenile) is a Discreetly Mine filly from the same family, with her dam, the Mr. Greeley mare Arbeka, being a half to Chimichurri.

Purrfect Miss ($20,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling) is by Discreet Cat and out of the unraced Grand Slam mare Jamboree. There’s little black type nearby on her page, but second dam is by Unbridled’s Song, third dam is by Deputy Minister, and under fourth dam Cinegita one finds champion Flanders.

Of the two also-eligibles, Everybody Loves Me ($315,000 OBS April juvenile) has the more precocious pedigree. By Maclean’s Music, she’s out of a Forestry half-sister to multiple stakes winner and Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Conquest Mo Money. Fourth dam is the outstanding Passing Mood, responsible for With Approval and Touch Gold. Marylou Whitney homebred Quick Quick Quick, by Tiago, is a full sister to Grade 1-placed stakes victor Viva Majorca.

Buy Sell Hold photo courtesy Keeneland/Coady Photography