Coglianese /NYRA Photo Photo

Brown sends out three in G2 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa

by Jon Forbes

A Raving Beauty heads a trio of three entrants for trainer Chad Brown in the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

The Ballston Spa is for fillies and mares and will be contested at 1 1/16 miles over Mellon turf course. It was carded as the 12th race on the 13-race card and has a scheduled post time of 6:20 p.m., one race after the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers.

A Raving Beauty began her career in Europe, winning a pair of stakes in Germany and finishing third in the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio in Italy. She sold for $264,915 at auction in November and was subsequently transferred to Brown.

Now racing for Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables, A Raving Beauty made her first two starts in North America at Belmont Park, winning the Grade 3 Beaugay by three lengths in May and the Grade 1 Just a Game by three-quarters of a length in June.

Looking to add another Grade 1 score in the Diana on July 21 at Saratoga, A Raving Beauty raced in a pocket and checked sharply approaching the quarter pole. The 5-year-old Mastercraftsman mare continued to race in close quarters in the stretch, rallying between horses to finish third, beaten three quarters of a length by her stablemate Sistercharlie.

“It was a tough trip,” said Brown. “She kicked on, but it was a tough trip.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the assignment again aboard A Raving Beauty, who drew post position 1.

Brown – who has won the Ballston Spa three times in the past six years, including last year’s edition with Lady Eli – also will send out Off Limits and Quidura.

Martin Schwartz’s Off Limits was 5-of-6 in 2017, but is winless in three starts this year. After winning the Grade 1 Matriarch in November at Del Mar, Off Limits began her 6-year-old campaign with a fifth in the Grade 2 Hillsborough in March at Tampa Bay Downs and a third in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley in April at Keeneland. Last time out, she trailed the field in eighth before making a steady run down the center of the course to finish fourth as the 9-5 favorite in the Just a Game.

“She had a good year last year, and she’s still trying to get into form here,” said Brown. “She has been training really well. Hopefully, in the second half of the season she gets back into form.”

Off Limits, who drew post 6, will be reunited with jockey Joel Rosario.

Peter Brant’s Quidura, who won two graded stakes for Graham Motion earlier in her career, will be making her second start for Brown in the Ballston Spa. In her only performance this year, Quidura set the pace before giving way late when second by a neck in a one-mile optional claimer contested over yielding ground July 15 at Belmont. That race was won by her stablemate Fifty Five, who is entered in the $150,000 Yaddo for New York-breds on Friday.

“She ran over soft ground, which she didn’t like, but she still ran pretty good,” said Brown. “She got the race she needed to move forward.”

Jose Ortiz will ride Quidura from post 5.

Hawksmoor finished a half-length behind A Raving Beauty when fourth in the Diana. Trained by Arnaud Delacour for Lael Stables, the 5-year-old seeks her first victory since taking the 2017 Grade 3 Beaugay and Grade 2 New York in consecutive starts.

“Depending on how much speed there is, I would like to either be on the lead or right behind the leader, but it all depends how it sets up,” said Delacour.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano has the call aboard Hawksmoor from post 4.

Also exiting the Diana is Proctor’s Ledge, who raced evenly in the stretch to finish fifth. The Patricia Mosley homebred won the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile in May at Churchill Downs before finishing second in the Just a Game in her two starts prior to the Diana.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, Proctor’s Ledge will leave from post 3 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the saddle.

The Ballston Spa will be the North American debut for Indian Blessing, who has won two races in nine starts in Great Britain and France. She captured the listed Prix Petite Etoile in November and has placed in a pair of group events, including a third in her most recent effort, the Group 3 Oak Tree on August 3 at Goodwood.

Julien Leparoux, who previously rode Hawksmoor, opted to ride Indian Blessing, who drew post 2. Ed Walker trains Indian Blessing for Mr. P.K. Siu.