Carameaway / NYRA Photo

Experienced New York-bred field takes aim at Saratoga Dew

by Brian Bohl

Flipcup will look to capitalize on her experience in stakes races as she leads a field of 10 New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Monday's $100,000 Saratoga Dew on Saratoga Race Course's main track.

Flipcup, one of two entries for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, is the only starter in the race with graded stakes victories on her ledger, having captured the Grade 3 Arlington Matron on May 28 after winning her first career graded stakes race in October, the Grade 3 Maple Leaf at Woodbine.

The Milwaukee Brew bay mare drew the rail with Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the irons.

Isabelle, also trained by Mott, is making her first start of the meet following a sixth-place finish in the Dancin Renee. The William Schettine-owned 5-year-old is looking for her first win since the 2015 Broadway. She will exit post 6 with jockey Junior Alvarado.

Jc's Shooting Star, the 2015 Fleet Indian winner at Saratoga, will be returning to the dirt after five straight turf starts. Trainer David Donk's 4-year-old bay filly will turn back to 1 1/8-miles; a distance at which she has won two of three starts. Jc's Shooting Star will leave post 8 with Manny Franco aboard.

"She's run well on the grass but she's won the Fleet Indian on the dirt here last year, so we figured this is a [race] that we could enter," Donk said.

Carameaway, trained by Mitchell Friedman, won the race's 2014 edition. The Richard Greeley-owned 6-year-old chestnut mare will be aiming for her first win in six starts this year. After a second-place finish against allowance company on June 26 at Monmouth Park, Carameaway finished sixth at Saratoga on July 27. She will depart from post 3 with Pablo Fragoso aboard.

Daisy Cutter, a former turf specialist, will be making her stakes debut in just her second start since a nearly four-month break. Trainer Linda Rice rested the Tic Stables' 4-year-old mare after she finished fourth in a July 13 allowance at Belmont Park.

Daisy Cutter will leave with Jose Ortiz from post 5.

"Daisy Cutter is doing well; she's had one start since her layoff and looked [good], so we figured we'd try this New York-bred race and see what happens," Rice said.

Jules N Rome will make her first start for trainer Rudy Rodriguez after being claimed on July 27. The Dunkirk 4-year-old gray filly came in third against optional-claiming company on that date at 1 1/8 miles and is 2-2-0 in her last six starts. Jules N Rome has the outside position with Javier Castellano aboard.

Literata, also trained by Rodriguez and owned by Michael Dubb, has finished in the money in her last nine races, going 2-4-3 in that span. Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the mount out of post 9.

"They've both been pretty good," Rodriguez said. "We just claimed Jules N Rome, so we looked around and thought this race would be a good fit. We wanted to take a look and see what we have."

Rounding out the field is Legally Bay, a 6-year-old dark bay mare making her stakes debut for trainer Marialice Coffey out of post 2; Perfect Freud, trained by Gary Sciacca, is looking for her first career stakes win and drew post 7; and Bella Joy, who is trained by Ralph Nicks and is also making her stakes debut. She drew post 4.