Luminous Beauty set to shine in Listed $200K Schuylerville
Luminous Beauty will look to make her stakes debut a winning one in Friday’s Listed $200,000 Schuylerville to kick off the July 4th Racing Festival on Opening Day of the 46-day summer meet, at Saratoga Race Course.
The Schuylerville, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, is slated as Race 9 on Friday’s 11-race card which also features a pair of $150,000 restricted turf tilts in the one-mile Wild Applause in Race 8 and the 1 1/16-mile Saranac in Race 10. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
Luminous Beauty [post 8, Flavien Prat], trained by Jena Antonucci for horseOlogy Racing, Fred Rosen, Steve Dervenis and Cliff Racing, earned a field-best 77 Beyer Speed Figure for her second-out graduation sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs on June 4 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
The Flameaway dark bay exited post 2-of-8 under Flavien Prat and showed the way through splits of 22.20 seconds and 44.88 over the fast main track, opening up a 3 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call en route to a 6 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:03.34.
Antonucci said Luminous Beauty is a versatile type that doesn’t necessarily need the lead.
“She's very good minded. It just worked out that way with the kind of break she had. Flavien was able to get her to relax and just cruise around there,” Antonucci said. “If she ended up having something to sit off of or go to the front, I don't think it would matter for her. That racetrack was pretty fast, and it really carried them well that day. She ran well.”
The maiden score followed a solid debut on May 15 at Churchill Downs where Luminous Beauty brushed with a rival leaving post 5-of-8 and pressed the early speed of the Wesley Ward-trained mutuel favorite Lady Chanel. Luminous Beauty took over at the three-sixteenths and looked to put the field away but was caught inside the final sixteenth by the rallying Pierette, who is entered in Sunday’s Debutante at Churchill.
“We were very proud of her effort there,” Antonucci said. “She did pretty much all the heavy lifting that day, putting a very prepared Wesley Ward filly away and then just getting beat there late was a tough beat for her. I think she learned a lot from it, and it obviously tightened her up for her next start.”
Luminous Beauty has trained into her stakes debut at Saratoga where she worked a bullet five-eighths in 59.46 over the main track on June 24.
“She had a really nice work the other day and we're pleased with where we are and how she's doing. She's done a lot of maturing and growing up. She's stronger and more fit,” said Antonucci, who famously became the first woman to train a winner of a Triple Crown race when Arcangelo captured the 2023 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets en route to honors as Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.
Luminous Beauty, a $40,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale purchase, is a full-sister to Panamanian multiple stakes-winner Flight Moon, out of the Grade 3-placed Into Mischief mare Sly Beauty. Her third dam, Vue, produced Grade 1-winners War Pass and Oath.
“She was a really well put together and balanced filly as a yearling,” Antonucci said. “A very pretty filly and we were taking a gamble on the sire hoping it works out and hopefully this time it did. She didn't really have any flaws as a young horse, and we'll be happy to take one that people miss anytime.”
AMO Racing USA’s Madeleine Swann [post 4, Javier Castellano], a $450,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, graduated with a frontrunning five-length score in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden sprint on June 6 at Monmouth Park.
Trained by Jorge Delgado, the Girvin dark bay posted splits of 22.45 and 46.56 over the fast main track, powering away to win by five lengths in a final time of 53.07 and earning a 57 Beyer.
Madeleine Swann, a half-sister to dual Grade 1-placed sprinter Amy’s Challenge, is out of the Jump Start mare Jump Up, who was undefeated in three career starts.
Majestic View Farms International’s New York-homebred Prime Aurora [post 2, John Velazquez] will race in the Empire State for the first time.
Trained by Abraham Gardea, Prime Aurora graduated on debut in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden sprint under Samy Camacho on May 29 at Gulfstream Park. There, she exited post 2-of-8 and stalked from third position as Lamdara set a swift opening quarter-mile in 21.63 while pressed by Melody Queen. Prime Aurora made an inside run through the turn and drew away from her rivals to score by 8 3/4-lengths in a final time of 51.37. The runner-up, Melody Queen, returned to graduate next out, while third-place Lamdara is entered in Friday’s Sharp Susan at Gulfstream.
"I was expecting a big race, but you don't expect them to win the way she did it first time out," Gardea said. "She had trained well leading up to the race and shown us she could run since early.
"She stalked the pace and then when she found the room, she got through with ease. She got the hole and finished up very professional," Gardea added. "She came out of the race great, and this is the race we've been pointing to ever since she broke her maiden."
Prime Aurora has worked back solo twice at Gardea’s base at Colonial Downs, including a bullet half-mile in 46 flat on June 20 and a three-eighths work in 36 flat this morning.
"She worked great, looked good doing it and galloped out great," Gardea said of the bullet work. "Today, I did little maintenance work, nice and easy with her and she did it really well. I didn't want to do too much within eight days of the race. So far, she's doing great leading into the race.”
Prime Aurora will now stretch out in distance while picking up the services of Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who has won the Schuylerville a record five times – all with Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher trainees in Freedom’s Daughter [2002], Cotton Blossom [2006], Georgie’s Angel [2011], Fashion Alert [2014] and Sweet Loretta [2016].
"I don't think it will be a problem for her,” Gardea said of the step up in distance. “It will all depend on how the race shapes up. Hopefully, we get a good position, and she makes a good run, and we'll be right there.”
Prime Aurora is by Mind Control, who stands in New York at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions, and she is out of the winning Political Force mare Silver Hustler – a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Grand Slam Andre.
"She's a May foal. She's pretty lengthy. She's got a lot of growing still to do and a lot of filling in to do as well, but I think she potential to be a nice horse down the line,” Gardea said.
Leland Ackerley Racing’s Washton [post 5, Tyler Gaffalione] stalked and pounced to a narrow nose victory in her May 22 debut over sloppy and sealed footing at Churchill.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Mitole chestnut exited post 1-of-7 and tracked from third position as Storm Diva and Express Success dueled through a half-mile in 46.51. The Keith Asmussen-piloted Washton needed room to the inside of Storm Diva at the top of the lane and managed to forge a path while bumping with that rival late en route to a photo-finish win in a final time of 59.38. The winning effort earned a 71 Beyer.
Washton is out of the winning Noble Mission mare Mission From Elle – a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Cougar Ridge. Washton was purchased for $135,000 from the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 20.3.
No Guts No Glory Farm’s Maryland homebred Costa Linda [post 7, Xavier Perez] overcame a troubled start to win her debut by 7 3/4-lengths on May 1 at Laurel Park.
There, the Frosted gray was off last-of-5 from post 4 and subsequently steadied into the turn before finding a seam and surging to the lead, opening up by eight lengths at the stretch call and crossing the wire under a hand ride in a final time of 54.60.
Costa Linda is trained by John “Jerry” Robb, who won the Listed Tremont in 2024 at Saratoga with Studlydoright, subsequent winner of that year’s Listed Nashua at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Costa Linda, a half-sister to stakes-placed Tartabull, is out of the Robb-trained Grade 3-placed Great Notion mare Anna’s Bandit, an 11-time stakes winner with $806,655 in purse earnings.
Charles L. Biggs’ Harper’s Corner [post 6, Paco Lopez] became the first winner for her sire, Speaker’s Corner, with an eye-catching debut score on June 12 at Laurel.
Trained by Cathal Lynch and with returning rider Paco Lopez up, Harper’s Corner stumbled at the break but recovered quickly to sprint clear of embattled rivals bumping and brushing to mark the opening quarter-mile in 22.81. Harper’s Corner widened her advantage throughout, zipping clear by three lengths at the stretch call en route to a 7 3/4-length score. She covered five furlongs in 59.79 and earned a 57 Beyer.
Harper’s Corner has worked back twice at Fair Hill, including a half-mile breeze Friday in 49 flat on turf.
Harper’s Corner, out of the Speightstown mare Toscana, was purchased for $70,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 10.2. Her second dam is Nikkis Smartypants, a Grade 3-winner on turf and a three-time winner on synthetic.
Also entered are maiden winner Pot’s Right [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for conditioner Philip Antonacci; and the maiden Voyager [post 1, Jose Ortiz] for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.
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