Shakti, Iron Orchard square off in $150K Seeking the Ante

Impressive local debut maiden winners Shakti and Iron Orchard headline a talented field of six in Friday’s $150,000 Seeking the Ante, a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Caliburn Farm’s New York-homebred Shakti, by Unified, went to post as a 6-1 outsider in her July 19 unveiling sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs versus fellow-state-breds. She showed the way through splits of 22.50 seconds and 46.54 over the fast main track under returning rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. and opened up by 4 1/2-lengths at the stretch call, powering through the wire a six-length winner in a final time of 1:05.83. The winning effort registered a 62 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Jena Antonucci said she was more impressed with how the filly accomplished the win rather than the speed figure assigned to the performance.

“Numbers make the bettors happy,” said Antonucci, with a laugh. “I’m very proud of her. She's a really mature filly, mentally. We're pleased with how she went into and came out of that first race.”

Shakti [post 5, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] worked back a half-mile in 49.25 August 10 over the Spa main track. Antonucci said the talented filly should appreciate a stretch out in distance.

“She's a lovely filly that just wants to keep finding more ground. She's frame-y that way and looks like she'll keep stretching,” Antonucci said. “We'll keep asking those questions of her and let her develop into the horse she wants to be.”

Shakti is the first foal out of the winning Honor Code mare She Throws Heat, and her second dam is the stakes-winning More Than Ready mare Artisanal.

Edward A. Childs and R.A. Hill Stable’s Iron Orchard [post 3, Joel Rosario], by Authentic, earned a field-best 75 Beyer for her 5 1/2-length restricted maiden score sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs on July 3 here.

Trained by Danny Gargan and piloted by returning Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario, Iron Orchard made every pole a winning one through splits of 22.44 seconds and 46.37 en route to a geared-down score in a final time of 1:05.46 as the 3-5 mutuel favorite.

“She's super-fast. She breaks good. We liked her going in and she's a very talented New York-bred filly,” Gargan said.

Iron Orchard worked a half-mile in 47.83 August 15 over the Spa main track in her third work back.

“She worked really well. We've been breezing her by herself because she can go too fast,” Gargan said. “I told them to go 48 and change and she went nice and galloped out three-quarters in 1:13 and four. We're pleased with her, and we think we've got her tight.”

Gargan said if Iron Orchard performs well with added distance, he would consider a start in the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile on October 4 at Belmont at the Big A offering a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.

“She's bred to stretch, and we think she will, but she's so fast you don't know – six furlongs [in the Seeking the Ante] should be fine. Hopefully she wins and we'll find out if she can stretch in the Frizette,” Gargan said.

Iron Orchard, bred by Pine Ridge Stable, was purchased for $500,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 9.4. She is out of the multiple stakes-placed Brethren mare Onebrethatatime, who is a half-sister to Grade 3-winner Wonderlandbynight.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sends out a pair of entrants for Repole Stable in Angel Gift [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Grazie [post 6, Luis Saez].

Angel Gift, by Connect, rallied from off-the-pace to win her June 8 debut here by four lengths, covering 5 1/2-furlongs in the restricted maiden sprint in 1:05.25 and earning a 61 Beyer.

The $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase followed with a troubled last-of-5 in the Grade 3 Adirondack on August 3 here where she stumbled at the break and bumped with a rival before pressing a swift pace set by the victorious Mythical.

“I didn’t expect her to be as close to the pace as she was, and they went pretty quick. The other filly obviously was too much, but hopefully we can get another trip more similar to her debut,” Pletcher said.

Angel Gift, a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winner Cave Rock, is out of the graded stakes-winning Bellamy Road mare Georgie’s Angel – a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Lawn Ranger. She was bred in the Empire State by Kathleen Burke Schweizer and Daniel J. Burke.

Grazie, by Modernist, drew off to win by 4 1/2-lengths in a six-furlong state-bred maiden on July 31 here over muddy and sealed footing. There, the $310,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase exited post 5-of-7 and showed the way through a half-mile in 46.89 en route to a comfortable win in 1:12.85 and a 57 Beyer.

“I thought it [her debut] was very good,” Pletcher said. “It was very straightforward, professional, she broke alertly and took it from there. She’s been a really professional filly that learned her lessons quickly, so she’s coming into the race in good order.”  

Grazie, out of the winning Daaher mare Ascot Walk, is a half-sister to Drexel Hill - winner of the Listed Busher in March at Aqueduct ahead of a runner-up effort to Good Cheer in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in May at Churchill Downs. Grazie was bred by Michael Slezak and Kaylee Platt.

A compact but talented field also includes maiden winners Dopamine [post 2, Melvis Gonzalez] for trainer Josue Arce and Oriole Way [post 4, Eliseo Ruiz] for conditioner Felix Flores-Coba.

The Seeking the Ante is slated as Race 3 on Friday’s 10-race card which also features the $150,000 Yaddo presented by Stihl in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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