Susie Raisher Photo

The Queens M G pulls off upset in $175K Schuylerville

by Mary Eddy

C Two Racing Stable and Mathis Stable’s The Queens M G pulled off a 44-1 upset with a 2 3/4-length score in Thursday’s Listed $175,000 Schuylerville, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, to kick off stakes action at the Saratoga Race Course meet.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the daughter of Thousand Words was her sire’s first winner when graduating on debut in April at Keeneland, and rebounded from a distant off-the-board finish as the favorite in the Astoria on June 7 here to dominate the Schuylerville as the longest shot on the board and become the second stakes winner for her sire.

Post-time second-choice Complexion was fractious in the gate and unseated Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez twice before a start that saw Whatintheliteral, last-out winner of the Astoria, unseat Hall of Famer Javier Castellano and run riderless at the rear of the field.

The Queens M G was unbothered by the commotion to her inside and broke sharply from post 11 under Dylan Davis to contest the pace in a three-way scramble for the front. It was Aoraki who wrested command to mark an opening quarter-mile in 21.89 seconds with post-time favorite Viggiedal in second and The Queens M G settling in third as Slang was pulled up by Ricardo Santana, Jr.

Viggiedal ranged up in the turn in tandem with The Queens M G to make it three across the track in search of command as a weaving Aoraki clung to a precarious lead on the inside and Viggiedal stalled between foes through a half-mile in 45.19. The Queens M G was full of run in the center of the course as Davis went to a left-handed crop in the final eighth of a mile and drew off handily. The late-running Sherbini rallied into second under Florent Geroux, but there was no denying The Queens M G, who crossed the wire first in a final time of 1:11.31 over the fast main track.

Long Neck Paula came on late for show honors 3 3/4 lengths back of Sherbini with Carmen’s Candy Jar rounding out the superfecta another head back. Aoraki, Viggiedal, Complexion, Dreamgirl and West Memorial completed the order of finish.

Both Whatintheliteral and Slang, who got loose after being pulled up, completed the course and were collared by the outrider. Whatintheliteral walked home under her own power, while Slang was vanned off. Castellano attended first aid and was cleared to ride.

Davis, who captured his first Schuylerville, said a sharp start made the difference for The Queens M G.

"Just broke well. Took the nice, easy trip on the outside,” said Davis. “She got really comfortable on me and I liked what I felt, just easing her into the stretch, waiting for her to switch leads and after that she responded for me nicely down the stretch. When I warmed her up without the pony, I was really surprised because she was a longshot and she felt really good warming up, so I was really excited for the gates to open up."

Davis, who grew up in Saratoga, expressed his gratitude to win the Spa’s first stakes of the meet.

"It is incredible. Saratoga-native and any win is special here, but to win the feature of the day is great,” Davis said.

Joseph, Jr. said The Queens M G, who won her first start for trainer Israel Acevedo, had no apparent excuses for her distant effort last out aside from a fairly rough trip after being bumped at the start.

"The filly won first time out and was a private purchase. Second time out we had to scratch her at Churchill," Joseph, Jr. said. "Last time at Saratoga she was the favorite and she didn't even show up. She ran as poor as a horse could run and we were feeling really down. She checked out after the race fine and we couldn't find any soundness issue. She was bumped hard in her last start - a lot of things went against her that day - but we don't know why she ran bad.”

The Queens M G dusted herself off and found herself in the reverse role to where she was in the Astoria, sent to post the longest shot on the board in the 11-horse Schuylerville. Joseph, Jr. said he understood the betting public’s hesitance to bet the dark bay filly again.

“I figured we'd carry forward like that race didn't exist and train her to the Schuylerville,” Joseph, Jr. said. “We had nothing to lose by running and she showed today that she's a good horse. Off of that last race it's hard to have confidence going into the race, especially a race that was loaded like this one - there were some really good fillies in it that are very well thought of and respected. She ran them off their feet.”

With his confidence restored, Joseph, Jr. said he is likely to send The Queens M G for a try in graded company in the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on August 4 here with his eye on the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on August 31.

"I would think if all goes well she'll come right back in the second leg of the series [the Adirondack],” Joseph, Jr. said. “We'll talk it over with the owners but that would be the plan. I don't think there's any reason to wait around."

The Queens M G banked $96,250 in victory and improved her lifetime record to 3-2-0-0. Bred in Kentucky by T.F. VanMeter, Samuel Hernandez, Jesus Torres and Justin Vinalay, The Queens M G was a $3,500 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the Grindstone mare Show Queen. Her second dam Talent Queen is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Untouched Talent, dam of Grade 1-winning millionaire Bodemeister. The Queens M G returned $91 on a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the $135,000 Wilton in Race 8 and the Listed $150,000 Coronation Cup in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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