Chelsea Durand Photo

Well-matched group meet in Smart N Fancy

by NYRA Press Office

Fair Point, never worse than third in 10 of 11 career starts, will face seven other filly and mare sprinters on the turf Sunday when she makes her stakes debut for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and owner Stuart Janney.

The 4-year-old Smart Strike filly has won both her outings on dirt at the Spa, breaking her maiden by a half-length last August and returning to win an optional claimer on August 5. The 5 ½-furlong Smart N Fancy will mark her third start on turf, having won her grass debut in an allowance in May at Belmont Park and next finishing second in an optional claimer there a month later.

Jose Ortiz will be aboard Fair Point, 5-1 on the morning line. The pair drew post position 8.

Expected to vie for favoritism are turf specialist Animal Appeal, who has won her past two races by a combined margin of 10 ½ lengths for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, and Miss Ella, who picked up her third career stakes victory on July 31 at the Spa when she won an off-the-turf edition of the Caress.

Animal Appeal, 2-1-1 from four 2016 starts, will be making her first stakes appearance in the Smart N Fancy as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. She will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., from the outside.

Miss Ella, the 3-1 second choice on the morning line, won the Grade 2 Beaumont on Keeneland's main track last April in her second career start, and picked up a second stakes win five months later in on off-the-turf edition of the Christiecat at Belmont.

Joel Rosario will be the irons and the pair will depart from post position 4.

Likely to attract support as well are the Nite Delite, a narrow second for trainer Linda Rice in the Blue Sparkler at Monmouth Park last time out, and the Christophe Clement-trained Sanctifica, making her stakes debut after compiling a 3-0-2 record in five starts on the turf this year.

Sanctifica, 9-2 on the morning line, drew the rail under Eric Cancel while Nite Delite, 7-2, will leave from post position 2 with Javier Castellano aboard.

Rounding out the field ate Harp N Halo, Means Well, and Pretty Perfection.

West Coast Chick, Momameamaria and Lost Raven were entered but will run only if the race comes off the turf