Blue Prize Returns to Winner's Circle in Summer Colony
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Blue Prize wins the Summer Colony Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Merriebelle Stable's Blue Prize backed her heavy favoritism Aug. 18, battling down the stretch with Vexatious to notch her seventh stakes win in the $100,000 Summer Colony Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Since finishing fourth in the Nov. 3 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), Blue Prize has hit the board three times this year in graded company, and the Summer Colony helped her return to winning ways.
Blue Prize broke sharply from the outside post under jockey Jose Ortiz in the 1 1/8-mile test for fillies and mares and trailed the seven-horse field early as Alberobello led into the first turn, recording an opening quarter-mile in a swift :22.96. Blue Prize moved into sixth position as the pacesetter continued to lead through a half-mile in :47.28 on the fast main track.
Alberobello began to give way around the far turn, and Vexatious inherited the lead at the top of the stretch. With a five-wide move, Blue Prize made her bid under an all-out drive and confronted Vexatious as the two separated themselves from the rest of the field. In the final furlong, Vexatious dug down gamely to the inside, but Blue Prize got a in front neck in a final time of 1:48.58. Alberobello finished 14 1/4 lengths behind in third.
Completing the order of finish were Skeptic, Pacific Wind, Breaking Bread, and Tweeting.
"She got bumped a little bit on the first turn, and (Ortiz) had to go four or five wide instead of take her back," winning trainer Ignacio Correas IV said. "Those were his options. For me, it cost her a little more than I expected. She had to put in a big effort for this race. The trip wasn't the way I expected, but she had the class. (Vexatious) ran a big race, too.
"I'm happy she's back in the winner's circle. We'll keep working and see what we can do to get her to the next level."
The victory marked a sixth North American stakes win for Blue Prize, who last year won three graded stakes on the Kentucky circuit when she took Churchill Downs' Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2) and Locust Grove Stakes (G3). She subsequently gave Correas his first grade 1 triumph when she took the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) in October at Keeneland. Correas said she will point toward a repeat victory in the Spinster as her likely next target.
"Definitely. That's home for her. We look forward to that," Correas said of Blue Prize, who was a group 1 winner in Argentina.
Blue Prize gave two-time Saratoga leading rider Ortiz his fourth stakes victory of the meet.
"It was perfect. They went very fast early," Ortiz said. "She is usually not that far back, but I put my horse where she was comfortable. Little by little along the backside, (Vexatious) worked a great trip. In the stretch, I thought I was just going to go by her, but she was game. I'm proud of my horse today. She gave a good effort."
The consistent Blue Prize returned $3.20 as the 3-5 favorite. She improved her record to 21-8-8-3 and cashed a check for $55,000, bringing her earnings to $1,292,253.
Bred in Argentina by S.A. Bioart, Blue Prize is out of the Not For Sale broodmare Blues for Sale.
The Summer Colony pays homage to the late Edward P. Evans' six-time graded stakes winner who won three times at Saratoga, including the 2002 Personal Ensign Handicap (G1). The Mark Hennig-trained mare retired with $1,448,930 in earnings.