Crystalle Aims to Break Through in P.G. Johnson

Tobey Morton and Chuck Hovitz's Crystalle nearly pulled a 41-1 shocker in her debut Aug. 4. The 2-year-old Palace Malice  filly rallied from ninth and finished 2 1/4 lengths in front but was disqualified to third for drifting in.

Trainer John Kimmel now hopes Crystalle can make that form a winning one in the Aug. 29 $100,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, with the filly returning to 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf against seven other juvenile fillies.

"She's been well since that performance, and I'm treating her like she's a winner," Kimmel said. "We think she has the ability to move forward, and we'll see whether or not she's good enough to go on that trail towards the Breeders' Cup turf race for 2-year-olds."

That would be the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. Kimmel considered the Sept. 15 Natalma Stakes (G1T), a "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup challenge race, but was concerned Crystalle would not get into the Woodbine feature because she is considered a maiden.

"She broke and fell back like I thought she might, and when the real running in the race came, (Chris Landeros) tapped her a few times and she took off and ran her last quarter in :22 and change," Kimmel said of Crystalle's debut. "She blew by the field and was unfortunate she came in a little bit when he hit her right-handed. Even though she never made contact with anyone, she was taken down."

The disqualification allows Crystalle to carry 118 pounds in the P. G. Johnson, a pound less than she carried in her debut. 

Crystalle was a $220,000 purchase by Kimmel from the de Meric Sales consignment at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. The only horse in the P. G. Johnson field with a higher price tag from public auction is Robert and Lawana Low's Sweet Melania, a $600,000 buy from Gainesway's consignment to last fall's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Sweet Melania made two starts on dirt before she broke her maiden on the grass July 14 at Saratoga going Thursday's distance. The Todd Pletcher trainee is by American Pharoah  and out of the stakes winner Sweet N Discreet.

Pletcher also trains A One A Racing's Apurate, a Summer Front  filly who is a maiden after a start on the dirt and turf during the Saratoga meet. In her race on the turf, she was second throughout at this distance Aug. 11, beaten 5 1/4 lengths by the pacesetter.

Entering off debut wins are Selective's Ginseng and Funky Munky Stable's English Breeze. The former was a clear victor going a mile on the grass at Indiana Grand Aug. 6. The latter scored a 4 3/4-length victory running an extra sixteenth on the turf at Saratoga Aug. 14.

Lucky Jingle, from the first crop of Tonalist , debuted at Saratoga July 14 and was third, beaten six lengths by Sweet Melania. She then broke her maiden at a mile on a yielding Laurel Park course Aug. 10. Sunset Promise was a $50,000 claim May 3 and broke her maiden two starts later June 22. The P. G. Johnson is her first start beyond sprint distances and outside Gulfstream Park. Completing the field is Lively Kitten, who won second time out in waiver maiden claiming at Delaware Park before trying turf to win a Laurel allowance Aug. 11.

Entries: P. G. Johnson S.

Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, August 29, 2019, Race 9

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 5:18 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lucky Jingle (KY)	Rajiv Maragh	122	H. Graham Motion	12/1
2	2Sunset Promise (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Michael J. Maker	8/1
3	3Ginseng (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Brad H. Cox	8/1
4	4Apurate (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Todd A. Pletcher	6/1
5	5Lively Kitten (KY)	Abner Adorno	122	Daniel Velazquez	15/1
6	6Crystalle (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	John C. Kimmel	3/1
7	7English Breeze (NY)	Manuel Franco	122	David G. Donk	5/1
8	8Sweet Melania (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Todd A. Pletcher	9/5