Crystalle Breaks Her Maiden in P.G. Johnson at Saratoga
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Crystalle gets a neck in front at the wire to win the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Tobey Morton and Chuck Hovitz's Crystalle picked up her first official win in the $100,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes for 2-year-old fillies Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course, giving Three Chimneys Farm's freshman sire Palace Malice his first black-type winner.
The filly finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of runner-up Sketches of Spain in her Aug. 4 debut over the same course and distance but was disqualified to third for causing interference.
Officially still a maiden coming into the 1 1/16-mile test over the Mellon turf for trainer John Kimmel, Crystalle laid it down in the stretch to get up in the last furlong and win by a neck at odds of 8-5.
Crystalle was last out of the gate as the Todd Pletcher-trained Apurate took the field through the first quarter-mile in :23.29, with Ginseng, Lively Kitten, and Lucky Jingle following. Apurate continued through a half-mile in :47.19 with not much change in order and Crystalle still trailing the field.
Though Apurate came off the turn for home with the lead, Ginseng moved up as Pletcher's other entry, Sweet Melania, began her drive to the front. Sweet Melania took over midstretch just as Joel Rosario guided Crystalle into second with English Breeze following to her inside. Crystalle passed Sweet Melania within strides of the wire to post a final time of 1:41.36 over firm turf.
"She came with a nice run in the end," Rosario said. "She ran a big race on the turf last time, and she keeps proving herself. She was more professional today. She knows what she's doing up there. It was a pretty strong run. It looks like she has a bright future, so we'll see what happens."
The winner returned $5.30, $3, and $2.60, and Sweet Melania paid $3.70 and $2.90 for second. English Breeze finished third, returning $3 to show.
"With these horses their second time out, you're always wondering about their change in demeanor, and now that they know something about it, are they going to be aggressive and not settle? I was kind of worried she wouldn't settle," Kimmel said.
"We ran her in that (debut) not really knowing what to expect. She didn't have much early speed, but she did have a good late kick. That's a good thing to have," he explained. "We're thinking about Breeders' Cup. Now we'll probably point to the (Sept. 29) Miss Grillo (G2T) and take it from there."
Bred in Kentucky by Glendalough, Crystalle is the third foal and first stakes winner out of the Flatter mare Undo, a full sister to grade 2 winner Apart. Palace Malice had a stallion fee of $15,000 for 2019.