Crystalle Heads Field in Belmont's Miss Grillo Stakes

It's about a 1-to-20 proposition that trainer John Kimmel will not be sending a holiday greeting card to the stewards who worked at the Saratoga Race Course meet.

In the ensuing month and a half since Crystalle was disqualified from first in her debut, Kimmel's 2-year-old filly has become a stakes winner and looms as one of the betting choices in the $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) Sept. 29 at Belmont Park. Yet the 65-year-old trainer still bristles at the thought of that controversial Aug. 4 race when Crystalle was placed third at 41-1 odds after jockey Jose Ortiz—on the original third-place finisher, Sparkling Sky—claimed interference when Chris Landeros and Crystalle flew past them.

To better understand Kimmel's angst, what the Equibase chart said about Crystalle was that she "brushed lightly" with Sparkling Sky and that Sparkling Sky "steadied very briefly."

"It was very, very poor judgment by the stewards," Kimmel said. "The horse never touched him. It wasn't until my horse went by and was clear that (Ortiz) grabbed his horse. It was a B.S. call. A total grandstand job. I was shocked when they did it. I was wondering what was taking so long to throw it out, and then they took her down.

"I got confirmation from the (Sparkling Sky) camp that she didn't bother their horse. They took a shot, claimed foul, and supported it with a bunch of nonsense to the stewards."

Kimmel said if the filly owned by Tobey Morton and Chuck Hovitz had stayed up, he would have taken her to Woodbine and run in the Natalma Stakes (G1T), chasing a free spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T). Instead, out of fear the daughter of Palace Malice  would not be allowed in the race because she was a maiden, he opted to run her in the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga.

Though Crystalle was treated like a winner by the betting public that made her the 8-5 favorite over six rivals in the P.G. Johnson, Kimmel's blood pressure skyrocketed again when Crystalle's head was turned at the start of the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes and she broke last.

She was still trailing in last after six furlongs when jockey Joel Rosario kicked her into high gear, and again she flew home in the stretch, prevailing by a neck over Sweet Melania, who, ironically enough, was ridden by Ortiz and trained by Todd Pletcher, who saddled Sparkling Sky.

"She had some misfortune leaving the gate. The assistant starter had a hold of her head when the gates opened. She jumped in the air, missed the break by four or five lengths, and still won," Kimmel said. 

Like every other horseman in the race, Kimmel is hopeful of a strong effort Sunday in the 1 1/16-mile stakes that has produced three winners of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in the past five runnings. 

"The Breeders' Cup is the ultimate goal," Kimmel said. "She's so easy to train, and she moves up big time on the grass. She's much more comfortable on turf."

Crystalle, who was bred in Kentucky by Glendalough out of the Flatter  mare Undo, was purchased by Morton for $220,000 from the de Meric Sales consignment at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Barry Schwartz's Sparkling Sky, who was moved up to second in the Aug. 4 race, was also entered in the Miss Grillo after the daughter of More Than Ready  posted a 2 1/2-length victory in her second start, a Sept. 1 maiden race at Saratoga.

Trainer Chad Brown will send out two starters among the expected field of eight: Alpha Delta Stables' Jazzique and Klaravich Stables' Selflessly. The two fillies ran 1-2 in an Aug. 28 maiden race, with Jazzique prevailing by a half-length over Selflessly, who was 10th at the eighth pole in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint. Jazzique was seventh with a furlong to go.

The field also includes Funky Munky Stable's English Breeze, who was third in the P.G. Johnson rallying from fifth in the final furlong to miss by three-quarters of a length for trainer Dave Donk.

Entries: Miss Grillo S. (G2T)

Belmont Park, Sunday, September 29, 2019, Race 8

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Inner turf
• $200,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 4:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Ava K's Girl (NY)	John R. Velazquez	120	Michelle Nevin	12/1
2	2Jazzique (IRE)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Chad C. Brown	8/1
3	3My Sassy Sarah (NY)	Jose Lezcano	120	Michelle Nevin	6/1
4	4Crystalle (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	John C. Kimmel	8/5
5	5English Breeze (NY)	Manuel Franco	120	David G. Donk	5/1
6	6Sparkling Sky (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2
7	7Wicked Title (KY)	Angel Cruz	120	Chad Summers	30/1
8	8Selflessly (MD)	Javier Castellano	118	Chad C. Brown	6/1