Caravel Steps Up to Graded Company in Caress

Pennsylvania's reigning Horse of the Year Caravel  already has two stakes wins from three starts this year and will make the step up to graded company for the first time in the $200,000 Caress Stakes (G3T) July 24 at Saratoga Race Course.

The 5 1/2-furlong dash for older fillies and mares on the Mellon turf course drew a field of six, with Caravel slated to break from the inside with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons. The 4-year-old Mizzen Mast   filly is bred, co-owned, and trained by Elizabeth Merryman. Bobby Flay purchased a majority interest in the gray or roan after a fast last-out race, a 4 1/4-length score in the June 25 Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth Park.

"She's a lot more mature. She's stouter and stronger, but I don't know if she's improved that much or if she's just been tested more so her (speed figure) numbers have gone up," Merryman said.

The Goldwood success followed a nose score after being steadied in Pimlico Race Course's The Very One Stakes May 14. Her only loss this year came in the April 30 License Fee Stakes on a turf course rated good at Belmont Park. Caress rival Robin Sparkles  was second in that race. Last year at 3 Caravel won four of five races, including two stakes on the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs.

Merryman knew she had a good filly on her hands early in Caravel's race career.

"I was pretty impressed with her second start," Merryman said of a state-bred turf allowance run in July 2020 at Penn National Race Course in which Caravel ran five furlongs in :54.66. "I told the jock not to rush her, but he did. She ran so fast that day, she could barely corner and was just off an 18-year-old track record. I knew then she was the real deal."

Since the License Fee, Michael Schrader's Robin Sparkles has picked up her own first stakes win. The 4-year-old Elusive Quality  filly bred in New York won an off-the-turf edition of the May 31 Mount Vernon Stakes on a muddy track at Belmont on the lead, then used the same tactics to win a turf sprint at the allowance level June 24 at Belmont. 

"That last race was like a stakes and it was open company. I think she proved she can run with those," said trainer Bruce Brown. "Ideally, I'd like to see (the turf) on the firmer side, but I think she can handle pretty much anything."

Jose Ortiz retains the mount from post 2. 

"He really likes her and was getting on her before she even ran," Brown said. "He has a really good rapport with her and can tell us how she's doing compared to before. It's always good when you can keep a consistent rider on them."

The field also includes Three Diamonds Farm's stakes winner Jakarta , a Mike Maker trainee who was fourth behind Robin Sparkles in the June 24 race after stumbling at the start. The 6-year-old Bustin Stones   mare was eighth in the License Fee but third in the April 10 Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland.

Rounding out the field are last out allowance optional claiming winner and License Fee fifth Flower Point , Giant's Causeway fourth In Good Spirits , and Tass , who makes her first start since September of last year. Tass will have blinkers removed for Saturday's race.

Entries: Caress S. (G3T)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, July 24, 2021, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 5 1/2f
• Turf
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 6:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Caravel (PA)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Elizabeth M. Merryman	7/5
2	2Robin Sparkles (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Bruce R. Brown	6/5
3	3Tass (KY)	Eric Cancel	118	Carlos F. Martin	30/1
4	4In Good Spirits (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	8/1
5	5Flower Point (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Claude R. McGaughey III	8/1
6	6Jakarta (PA)	Luis Saez	122	Michael J. Maker	6/1