Philly Eagles, Mystic Eyes Lead P. G. Johnson
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Mystic Eyes breaks her maiden at Saratoga Race Course
Tracy Farmer's Philly Eagles made a stellar debut in winning in Great Britain in June. She will now look to notch a victory on the opposite side of the Atlantic in the $120,000 P. G. Johnson Stakes Sept. 2 for juvenile fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course.
Philly Eagles was a half-length victor in a maiden contest going seven furlongs June 26 at Doncaster with Alice Haynes as her conditioner. The daughter of Havana Gold , now in the care of Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, breezed three times in August over Saratoga's Oklahoma training turf, including a five-furlong work in 1:03.45 Aug. 22.
The Irish-bred Philly Eagles picks up the services of jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.
"It's the first time running her here in the country," Casse said. "She's training well and we're excited about Santana riding her. Everything is all set. She looks good and we're looking forward to it."
Mystic Eyes , by Maclean's Music out of stakes-winning Storm Cat mare Cloudburst , was also a debut winner, posting a wire-to-wire 4 1/2-length score Aug. 5 in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint at the Spa. Owned by MeB Racing Stables and Vincent Esopi and trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Mystic Eyes will look to handle the stretch out in distance, drawing the outermost post with Hall of Famer John Velazquez up.
Conditioner Christophe Clement will send out Manzanita Stables' Silvery Rill , who ran second in her debut Aug. 1 at the Spa in a 1 1/16-mile contest. Silvery Rill, a daughter of War Front , is out of grade 3-winning and multiple grade 1-placed Stays in Vegas .
Let's Be Clear ran a competitive second for reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox in her debut going five furlongs June 11 over the Churchill Downs main track, finishing a head back to Sax , before graduating at 5 1/2 furlongs July 21 on the Spa dirt.
Cox will now try the Munnings filly on turf for the first time. Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Michael Caruso, Let's Be Clear will make the foray to the grass under Manny Franco.
Meet-leading trainer Chad Brown will see Klaravich Stables' Expand the Map look to break her maiden after running second on debut July 22 at Saratoga. The Irish-bred daughter of Dark Angel is favored at 8-5 on the morning line with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard.
Joel Politi's Take the Backroads , a Will Take Charge filly, enters with momentum following a 4 3/4-length victory in her first start on the turf Aug. 4 at Saratoga in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for trainer Tom Amoss. She is a half sister to Sistas Stroll (Stroll ), a grade 3 winner on turf who was also grade 1-placed on the surface.
Sail By , Runaway Breeze , and main-track-only entrant Miss Interpret round out the lineup.
Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, September 02, 2021, Race 9Entries: P. G. Johnson S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Runaway Breeze (FL)
Dylan Davis
120
Kevin Rice
30/1
2
2Miss Interpret (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
120
Todd A. Pletcher
5/2
3
3Expand the Map (IRE)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
118
Chad C. Brown
8/5
4
4Philly Eagles (IRE)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
122
Mark E. Casse
8/1
5
5Silvery Rill (KY)
Joel Rosario
118
Christophe Clement
5/2
6
6Take the Backroads (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
122
Thomas M. Amoss
8/1
7
7Sail By (KY)
Junior Alvarado
122
Leah Gyarmati
10/1
8
8Let's Be Clear (KY)
Manuel Franco
120
Brad H. Cox
15/1
9
9Mystic Eyes (KY)
John R. Velazquez
122
Todd A. Pletcher
4/1
