Caravel Aims to Repeat in Caress

Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Madaket Stables' Caravel  will vie for a repeat victory in the $200,000 Caress Stakes (G3T) sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the inner turf July 23 at Saratoga Race Course.

The Brad Cox trainee will attempt to become the second horse to win two editions of the Caress and the first to do so with graded status. Miss Ella  won consecutive runnings as a black-type stakes in 2016-17 for trainer Graham Motion.

Caravel arrives from a last-out pacesetting victory in the Intercontinental Stakes (G3T) on June 10 at Belmont Park over firm going. She led by a narrow advantage throughout the six furlongs under Tyler Gaffalione before responding to urging and widening her lead to a length at the wire in a final time of 1:07.59.

"I think she showed her class at Belmont and she's continued to do well," said Cox. "She had a good run with her previous connections, and we're hoping she can duplicate her effort."

After her start in the Breeders' Cup, Caravel was purchased by her current owners last fall for $500,000 from The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton and sent to Cox. She made a victorious seasonal debut in March in the Queen Stakes at Turfway Park in her first start for her new connections. She then ran sixth against males in the May 6 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by Sysco (G2T) when racing inside on a Churchill Downs course that favored horses in outside paths.

"She's been pretty straightforward, and she loves to train," Cox said. "We've been excited about her since we got her. We ran her on the synthetic at Turfway just to get a run under her belt, and it worked out well."

Caravel will be piloted by Gaffalione from post 1.

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational  will make her second start over the turf after a runner-up finish in the Royal North Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said Souper Sensational's versatility will be key to her success Saturday.

"The distance is a little bit of a concern. She won't make the lead, and there's a fair amount of speed," Casse said. "The best race she ever ran, she came from last, so she'll have to close here to be competitive. She runs well everywhere, and she's an extremely talented filly."

Dylan Davis has the call from post 8.

Other leading contenders include Belladonna Racing's lightly raced Bout Time , who enters in great form for trainer Cherie DeVaux, and New York-bred Robin Sparkles , last seen finishing a good third behind Bout Time in the Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth Park and was third behind Caravel in this event last year.

Miss J McKay , Tobys Heart , Lady Edith , and Kept Waiting  are also in the Caress mix.