Envoutante, Bonny South Square Off in Summer Colony

Graded stakes winners Envoutante  and Bonny South  have competed against the best in their division over the past couple of years. On Aug. 19, both 5-year-old mares will enjoy class relief as they co-headline a field of seven in the $135,000 Summer Colony Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. 

The 1 1/8-mile test restricted to older fillies and mares yet to win a graded stakes this year will see Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Envoutante and Juddmonte's homebred Bonny South face each other for the sixth time, starting with the 2020 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, in which they ran a respective third and fourth.

Envoutante has defeated Bonny South in the past two runnings of the Falls City Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, a track over which she excels, winning by six lengths on both occasions. 

Envoutante, trained by Kenny McPeek, comes into the Summer Colony off a five-month respite, having finished a distant fourth in the March 5 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park in her most recent outing. 

"The trip itself was hard on her. She came out of it with some bone bruising, and upon the recommendation of Dr. (Larry) Bramlage, we turned her out," said Scott Leeds of Walking L Thoroughbreds. "We actually bred her to Quality Road, but she did not get pregnant. So, when the 60 days were up, Dr. Bramlage looked at her again, and he thought she looked good to go back to the track. She's been training up there at Saratoga since late June, and she's been just lights out."

Envoutante finished fifth in last year's Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1), in which Bonny South was third. Leeds said the Summer Colony is a good prep for a return engagement in the 1 1/8-mile test Oct. 9 at Keeneland. 

"This is a great spot," Leeds said. "I think that race serves good purpose for a horse that's had an extended layoff, and it's a perfect spot to come back and get her feet under her and get back and ready for a fall campaign."

Envoutante has an overall record of 6-2-4 from 17 starts with earnings of $961,658. A victory in the Summer Colony would make her the newest member of racing's million-dollar club. 

Julien Leparoux rides Envoutante from post 3. 

Bonny South has made her last 14 starts at the graded level. The Summer Colony will mark her first start in a non-graded race since February 2020, where she defeated stablemate and subsequent Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil  in a first-level allowance optional claimer at Oaklawn Park.

Trained by Brad Cox, the 5-year-old daughter of Munnings   boasts field-best earnings of $1,074,600 and a record of 4-7-1 from 17 starts. She enters the Summer Colony off a fourth-place finish in the July 23 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park, where she finished 4 3/4 lengths behind Search Results .

Hailing from deep Juddmonte legacy, Bonny South is out of the Tapit   mare Touch the Star , whose dam, Willstar, produced group 1 winner Etoile Montante . Grade 1-winning millionaire Obligatory  is also a prominent member of the family. 

Bonny South will break from post 7 under Flavien Prat.

Other entrants include John Servis trainee Leader of the Band , and two-time graded stakes winner Army Wife  for trainer Mike Maker. They were in front of Bonny South last out when second and third, respectively, in the Molly Pitcher. Completing the field are Misty Veil , First to Act , and Exotic West .

Entries: Summer Colony S.

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, August 19, 2022, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $135,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:05 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Army Wife (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	Michael J. Maker	7/2
2	2Misty Veil (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	120	Thomas M. Amoss	10/1
3	3Envoutante (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	124	Kenneth G. McPeek	3/1
4	4Leader of the Band (PA)	Joel Rosario	124	John C. Servis	4/1
5	5First to Act (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Claude R. McGaughey III	6/1
6	6Exotic West (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Gary Sciacca	10/1
7	7Bonny South (KY)	Flavien Prat	124	Brad H. Cox	5/2