Angela Renee, Competitive Edge Drill at Spa
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Todd Pletcher sent out several of his stable stars for workouts July 26 at Saratoga Race Course, including graded stakes winners Stopchargingmaria, Angela Renee, and Competitive Edge.
Breezing early in company, Stopchargingmaria and Angela Renee are both targeting graded stakes at the Spa. Stopchargingmaria, who swept the grade I Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama last summer at Saratoga, went four furlongs in a bullet :47.03. It was the best of 62 works at the distance and .09 seconds faster than Angela Renee.
Stopchargingmaria is being pointed to the $200,000 Shuvee Handicap (gr. III) for fillies and mares Aug. 2, and Angela Renee is expected to go next in the $500,000 Longines Test Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-old filly sprinters Aug. 8.
Also breezing a half-mile together on the main track were 2014 Hopeful (gr. I) winner Competitive Edge (:48.34), who is on the list of probables to take on Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the next week's William Hill Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park, and Long Branch Stakes winner Stanford (:48.23).
Graded stakes winners Palace Malice (1:01.68) and Protonico (1:01.76) were five-furlong workmates on the main track.
"I thought we had a really good morning," Pletcher said. "I was a little concerned when I woke up and it was raining a bit, but the track was in good shape and I thought we had some pretty powerful workouts this morning. I didn't see anything this morning that would deter anyone from pointing for the next spot."
Other notable workers for Pletcher were multiple grade I winner Constitution, unraced since taking the Donn Handicap (gr. I) Feb. 7, going four furlongs in :50.07; and 2-year-old filly Rachel's Valentina. Under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, the daughter of champion Bernardini , out of Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, was clocked in :48.55 out of the gate with workmate Preppy and has Pletcher ready to look for a debut spot.
"I thought she worked very well," Pletcher said. "She's not super quick away from the gate, but she makes up for it once she gets going. She's got a big, long stride to her and it seems like the farther she goes, the better she gets. We'll see how she comes out of it, and look through the condition book, and try and figure something out."