Filo Di Arianna Takes on Younger Rivals in Poker

Proven top turf miler Filo Di Arianna  has a chance to show his younger rivals that age is simply but a number when he lines up in the $300,000 Poker Stakes (G3T) June 5 at Saratoga Race Course. 

The multiple graded stakes winner and 2024 Sovereign Award champion turf male makes his second start of the year in Thursday's Poker after beginning his 9-year-old season with a runner-up finish to Patches O'Houlihan  in the May 4 Thorncliffe Stakes at Woodbine. The gelding was no match for the reigning Canadian Horse of the Year sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the synthetic, but should find the turf mile of the Poker right up his alley. The son of Drosselmeyer  was narrowly beaten in the 2023 Poker. 

"He's at the top of his game. He's just starting to get warmed up," said trainer Mark Casse, who saddled Ice Chocolat  to wire the last edition of the Poker. "He's just a really good horse and he loves what he does. He's all racehorse." 

Jose Ortiz has the call on Filo Di Arianna, who will start as the 4-1 third choice in the competitive group of eight.

The race favorites are the Brendan Walsh-trained Cameo Performance  (3-1), who ran a 113 Equibase Speed Figure two starts back when running a narrowly beaten third in the Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T), and the consistent Major Dude  (7-2), a grade 2 winner for Spendthrift Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher.

Juveniles Ready to Rumble in Tremont, Astoria Stakes

In other stakes action on the Saratoga Thursday card, precocious 2-year-olds battle for black-type honors in the $150,000 Tremont Stakes and the filly equivalent in the $150,000 Astoria Stakes. Both races will be contested at 5 1/2 furlongs over the main track.

Three last-out debut winners top the field of five for the Tremont, headed by dominant maiden victors Romeo , a John Robb trainee who romped by 10 1/4 lengths at Laurel Park May 3, and Florida-bred Mythical , an 8 1/2-length winner of a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park April 17 for trainer Jorge Delgado. 

Patricia's Hope's Mercilesanihilator , a $330,000 purchase at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, ships into Saratoga off a decisive 1 3/4-length victory on the Thurby card at Churchill Downs. 

Sassy C W , an explosive 5 1/4-length debut winner April 30 at Churchill Downs, starts as the 8-5 favorite against five others in the Astoria. Like Mercilesanihilator, the Yaupon   filly is trained by Larry Rivelli and runs for Patricia's Hope (in partnership with Carolyn Wilson).  

The Mark Casse-trained Vernon Valley , a daughter of red-hot sophomore sire Vekoma  , enters the Astoria off a 2 1/2-length maiden score in the mud at Aqueduct Racetrack May 23.