Saratoga Invaders Attempt Rodeo Drive Coup

Three of the eight entrants in the Oct. 4 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park made their last starts at Saratoga Race Course | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Saratoga Race Course. That's not surprising, given that the Breeders' Cup is less than a month away and only a short van trip down the road at Del Mar.

The Saratoga invaders include the two shortest prices on the morning line and a 15-1 longshot. They will go up against the locals, with trainer Phil D'Amato's trio including Hang the Moon , last year's Rodeo Drive winner. The Rodeo Drive is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, with the winner receiving an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T). 

Amber Cascade , a 5-year-old daughter of Free Drop Billy  trained by Michael Maker, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/4-mile Rodeo Drive. She actually hails from the Kentucky circuit and headed to Saratoga in August, where she finished second in the Flower Bowl Stakes (G2T) to Bellezza . An $80,000 claim three starts back, Amber Cascade finished second in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile Stakes in her first race for Maker.

An indication of Amber Cascade's potential comes from jockey Juan Hernandez, who will ride her for the first time. Hernandez won the Del Mar riding title for the fourth straight summer and immediately jumped to the lead at Santa Anita after that track's opening weekend.

Long Ago  finished sixth in the Flower Bowl and is 3-1 on the morning line. The 5-year-old daughter of Roaring Lion  ran third in the July 27 Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga and in the June 29 Anchorage Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs after being claimed for $80,000. Mike Smith will ride Long Ago for trainer William E. Morey.

Speed Shopper  is the 15-1 shot from Saratoga. A 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road  , she is making her stakes debut. William Walden trains Speed Shopper, who began her career at Santa Anita when trained by Michael McCarthy.

Watchtower , a 4-year-old daughter of Demarchelier  trained by Richard Baltas, comes out of the Sept. 4 One Dreamer Stakes at Kentucky Downs, where she ran fifth after being close to the pace.

"She doesn't want to be that close," Baltas said. "She's come back and has been training really well since. We'll have to see if she can get the mile and a quarter or not."

Third in the Aug. 9 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar, Watchtower won last year's Autumn Miss Stakes (G3T) at the Santa Anita fall meeting.

John Sadler has entered Alpha Bella , a 5-year-old daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify  . Trained by Todd Pletcher earlier in her career, Alpha Bella most recently won the 1 3/8-mile CTT and TOC Stakes at Del Mar. While she has spent most of her career on the turf, she has performed well on the dirt, with a second to recent Zenyatta Stakes (G2) winner Cavalieri  in the Jan. 19 La Canada Stakes (G3).

D'Amato's runners include Hang the Moon, the 2024 Rodeo Drive winner who hasn't won in four starts since. The 5-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo most recently finished fifth in the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar.

Mission of Joy  ran third in the Mabee in her second start for D'Amato. The 5-year-old daughter of Kitten's Joy had previously competed throughout the eastern half of the United States and in Canada while trained by Graham Motion. She won the 2003 Regret Stakes (G3T) at Churchill.

D'Amato will also saddle Starry Heavens , a 5-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Mastercraftsman . The mare has started four times in this country, running second or third in each of four stakes.