Gratefully Looks to Remain Perfect in Intercontinental

In the $250,000 Intercontinental Stakes (G2T) June 4 at Saratoga Race Course, undefeated Gratefully  will look to improve her record to a perfect 6-for-6. 

Trained by Robert Falcone Jr. and owned by Adelphi Racing Club and Shelly and Russell Hume, her most recent win came Feb. 21 in her stakes debut, the Wishing Well Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The 4-year-old daughter of Laoban makes the initial foray into graded stakes company off that win. Originally on track to run in the Giant's Causeway Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, she missed the start because of a foot bruise and was pointed to the Spa. The Intercontinental will be the first time Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will climb aboard her.

"Good horses overcome a lot. When the gates open, it will be whatever her and Johnny have in mind," Falcone said. "If she wants to go, it's tough to take anything away from her and if she wants to sit, that can work out well, too. She's shown she can sit. She won here on the dirt going 5 1/2 furlongs.

"She doesn't like to lose. There's a couple races she could have gotten beat in, and she came back on a couple times to win. She's a fighter."

Gratefully is the third betting choice on the morning line at 4-1. She has been successful at the distance, 5 1/2 furlongs, in her maiden victory, which she won by 6 widening lengths. 

She will face 10, including the morning-line favorite, Saffie Joseph Jr.'s In Our Time , who looks for two wins in a row. The 5-year-old daughter of Not This Time   had her graded stakes breakthrough in her last start, when she won the April 12 Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland. Owned by Resolute Racing and Miller Racing, In Our Time will look to hit $1 million in earnings in the Intercontinental. 

The morning-line second choice at 7-2 is Wesley Ward's Shoot It True . She has been second three starts in a row, most recently in the May 1 Unbridled Sidney Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs, missing the win by three-quarters of a length. The 4-year-old daughter of Munnings  ' lone stakes victory came as a 2-year-old in the 2024 Notebook Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. Owned by Ice Wine Stable and Smart Choice Stable, she was purchased for $340,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale. 

In a race loaded with early speed, Love Cervere  and Time to Dazzle  could upset the apple cart. The former is 5-for-10 lifetime on the turf with more than $450,000 in earnings, while the latter defeated In Our Time in last year's Franklin Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland.