Gezora Aims to Right the Ship in Glens Falls

Following a puzzling last-place finish in the New York Stakes (G1T) June 5, reigning Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) winner Gezora  aims to right the ship Aug. 2 in the $250,000 Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course.

Originally scheduled for July 30, the race was moved to Sunday after heavy rain in upstate New York earlier this week.

After her Breeders' Cup victory, Gezora was moved from the French yard of Francis-Henri Graffard to the United States where she debuted at 4 with trainer Chad Brown, coming up 1 1/4 lengths short of Kathynmarissa  in the 1 1/8-mile Modesty Stakes (G3T) May 1 at Churchill Downs. Owner Peter Brant then elected to transfer her to the barn of Hall of Famer Bill Mott in advance of the 1 3/16-mile New York Stakes.

The race did not go as planned as the daughter of Almanzor  fought with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez from the gate to the first turn. She then lacked any response when Velazquez asked for run on the far turn, fading to finish last of eight while beaten 12 1/4 lengths.

The outcome was hard to believe from the dual grade/group 1 winner, and Mott is ready to move on from it.

"At this point, I'm going to put a line through it," Mott told New York Racing Association publicity. "I think she's better than that."

Saratoga oddsmaker David Aragona seems to accept that performance was a fluke, as she is the Glens Falls 5-2 morning-line favorite in a competitive field. Mott's go-to rider, Junior Alvarado, will now take over the saddle, and the filly gets an opportunity to stretch back out in distance to 1 1/2 miles; her better races have typically come over longer distances.

Another horse likely to benefit from that stretch out in distance is Gary Barber, Bridlewood Farm, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Speed Shopper , who was seventh when cutting back to 1 3/16 miles in the New York. Prior to that, the 5-year-old Quality Road   mare had run three consecutive 1 1/2-mile races, picking up two wins in the Christophe Clement Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park and the Bewitch Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland, as well as a third in Gulfstream's Orchid Stakes (G3T). Trainer Will Walden will leg up Irad Ortiz Jr. on the mare for the first time.

The superfecta from the June 13 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3T) at Delaware Park are all back for a rematch. Resolute Racing's Dona Clota , a group 1 winner over Sunday's distance in Chile now trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., came from off the pace that day to win by a neck over Lawrence Goichman's Alluring Angel , another entrant for Mott. EGL-One Racing's Storm Miami  battled bravely in the stretch after setting the pace in the 1 3/8-mile contest and crossed the wire third, but was disqualified for interfering with Moyglare Stud Farm's Bellezza  on her inside in the stretch, and was placed fourth. Bellezza had her momentum cut off as she appeared to be making a potentially winning run up the rail.

Video: Robert G. Dick Memorial S. (G3T)

On paper, Storm Miami appears to be the likely Glens Falls pacesetter, but trainer Amelia Green has her cross-entered in the Beverly D. Stakes (G2T) Aug. 1 at Colonial Downs.

The field's wild card is Michael Tabor's Survie , who makes her American debut for trainer George Boughey. The 5-year-old Churchill  mare is respected as the 7-2 second choice off the class she held in Europe, where she was a group 2 winner and multiple group 1-placed.

Should the Glens Falls be moved to the dirt, Robert Rosenthal and Bradford Bernstein's multiple stakes winner Bernietakescharge  would run. The 5-year-old Take Charge Indy   mare is the lone main-track-only entrant.