Adirondack Edge to Ever So Clever

Clearview Stable's Ever So Clever, from the barn of new Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, has some things in her favor for the Aug. 13 Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course. The 6 1/2-furlong race for juvenile fillies drew just six and oddly enough none of the six have won over the local strip.

Ever So Clever broke her maiden first time out July 1 going six furlongs at Churchill Downs, breaking from the rail in a nine-horse field, earning a field high 93 Equibase Speed Figure in the process. The daughter of top sire Medaglia d'Oro has the outside post for the Adirondack and gets the services of John Velazquez.

Ever So Clever is out of Foxy Danseur, who ran third in the Sorrento Stakes (gr. III) for juvenile fillies in 2007 and was later grade III-placed. She's already produced a pair of stakes horses in Miss Centerfold (by Tiznow  ) and Tathqeef (by Tapit  , in England).

Asmussen won last year's Adirondack with Just Wicked and the 2011 edition with My Miss Aurelia.

Silverton Hill's Silvertoni broke her maiden at Keeneland in April and won the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs in early May before trainer Wesley Ward tested the waters at Royal Ascot in England, where she was ninth behind Caravaggio. A $230,000 Keeneland September sale buy, she's the first foal out of the Johannesburg mare Somasach and is by leading sire Tapit. Somasach is out of grade I winner Easy Now, herself a daughter of champion and Broodmare of the Year Relaxing. Easy Now's half sister Cadillacing won Saratoga's seven-furlong Ballerina Stakes (gr. I) in 1988. It's a grand Phipps family.

What's a 2-year-old stakes at the Spa without Todd Pletcher, or his mentor D. Wayne Lukas?

Pletcher, a three-time Adirondack winner, will saddle St. Elias Stable's Nonna Mela, a 7 1/4-length maiden winner second time out at Monmouth Park July 2. The daugher of Arch   was a $310,000 Keeneland September yearling buy. She is out of Cool Storm, by Storm Cat, who also is from another Phipps family, that of Get Lucky, who has been responsible for too many top runners and sires to mention here. Javier Castellano has the call on Nonna Mela from post 2.

Lukas has Churchill Downs Racing Club's Dial Me, a winner at Ellis Park July 23 in her second start. Dial Me, with Luis Saez up, will break from the rail. Lukas has six career Adirondack wins dating back to Nervous Baba in 1985.

The field also includes Olive Branch, fifth in the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III) July 22. The daughter of Speightstown   is the first foal out of Venetian Sonata, a full sister to grade II winner Wilburn   and a half to Beethoven and La Appassionata.

Libby's Tail, by Tiz Wonderful, came from seventh to win first time out at Belmont going 5 1/2 furongs July 2. She was a $375,000 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. spring sale buy and is trained by Rudy Rodriquez.