Dayatthespa, Big Blue Kitten on Whitney Card

Dayatthespa and Big Blue Kitten, two familiar faces from the barn of trainer Chad Brown, head their respective fields for the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose and the Lure, two $100,000 turf races on the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) undercard Aug. 2 at Saratoga Race Course.

Now 5, Dayatthespa is a perfect 3-for-3 on Saratoga's turf courses. She broke her maiden there in August 2011, then took the Riskaverse the following year, and also posted a 1 1/4-length win in last year's Yaddo facing New York-breds. The City Zip   mare also owns victories in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (gr. IT) and Appalachian (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland and in the Herecomesthebride (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park, all in 2012. 

The one-mile De La Rose will be Dayatthespa's first start of the year for Jerry Frankel, Ronald Frankel, Steve Laymon, and Bradley Thoroughbreds. She closed out 2013 with a fourth-place finish in the Dec. 1 Matriarch (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park, beaten a length. With Javier Castellano aboard, Dayatthespa will leave post 8 as the 2-1 favorite on the morning line.

Also expected to attract support is Dayatthespa's stablemate, Pianist, making her 2014 debut as well. The 5-year-old daughter of More Than Ready   has run well at the Spa—with a record of 1-2-1 in four starts—including an allowance victory at the De La Rose distance in 2012. In her most recent appearance at the Spa, Pianist was a neck behind Laughing in the 2013 edition of the Ballston Spa (gr. IIT). At 3-1 on the morning line, she will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from the 7 hole.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will be represented by French import Filimbi, who was second in her American debut in April at Keeneland and a winner next time out in a one-mile optional claimer at Belmont Park. The Mizzen Mast   filly was no worse than third in seven starts in France last year at age 3, including wins in the Prix Isola Bella Stakes at Chantilly, an allowance at Saint-Cloud, and a maiden at Deauville. Joel Rosario rides Filimbi, 4-1 on the morning line, from post 9.

Also entered are the Todd Pletcher-trained pair of Silsita (15-1) and Alaura Michele (8-1); the Graham Motion-trained Joy (6-1); Ready Signal (12-1), Baffle Me (15-1), and Interesting (30-1).

Dual grade I winner Big Blue Kitten will make his first start of the year in the Lure, in which he will be ridden by Joe Bravo. A solid 9-3-4 from 19 career starts, Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Kitten's Joy   homebred won last year's Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) at Saratoga after taking the United Nations (gr. IT) at Monmouth Park. He also won the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. IIT) in 2011 in his only other appearance at the Spa.

Big Blue Kitten is favored at 5-2 on the morning line over Kharafa, who was listed at 9-2 after a second-place finish as the favorite in the one-mile Forbidden Apple Stakes July 4 at Belmont. Trained by Timothy Hills, the New York-bred Kharafa won the restricted Kingston Stakes in his lone victory in four starts this year. He will be ridden by Javier Castellano.

Rounding out the field are Swift Warrior (10-1), Edge of Reality (20-1), Legendary (8-1), Plainview (5-1),Paris Vegas (12-1), Villandry (6-1), Bio Pro (12-1), Front (20-1), and Rogue Romance (20-1). Alpha, Integrity and Dawly were entered for the main track only.

[raceEntries date="8/2/2014" country="USA" trackid="SAR" racenumber="7"]

[raceEntries date="8/2/2014" country="USA" trackid="SAR" racenumber="11"]