Dream It Is The Real Deal in Schuylerville

The decades have seen countless equine talents use Saratoga Race Course to announce their divisional prowess.

On opening day of the Spa's meeting, Dream It Is pinned her ears back in the lane and set the early standard for this year's juvenile fillies to catch. 

The ability Dream It Is showed on the all-weather track at Woodbine translated even better in her first try on dirt, as she threw down the hammer in the form of a nine-length win in the $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes (G3) July 21. 

Trained by Barbara Minshall, Dream It Is came into the six-furlong Schuylerville after she won her first two starts by a combined six lengths, including a victory in the June 24 My Dear Stakes going five furlongs. Just as her sire, Shackleford  , was known for his early speed, Dream It Is channeled her old man when she rated just off pacesetter Buy Sell Hold through an opening quarter-mile in :21.99 and a half-mile in :46.22.

The swift early going took nothing out of the bay filly as jockey Luis Contreras let his mount advance in the two-path around the far turn, putting away Buy Sell Hold to her inside and opening up as she pleased through the stretch.

"She made it really nice and easy. She had a really nice and strong gallop," Contreras said. "She made it very comfortable. She's got a lot of speed and likes to go. Today she was nice and relaxed. I was waiting, and every time I let her go, she would open up. I did not have a problem with her."

Sent off at 9-2 odds in the eight-horse field, Dream It Is covered the distance in 1:11.85 over a track rated fast while improving her earnings to $162,447 for owners Hoolie Racing Stable. She paid $11, $5.60, and $3.90 across the board.

"It's amazing, what can I say? To win a race and to win it like that," said Minshall, best known for conditioning grade 1 winner and 1996 Canadian champion Mt. Sassafras. "We came with a horse that we thought was a good filly and had a shot but I can't say we expected her to run as good as she did. It's ultimately the owner's decision of where we'll go next. I can't say the (grade 1) Spinaway (Sept. 2) for certain but it's definitely a maybe."

Best Performance  rallied for second, four lengths in front of Stainless in third. Race favorite Snowfire was fourth with Buy Sell Hold, Pacific Gate, Laudation, and Mel's Gone Wild rounding out the order of finish.

Dream It Is was bred in Kentucky by Chiyoda Farm and was purchased by Andrew Hudson for $50,000 out of the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale, from a Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. She is out of the Medaglia d'Oro   mare Reve Enchante.

"She really showed another gear today," Minshall said.