Lyrical Lady Takes on Five in Adirondack Stakes Debut
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Lyrical Lady scores on debut at Saratoga Race Course
Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Lyrical Lady is set as the 6-5 morning-line favorite to take on five other first-out winners making their second start in the $200,000 Adirondack Stakes (G2) Aug. 11 at Saratoga Race Course.
Phoenix went to $625,000 for the daughter of More Than Ready when she was consigned by Ocala Stud to the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Lyrical Lady is the first foal to race out of the grade 3-placed Unbridled's Song mare La Song.
The Steve Asmussen trainee impressed in her first start, taking a July 20 maiden race at the New York track in gate-to-wire fashion by 5 3/4 lengths. Her main competitor in that race was bumped hard at the start and checked, giving Lyrical Lady free rein to control the pace of the 5 1/2-furlong race.
Adding a furlong for the Adirondack, Lyrical Lady will take on five other 2-year-old fillies that also won on debut.
The only filly that didn't technically cross the finish line first is the Todd Pletcher-trained Guacamole, who was declared the winner after Super Simple had a nose over her in a bang-up effort but was disqualified.
Pletcher's second entry, Virginia Eloise, won her six-furlong maiden by five lengths after battling to the lead in the Belmont Park stretch. The daughter of Curlin is the morning-line second choice at odds of 5-2.
The St. Elias Stables homebred is campaigned in partnership with MeB Racing Stables and is a full sister to a yearling recently sold at Fasig-Tipton's The July Sale for $850,000. Her dam, Minnie Macy, is a half sister to grade 1 winner and sire Liam's Map and graded stakes winner Not This Time .
Sue's Fortune was also impressive first time out in a 5 1/2-furlong restricted N.Y.-bred maiden race at Belmont Park. In that July 5 race, Richard Nicolai's homebred Jump Start filly led all the way and was geared down when she crossed the wire 8 1/2 lengths ahead.
Wesley Ward-trained Mucho Amor won her maiden by a neck in a long drive to the finish after leading throughout the 4 1/2-furlong test in April. And July 9 Parx Racing victor Grandma Gertie, the longest price on the morning line at 15-1, broke her maiden at the same distance by 7 1/4 lengths after taking control from the start.