Varenka Looks to Move Forward in Lake Placid

Augustin Stable's Varenka will look to improve her record this season while taking on two Chad Brown trainees in the $200,000 Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) for 3-year-old fillies racing on the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Although Varenka was grade 2-placed last year and finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), the daughter of Ghostzapper  did not break her maiden until her 3-year-old debut.

Now with two wins and a third in the 1 1/8-mile Regret Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs, Varenka seems to be in a position to move forward.

Trainer Graham Motion said Varenka's juvenile campaign, which included a third-place effort in her debut and runner-up finishes in the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga and the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park, demonstrated her significant potential.

"She's from a talented family, so it wasn't a surprise," Motion said. "As a 2-year-old, even though she went into those stakes as a maiden, she held her own very well. She had an unorthodox year as a 2-year-old, and the timing didn't work out to get her maiden broke as I didn't want to miss out on those other opportunities. I think even in the Breeders' Cup, she would have finished much closer with a better trip.

"She won her maiden very impressively, and it was a good way to start the year with her. She's been very consistent."

Varenka comes into the Lake Placid off a neck score in a July 14 allowance optional claiming race at the Spa, where she drew the outside post in a 10-horse field. Motion said the talented bay has trained well since.

"I thought we'd take one step at a time, and that's why we went to the allowance race. She drew very poorly, so she took the worst of it that day," Motion explained. "I think she's done well since then, and it's probably the right time to get back into a graded stake. She's definitely graded caliber. She's proven that."

Varenka drew the rail for Saturday's 1 1/16-mile test and will be ridden by Javier Castellano, who was aboard for her first two starts this year.

Brown's duo is made up of Blowout and Regal Glory—both of whom have not finished worse than second. 

Peter Brant's Blowout, who made a successful debut in January, comes into the Lake Placid off a second in the Lake George Stakes (G3T)—won by Regal Glory. The daughter of Dansili has two wins and has placed second in her other three starts.

Paul Pompa Jr.'s Regal Glory won her maiden first time out last year, then took the Stewart Manor Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. She kicked off the year with a second in Gulfstream Park's Sweetest Chant Stakes (G3T) and Keeneland's Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T).

The Animal Kingdom  filly won her past two starts both at a mile—the June 1 Penn Oaks and the July 19 Lake George—and will be ridden by Luis Saez from post 5, with Jose Ortiz and Blowout to her inside.

G.W. Humphrey Jr.'s Wildlife, another Animal Kingdom filly, failed to handle the slop in her off-the-turf June debut at Churchill but has since won two turf starts, including a July 26 Ellis Park allowance at the Lake Placid distance last out. 

Trained by Victoria Oliver, Wildlife has closed from well back in her victories.

"She's not very sharp out of the gate," Oliver said. "As she gets older and the more she runs, she won't sit that far back. She just hasn't quite figured it all out."

Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, Wildlife is out of the unraced Bernardini  mare Fjord. Her second dam is multiple grade 1 winner Round Pond, who captured the 2006 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) and produced group 1 winner Long River.

Wildlife is cross-entered in the Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club (G1T), also slated for Saturday.

"We'll try to figure out where the best spot is for her," Oliver said. "She's been training great, and that's why it's time for one of these two stakes."

Entries: Lake Placid S. (G2T)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 17, 2019, Race 9

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Inner turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:26 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Varenka (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	H. Graham Motion	3/1
2	2Amandrea (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Michael J. Maker	15/1
3	3Vow to Recover (FL)	Manuel Franco	120	Elizabeth L. Dobles	10/1
4	4Blowout (GB)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Chad C. Brown	5/2
5	5Regal Glory (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Chad C. Brown	2/1
6	6Feel Glorious (GB)	Joel Rosario	120	Christophe Clement	5/1
7	7Wildlife (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Victoria H. Oliver	10/1
8	8Team Win (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	119	Todd A. Pletcher	8/5