BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Scratched out of Saturday’s Grade 3 Caress at Saratoga Race Course as a main track only entrant, Florida-bred Halina’s Forte is set for Sunday’s Grade 2 Honorable Miss at the Spa. Halina’s Forte is 10-1 among the nine filles and mares who will race six furlongs in the $200,000 contest.

The 4-year-old Halina’s Forte returns to Saratoga where she is undefeated in one start having won last year’s $139,000 Galway, which was taken off the turf and run at five-and-a-half furlongs on Aug. 10. That was the second stakes victory of her career having won the seven-furlong Ruthless by a length-and-three-quarters at Aqueduct earlier last year in February.

 

Halina’s Forte enters off one start this year, a second to Faith Alone in the $50,000 Prairie Rose going six furlongs at Prairie Meadows on June 6. She finished last year winning four of nine starts with two seconds. In addition to the Galway and Ruthless victories, she won a second condition, $125,000 optional claiming going six furlongs in May and a $100,860 allowance for non-winners of a graded stakes going five and a half furlongs on Oct. 30, both at Churchill Downs.

 

By Mitolie out of the Yes It’s True mare Lunarlady, Halina’s Forte has won five of 13 starts in her career with three seconds and two thirds. Her only finishes out of the top three came last year when eighth in the Grade 1 Central Bank Asland at Keeneland in February, fourth in the Grade 2 Eight Belles presented by Sysco at Churchill in May and sixth in the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Dogwood at Churchill in September.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the assignment in the Honorable Miss and they have post one.

Scylla is the 2-1 morning line favorite for trainer Bill Mott after finishing second to Ways and Means in her last race in the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses at Saratoga on June 6.

In one other start this year, the 5-year-old daughter of Tapit was fourth in Kipion’s Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery (G1) at Churchill on June 6.

Scylla is a homebred for Juddmonte Farms Inc. and has earnings of $1,058,795 from five wins in 12 starts with four seconds and a third.

Joel Rosario has the mount and they will depart post four.

Rounding out the field are Florida-bred R Disaster and jockey Jose Ortiz, Manny Franco takes the call on Zadorsky, Carmelina will have Luis Saez in the irons, Little Prankster will be ridden by Junior Alvarado, Striker Has Dial has Kendrick Carmouche named to ride, Dylan Davis will guide Benedetta and Jody’s Pride has Flavien Prat named in the program.

Return to the July 19 issue of Wire to Wire