BY BROCK SHERIDAN

A pair of Florida-bred 2-year-old fillies in Coola Boola and Sparkling Mama are listed among the morning line favorites in an $80,000 maiden special weight at Saratoga Thursday, the first race on the card written at six furlongs.

Mathiesen Racing’s Coola Boola is the program favorite at 2-1 while Domenick L. Schettino, Ann M. Weaver and Donald W. Olson’s Sparkling Mama is the third choice on the morning line at 7-2 in the field of eight. Both are making the first career starts.

George Weaver trains Coola Boola, by first crop sire Lexitonian, a multiple graded stakes-winner with victories in the 2021 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (Grade 1) at Saratoga and 2019 Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico.

Coola Boola is out of the unraced Midnight Lute mare Know It All Anna, who has produced one winner, a stakes-winner, from three starters and five foals. Her lone winner is Know It All Audrey, by Shackleford, an earner of $514,612 who took the $250,000 Empire Distaff during the Belmont at Big A meet in 2023. She also has a unnamed yearling colt by Drain the Clock.

Coola Boola has several solid works coming into Thursday’s race including a four-furlong breeze in :47.25 at Saratoga on July 13, the fourth fastest of 155 half mile works that morning. She also went four furlongs at Saratoga on July 5, clocking in :47.82, the sixth fastest of 85 moves that morning.

Mathiesen Racing purchased Coola Boola for $25,000 as a yearling at the 2024 Keeneland September Sale where she was consigned by Blandford Stud. She is also a graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company, having sold for $62,000 to Boots Bloodstock out of the Beth Bayer consignment at the 2024 Winter Mixed Sale.

Manny Franco will ride Coola Boola from post three.

Schettino also trains Sparkling Mama and she too has produced some good morning efforts including a two bullet works in her last three breezes. She worked four furlongs in :48.15 at Belmont Park on June 26, the fastest of 61 works at the distance that morning; and five furlongs in 1:00.11 at Saratoga on July 6, the fastest of 32. In one work since, she went a more relaxed four furlongs in :49.66, the 63rd fastest of 95 works that morning. 

Sparkling Mama is by Vekoma out of Sita, by Giant’s Causeway and was bred in Florida by Bobby Jones Equine LLC. Sita has two winners from four starters and seven foals, including a yearling filly by Pinehurst, a weanling filly by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Verifying and was bred to Ocala Stud’s Win Win Win in 2025.

Jones consigned Sparkling Mama to the 2024 OBS October Yearling Sale where JDT Racing and Jim Tilton bought her for $25,000. She also sold for $5,000 to Schettino out of the Six K’s Training and Sales consignment at this year’s OBS Spring Sale.

 

Sparkling Mama will be ridden by Flavien Prat from post one.

Completing the field are Salt Princess and jockey John Velazquez, Joel Rosario will be aboard Mia Sophia, Spitfire will have Kendrick Carmouche in the irons, Birch Run has Junior Alvarado with the riding assignment and Jose Lezcano will be in the saddle on Fonzi Angel.

Return to the July 23 issue of Wire to Wire