BY BROCK SHERIDAN
More Champagne returns stateside from a run in Royal Ascot’s Group 2 Queen Mary in June for Saturday’s $200,000 Bolton Landing at Saratoga Race Course. Owned by StarLadies Racing, West Paces Racing, Titletown Racing Stables and U Racing Stables, the Florida-bred daughter of Golden Pal is among 11 juvenile fillies entered, including Florida-bred Army Salute and two fillies on the also-eligible, in the Bolton Landing, a five-and-a-half-furlong turf sprint.
An out-of-state stakes victory by More Champagne or Army Salute would garner their breeders’ a $4,000 Export Incentive from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association
Trained by Thomas Morley and ridden by John Velazquez, More Champagne was in touch with the leaders early in the Queen Mary. However, she bumped with a rival two-furlongs from the wire then dropped back to finish 19th in the field of 27 going a straight five furlongs on grass. Although some 10 lengths behind winner Victorious (Ire), who is undefeated in three starts including winning the Group 3 Irish E.B.F. Fillies Sprint at Naas in May, More Champagne finished five lengths in front of Bolton Landing-rival Shining Moment.
According to Daily Racing Form, eight fillies in the Queen Mary won their next race.
More Champagne will face Shining Moment for a third time, having defeated her while winning a five-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight by six-and-a-half lengths on the Keeneland turf in her first career start in April. The Wesley Ward-trained Shining Moment was second at Keeneland and 24th in the Queen Mary.
StarLadies Racing and U Racing Stable bought More Champagne for $100,000 out of the Blue River Bloodstock consignment of Sergio Centeno of Morriston, Florida at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale. She is out of the winning Wildcat Heir mare Wildcat Gaze and was bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon, also of Morriston. She has earned $37,386 in her two starts.
John Velazquez will again ride and they will break from post one. More Champagne is 4-1 on the morning line.
Army Salute makes her second career start after debuting as a half-length winner of a five-furlong maiden special weight on the Gulfstream Park synthetic course on July 11.
A chestnut daughter of Gretzky the Great trained by Jose D’Angelo for Soldi Stable and Ohana Racing, Army Salute is out of the Florida-bred winner Centsless Drama, by Big Drama, a half-sister to to Florida-bred Somthingelse, winner of the 2017 Ginger Punch on the Gulfstream Park grass. Army Salute was bred in Florida by Hallmarc Stallions.
Soldi Stables took Army Salute for $13,000 out of the Get Away Farm consignment at last year’s OBS Winter Mixed Sale.
An earner of $39,000 in her lone start, Army Salute is 15-1 in the prgram and will be ridden by Manny Franco from the outside post nine.
Also entered is Go for Launch, a daughter of Starship Jubilee, the Florida-bred Horse of the Year in 2020 and Canada’s Horse of the Year in 2019. Go For Launch is the third foal, all winners, out of Starship Jubilee, by Indy Wind, who was trained by Kevin Attard. Attard will also saddle Go For Launch.
Go for Launch makes her stakes debut after winning a maiden special weight for fillies going five furlongs on the Woodbine turf in July.
Go for Launch is a homebred for Blue Heaven Farm and will be ridden by Pietro Moran from post two. Go for Launch is 6-1 on the morning line.
The field also includes 5-2 morning line favorite Side Quest with Irad Ortiz Jr. named to ride, Extravaganzoo with Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, Lexi’s Charm and jockey Jose Ortiz, Allura with Flavien Prat up, Luminous Beauty has Jose Morelos taking the call and Luis Saez will guide Shining Moment. Legacy Lady and Tiz Candy are on the also-eligible list.
Return to the August 25 issue of Wire to Wire
