BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Lucerra, a full-sister to multiple stakes-winner and (Grade 1) Preakness Stakes favorite Taj Mahal, makes her second start Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in a $115,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies. A homebred for FTBOA Hall of Famer Peter Vegso in the name of his Vegso Racing Stable based in Ocala, Florida, Lucerra will face 10 others going six-and-a-half furlongs.
A victory by Lucerra in an out-of-state maiden special weight would also earn Vegso a $3,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Trained by Riley Mott, Lucerra was third in her introduction at Saratoga, a six-furlong maiden special weight on July 25. Although she finished four lengths behind a late-running winner Intraosseous and a length-and-a-half off runner-up Mysticious, who she faces again Saturday, Lucerra is likely to show improvement.
In her first start, she raced third on the rail around the turn behind frontrunner Elevated with Mysticious on the outside in the clear in second. Lucerra stayed on the inside to take on Elevated in the stretch but was crowded by that rival for much of the run to the wire. When she finally pushed through, she went by Elevated but it was too late to keep up with the top two finishers.
Kendrick Carmouche rides Lucerra from post three Saturday and they are 8-1 on the morning line.
Lucerra is by Nyquist out of Oola Gal, by Quality Road and earned $13,800 in her lone start.
Mysticious has post eight and is 6-1 on the morning line. She will be ridden again by Luis Saez and is trained by Rodolphe Brisset. Mysticious is owned by Creed and Fleece Farm and is by Mitole out of the Ghostzapper mare Kit Keller.
David Fawkes trains morning line favorite Key Colony Beach, who was second to Effusive in her first start, a maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies run over a sloppy six furlongs at Saratoga on July 18.
Key Colony Beach will be ridden from post four by Manny Franco.
Other fillies entered include Classic Nora with Flavien Prat named to ride, Coastal Conflict has jockey Tyler Gaffalione, Jose Ortiz will guide Forever Carina, Keshi will have Jose Lezcano in the irons, White Truffles teams with rider Ricardo Santana Jr., Above All Odds will have John Velazquez aboard, Dylan Davis rides Sparky’s Delight and Very Clever will have Irad Ortiz Jr. up.
Return to the August 21 issue of Wire to Wire
