Baby Talk Info & Intel: Saratoga – Races 1 & 6 – Saturday, July 5, 2025

The big day is finally here. The mecca of summer Two-Year-Old racing has arrived. We’ve got two unrestricted MSW races for babies carded, and we are stoked. Note: New for this meet, when I list a trainer’s stats and win percentage, it will reflect their numbers ONLY in unrestricted 2YO races MSW over the past five years (2020 thru 2024) at Saratoga. No stats are included for auction or NY-bred restricted races (unless otherwise noted).

Race 1

I have to admit that I’m a tad disappointed that this event didn’t draw more than six entries, but we’ll take it with one filly set to face five colts over 5 ½ furlongs on the dirt oval. Only one runner has gone in an afternoon affair, and she’s been out on one occasion. Two First-Season sires are represented, Knicks Go and Charlatan, along with starters from Tapit, Upstart, Classic Empire, and Drefong. Mark Casse, Mott, Ward, and Pletcher will each saddle one. Let’s get this party started…

#1 Tartabull (8/1) – This Maryland-bred colt is sired by Tapit (15.5%) and comes from a Great Notion mare who found the Winner’s Circle 19 times in 39 starts and earned over $800K, including her first start as a juvey at Laurel. She also finished third in a Grade 3 event, and this is her first foal. The hammer fell on him at $310K last year when he was a yearling (16/35. Conditioner Chad Summers has been prepping him for his debut with seven works (26 furlongs); the first six over the training track at Belmont, and his last was on the Saratoga main track. His last at BEL was a three panel drill from the gate that he completed in 35.01 seconds (1/4).

#2 Ewing (6/5) – Mark Casse (7/56, 12.5%) trains this colt, who comes from First-Crop sire Knicks Go (only one winner from 12 starters). His dam, by Indian Charlie, was unraced but has produced six other foals of racing age. One offspring scored first out at Saratoga in their only start and another was a winner a Belterra in their third out as a baby. Today’s runner didn’t reach his $37,000 reserve last year as a yearling, but earlier this year brought $585K as a 2YO, which was nearly double the next highest in his class (1/38). His work tab shows three spins at Casse’s Training Center, then three works over the Saratoga oval (23 furlongs). Two back on 6/17/25, he scored a bullet going a half mile in 46.77 seconds (1/18).

#4 She’s On a Roll (7/2) – The lone filly in this field is also the only one with a previous start, and she’s conditioned by Wesley Ward (5/42, 11.9%). His sire is Debut Sire Charlatan (2 winners from 5 starters), and his dam won north of half a million dollars, going seven for 34, including a score at the Grade 3 level. She’s tossed two other foals of racing age. Today’s runner sold as a weanling for $280K (5/19) before being wheeled back last year as a yearling for $250K (37/106). In her race on 6/12/25 at Churchill, she made the lead and zipped the first half in 45.53 seconds before fading to fourth place as the 8/5 favorite in the 5 ½ furlong dirt affair. Ward has given her one 4f maintenance work at Keeneland since her race.

#6 Bento Express (5/2) – This colt was bred in Japan from Drefong and a More Than Ready mare who was terrific in her racing days. Going five for 11 with earnings of $355K, she not only won her first start as a 2YO at Saratoga, she closed her juvenile year with a third place finish in a G3 event at. She then went on to win twice at that level in future years. This mare has three other foals of racing age, all competed in Japan. Mike Repole plucked her from the sales ring in Japan last year as a yearling for the equivalent of $310,962 (3/17). Trainer Todd Pletcher (30/173, 17.3%) has put nine works (34 furlongs) into him to ready him for today’s debut. In his penultimate work on 6/22/25, he blasted off a huge bullet going four poles in 47 seconds flat from the gate (1/114).

My Pick – Although a short field, there appear to be two or three real runners in this one. My pick is #6 Bento Express. I don’t know a lot about his daddy, but I like his mama and the fact that she scored first out. Repole / Pletcher / Irad is certainly a terrific trifecta and his work on 6/22/25 was impressive.

Race 6

The babies stretch out to one mile, and they’ll compete in this event on the inner turf course. Nine fillies have gone through the entry process, with one designated as Main Track Only. Both Connect and Not This Time have two ready to go, along with Practical Joke, War of Will, and Into Mischief. Three have raced previously, one of those has been out three times, and the other two have competed once. Let’s see what we’ve got…

#4 Starlit Sky (10/1) – George Weaver (3/36, 8.3%) trains this homebred Connect (10.0%) filly who was produced by a Sky Mesa mare. Mom won her first race in April of her 2YO year at Keeneland and finished two for eight with over $100K in the bank. She’s tossed five other foals of racing age, and two won at first asking as babies (one at Gulfstream and one at Remington). Today’s gal disappointed in her first start on 6/5/25 at Horseshoe as the 2/1 favorite. In that one, she showed little, finishing fourth. She was knocked a bit at the start. Weaver has given her two half mile maintenance breezes on the Oklahoma oval (one on the turf) since her afternoon outing.

#5 Embrace Time (5/2) – Not This Time (19.9%) is the stallion behind this filly, who comes from a Pioneerof the Nile. Mama scored four times in 18 tries, including her first race as a juvey at Churchill Downs. $180K was the purse money that she brought home. Last year, today’s runner sold for $175K as a yearling (79/121). Four drills at Keeneland, and then three here at SAR on the training track (the last coming over the grass) is her body of work (27 furlongs). Brad Cox is her trainer (9/43, 20.9%).

#7 Connect the Stars (8/1) – Prepped by Mark Casse (7/56, 12.5%), this is another filly by Connect (10.0%). She’s a homebred from Tracy Farmer, who was tossed by a fine racemare by Take Charge Indy. She was six for 12 with $415K in earnings. In the breeding shed, mom has thrown two other foals of racing age, and one of those was a winner in their third start at age two here at Saratoga. In her lone start, she broke slowly and awkwardly in the six furlong turf event at BEL on 6/12/25, ultimately finishing fifth at odds of 23/1.

#8 Gorrono Ranch (3/1) - This filly is by second-year sire, War of Will (11.3%), and comes from an American Pharoah mare who was winless in two starts. This gal is her first foal. $25,000 was the final bid for her when she passed through the sales ring as a yearling (22/46). Wes Ward (5/42, 11.9%) has saddled her three times in the afternoon, and she’s been in the money each time. Her last effort was here at SAR over 5 ½ furlongs on the dirt during the Belmont Festival in early June. She went off as the 6/5 favorite, but took a bad step out of the gate before behind hustled along and actually making the lead, but she got run down in the stretch and finished third. She had a half mile maintenance work on 6/23/25 on the Oklahoma turf course.

#9 Ginger Ale (9/5 - MTO) – Rudy Brisset (0/1), who debuted some fine babies at Churchill, will saddle this filly, whose daddy is Into Mischief (17.2%). Mama, by Candy Ride, had her only victory come at first asking as a juvenile at Belmont Park before four more tries ($96,000 in earnings). She’s dropped five other foals of racing age, one of whom was Search Results (seven for 17, $1.9 million earned, and wins at the G1, G2, and G3 level). Another won in their second start at Churchill as a 2YO. Peter Blum bred this gal and tried to sell her as a yearling, but the $750K RNA was not met. She’s done all her morning work at Keeneland, having been out eight times (32 furlongs), including two of her last three going 5/8^th of a mile. The second work of her young career, on 5/18/25, was her most impressive as judged by the stopwatch when she went three furlongs in 36 seconds flat (2/50). From a visual perspective, she was given a two length headstart on Liam in the Dust, a 3YO filly whose earned over a $1/4 million and finished heads up with her over five furlongs. Then, last out, she worked with two others and certainly looked the part, moving nicely late, going four panels.

My Pick – is #8 Gorrono Ranch. If you are a frequent reader, you know that I am really trying to give more of an edge to the babies that are experienced in the afternoon. Hopefully, she gets off to a better start today and, if she does, I can see her getting it done in this competitive field.

Enjoy!