Baby Talk Info & Intel: Saratoga – Races 1, 2, and 6 – Saturday, July 12, 2025
Race 1
Only six colts have signed up for this one, but it’s quality over quantity. Six furlongs is the distance, dirt is the surface, and two have the experience of one prior race. Tiz the Law, Tapit, Into Mischief, and Not This Time are the featured sires. Let’s break down what catches my eye…
#2 Curtain Call (5/2) - Mark Casse (7/56; 12.5%) trains this Florida-bred by Tiz the Law (17/97, 17.5%). He comes from an unraced Into Mischief mare that has thrown three other foals of racing age – one scored as a juvey at Finger Lakes. The hammer fell on today’s runner as a yearling for $115K (22/105), and then was again sold, this time to West Point Thoroughbreds as a 2YO, for $325K (11/32). In his debut on 6/12/25 at Churchill Downs, this guy finished a distance second to Obliteration, who went on to win the G3 Sanford Stakes here at Saratoga. Casse then shipped this fella up to upstate NY for two 4f breezes on the main oval at the Spa.
#3 Tapit’s Legacy (5/1) – Todd Pletcher (30/173, 17.3%) continues to send out well-bred babies. This colt is by Tapit (15.5%) out of a Violence mare that was 0/6 on the track. She’s produced one other foal of racing age, and that 4YO filly has the same record as mom. Last year, today’s runner was offered for $45,000 as a yearling, but could not even bring that low sum. However, in March of this year, down at Ocala, this guy demanded $550,000 (3/9) – the winning bidder was Spendthrift Farms and Epic Racing. TAP has worked her seven times here at SAR (26 furlongs), with the most recent coming over the main track. Two back, on 6/27/25, he went a half mile on the Oklahoma track from the gate in 49 seconds flat, but that earned him a significant bullet (1/80).
#4 Tagermeen (9/5) – The one-and-only Into Mischief (17.2%) is the stallion behind this colt, with his dam coming from Empire Maker. His mama is now 19 years old and won twice in nine tries, banking $104K. She’s tossed five foals of racing age, with one winning in their third start at age two at Belmont Park. Another had a short, but perfect career, going three for three winning at the MSW level at Churchill, and then followed that up with a stakes victory while still a juvenile. Today’s dude, trained by Steve Asmussen (15/77, 19.5%) couldn’t get his reserve price of $375K as a yearling, but was a standout at the OBS 2YO Sale when he brought $1.4 million (1/14). He started his worktab in KY at KEE where he drilled five times before being shipped north for two more at SAR (28 furlongs). Last out, he zipped four panels from the gate on the main strip in 48 seconds flat (2/52).
My Pick – is #4 Tagermeen. I hate to pick the fav, but I think Steve has a good one with this colt. Into Mischief out of a mare who’s produced well. He’s also had an impressive work tab.
Race 2
Another relatively short field, this six furlong dirt event for fillies drew seven runners. Some of the bigger-name sires include Curlin, First-Season sire Charlatan, and two from Into Mischief. Amoss, Delgado, Pletcher, Brisset, DeVaux, and Mott each will sling the saddle on one. It’s a talented field that has two that have been out in the afternoon, so let’s have a go at these gals…
#5 Ginger Ale (5/2) – 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 the bulk of her morning work at Keeneland, having been out eight times, before shipping north for one 4f maintenance work on the Oklahoma dirt (36 furlongs). In two of her last four, she went 5/8th 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, two back, she worked with two others and certainly looked the part, moving nicely late, going four panels.
#6 Atropa (3/1) – Belladonna went to $450K (28/62) for this filly last year and now owns her with partners. She’s another by Into Mischief (17.2%) and was produced by a Bernardin mare that won four times from 12 starts and $326K, including a Grade 3 event. Mama has only tossed one other foal of racing age, a 3YO filly that is 0/2 so far. Chere DeVaux (3/22, 13.6%) has been prepping her for her debut at KEE, having drilled her eight times (31 furlongs). Last out, on 7/4/25, she went four panels in 47.6 seconds (6/58). Three back, she earned a small bullet going 5/8th of a mile in 1:00.6 (1/17).
#7 Asking (6/1) – The Hall of Famer, Bill Mott (9/164, 5.5%), manages this Claiborne homebred filly whose sire is Looking at Lucky (9.9%). Her dam, by Lea, was 0/5 as a racer, and she has only one other foal of racing age: an unraced 3YO filly. Mom’s claim to fame, however, is that she’s a half to two well-known sires, Congrats and Flatter. Mott has had her do all of her morning work at SAR with seven works (24 furlongs). Her last spin, on 7/7/25, was her first on the main oval, and she put up a bullet work over three panels, completing it in 35.44 seconds from the gate (1/25). Overall, her times have been on the fast side for a Mott baby.
My Pick – is #5 Ginger Ale. Another Into Mischief, and this gal’s mama was precocious and has thrown some dandies. This gal showed potential earlier in her workout tab and Peter Blum breeds good ones.
Race 6
Three 2YO MSW races in one day is such a treat. This event is expected to have a full field as eleven fillies have been entered, but there is only room for ten in the starting gate. The gals will be sprinting five and a half furlongs, and it’s scheduled to go on the main turf track. Ward has two entered, and Pletcher, Casse, Motion, and Cox each have one in the main field (Pletcher has the Also Eligible). Five of the ten have raced previously, including one filly that has already put in three runs. OK, let’s dig in…
#1 Grand Gala (8/1) – Todd Pletcher (30/173, 17.3%) trains this Practical Joke (15.7%) filly for Repole, who also bred her. Her unraced dam is by Speightstown and she’s produced two other foals of racing age. Mom’s 3YO filly just recently broke her maiden in her first and only start. In prep for today’s debut, TAP has given today’s runner a half dozen works here at SAR (23 furlongs), the last on the main oval and the next to last on the Oklahoma turf. Her times have not been anything to write home about.
#5 Santina (8/1) – Maclean’s Music (13.5%) is the stallion that produced this filly, who is out of an Empire Maker mare that raced only once, but scored in that start at age three. She’s tossed one other foal of racing age, a 3YO filly who’s started her career 0/2. Today’s starter is a Don Alberto homebred. Conditioner Wes Ward (5/42, 11.9%) has had her working down in KY at KEE; she’s been out on five mornings (19 furlongs). Three back, on 6/13/25, she shot a bullet going a half mile in 47 seconds flat (1/50).
#6 Delightful Darling (5/2) – The ML favorite is a homebred from Debby Oxley, and she was sired by Flameaway (14.5%). Her unraced Bernardini dam has tossed seven other foals of racing age, with three having won MSW races as babies (two of those winning as firsters). Mark Casse (7/56, 12.5%) will be saddling this gal for the second time after a narrow miss over five furlongs on the turf at CD on 6/19/25. In that event, she led most of the way, but was caught late by a neck at odds of 3/2.
#10 Collective Beauty (6/1) – Brad Cox (9/43, 20.9%) will saddle this first-time starter by Collected (9.5%). 19 YO Mama, by Dehere, was a fine racemare having won three for 17 starts, including a first-out score at Churchill. She also finished second in a G3 at age two, as well as finishing as the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She’s thrown seven foals of racing age. One was two for two as a juvey, and another won in their debut as a baby at Ellis Park. The hammer fell on today’s competitor at $240K last year when she was a yearling (1/38). Cox put her through her paces on seven mornings at KEE and then shipped her to Churchill for her most recent drill (33 total furlongs) and her last three spins have covered 5/8th of a mile. Her last was a small bullet, going five panels in 1:00.6 (1/8).
My Pick – I’m going to try to get one with a little better price in this affair, so my pick is #5 Santina. Although MacLean’s Music’s numbers aren’t terribly high, I like him as a sire. Mom was successful and I’m impressed by her works.
One more tomorrow at the Spa to close the week with six baby races. Enjoy this one!