Baby Talk Info & Intel: Saratoga – Races 1, 2, and 6 – Saturday, August 2, 2025
Race 1
Nine colts are expected to line up for this Six and One Half Furlong event on the dirt. We’ve got one entry, so only eight betting interests will be available. Asmussen, Brown, and Pletcher each have a pair entered; Cox will saddle one. Three babies from Yaupon have drawn in, and we’ve got two from Into Mischief, with one from First-Crop sire Charlatan, Volatile, Curlin, and Tiz the Law. Two have previous racing experience, and one of those has run three times. This race should be an absolute dandy; let’s roll…
#1A Ned Toffey (3/1) – Todd Pletcher conditions this Into Mischief colt, who was thrown by a dam by Old Fashioned. His mom was durable, running 30 times, and she found the Winner’s Circle on six occasions, earning $352K with a win in her fourth try as a juvenile in a MCL at Santa Anita. She’s thrown one other foal of racing age, and that one was also a winner as a baby in their second try at Monmouth. Spendthrift went to $650K to secure this dude out of the yearling sales. TAP has been prepping him for his debut with eight breezes, all at Saratoga (30 furlongs). His first four were over the Oklahoma dirt oval, and his most recent four have been on the main dirt track. Three back, on 7/5/25, he zipped four poles in 47.6 seconds (4/85).
#2 Tagermeen (7/2) -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 debuted on 7/12/25 here at SAR when he went off as the even-money favorite. However, Curtain Call ran off the screen that day, and Tagermeen, who didn’t break completely clean from the gate, had to settle for runner-up position. Steve has given him two works since his run, one at 5/8ths of a mile and his last at three panels.
#4 Blinging It Back (2/1) – The Morning Line fav is a son of Volatile (20/103, 19.4%), and Too Much Bling is his broodmare sire. Mama won twice from five starts, including a score first out as a juvey in a MCL race at Lone Star. She went on to bank $66,000 and has had three offspring that were victorious in their 2YO season from seven other foals of racing age. This guy appears to have been a bargain when selling last year as a yearling for $80,000 (8/67). He’s done the racing thing three times. His first attempt was a MSW race during Derby Week at Churchill Downs when he finished third. Trainer Mark Casse (12.5%) then moved him into a stakes company at the Spa, where he was the runner-up. His most recent run was also here at SAR in the G2 Sanford Stakes, where he finished second, eight-plus lengths shy of the exciting colt, Obliteration. Casse has given him one half-mile breeze since his last afternoon effort.
My Pick – I’m really excited about this lid lifter; it promises to be an excellent race. #4 will take plenty of money and #1A should be formidable, but my pick is #2 Tagermeen. Even though he was upstaged in his debut, I still feel like he’s a special talent, and his two works seem to confirm that he came out of his run just fine. I still question Santana somewhat, but at least they’ve built a relationship, and hopefully he can show his stuff today.
Race 2
13 colts have signed up for this One and One Sixteenth Miles even that will be contested on the Inner Turf track, however only ten will go postward. Three of the ten in the main field have raced in the afternoon (one has been out twice) and the list of trainers is impressive. Pletcher, Mark Casse, and Clement each has two runners, and Walsh, Brown, and Kevin Rice will saddle one each. Sires? We’ve got some good ones; Kingman (with another on the AE list), Gun Runner (also has a second colt on the AE list), Mendelssohn, Medalia d’Oro, First-Season sire By My Standards, and Blame all have one in the field. Let’s see if we can uncover a winnah…
#2 Signatory Man (9/2) - This Irish-bred colt is by Ten Sovereign. His mama, by Discreetly Mine, finished first in one of her ten starts and banked a mere $13,000. She’s produced three other foals of racing age, all over in Ireland, hence I don’t show any racing activity from them. Originally, today’s competitor sold for $13,255 as a weanling overseas, but then sold for $75,000 last September at Keeneland. Brendan Walsh (0/11) saddled him in the afternoon for the first time back on 6/20/25 at Churchill. In that 5/8 of a mile turf event, he started near the back of the pack after getting knocked a bit, but made progress to finish in fourth place at odds of 5/1. Next out at SAR on 7/12/25, he was ultimately eased. Walsh then gave him a half-mile breeze over the Oklahoma grass on 7/25/25.
#5 Capital Partner (7/2) – Chad Brown (19.0%) will saddle this colt, who was bred in Great Britain from a cross of Kingman (4/34, 11.8%) and Pivotal. Mama was unraced in the U.S. and has produced five other foals of racing age; one was a winner at age two in Europe. Klaravich picked up this fella as a yearling for the sum of $484,088 (17/40). Chad started his workout regimen at the Spa in mid-May, and he’s put in a total of a dozen moves (40 furlongs), with the last four coming on the big track. His times have not been stellar, but they’ve been workmanlike.
#6 British Invasion (8/1) - Miguel Clement (the barn is 10/54, 18.5%) trains the first part of the entry, and this colt is by Lope de Vega (5/25, 20.0%). His Irish-bred dam has tossed four other foals of racing age. $283,687 was the winning bid on this guy in 2023 when he was a weanling (2/11) before being pinhooked back last year as a yearling for $437,024 (20/63). He’s put in a total of 13 spins (38 furlongs). His first three were at the Payson Park Training Center before he was shipped up to SAR in mid-May for ten works, all at Oklahoma, with three coming on the turf track. He has not set the stopwatches on fire.
#10 Blame Jerry (6/1) – The first of two in the main field that Todd Pletcher (17.3%) will saddle is a colt by Blame (11.6%). His 19YO dam was unraced, but she’s tossed ten other foals of racing age. One of those offspring was a full sister to this guy, who was a fine runner who sports a 5/13 record with $320K in purse money won. Today’s competitor went through the sales ring in 2023 as a weanling and brought $50,000 (4/8), but was pinhooked back as a yearling for $200K (5/49). All of his prep work has been completed here at the Spa with a total of nine drills (34 furlongs); the first five on the training track and the most recent four on the main dirt surface. He’s done fine with his times, but none are eye-popping.
My Pick – is #5 Capital Partner. His daddy’s numbers here in the States are not off the charts, but Kingman is one of my favorites when his babies are running on the lawn. Speaking of grass, his trainer has trained a winner or two on the lawn. Having a half-sibling win as a juvey is always a positive, and Klaravich owns fast horses. Let’s give him a shot in this race.
Race 6
The fillies will go a straight up Six Furlongs on the dirt, and eleven are expected to load into the gate. First-Crop Charlatan will be represented by two runners, along with singles from Street Sense, Bolt d’Oro, Girvin, Constitution, Tiz the Law, McKinzie, and Into Mischief. Pletcher and Brown each will sling saddles on two gals, and Cox, Mark Casse, and Bill Mott will manage one apiece. Let’s finish the week strong…
#1 Steer Clear – This Todd Pletcher (17.3%) filly is coupled with Solemn Vow and she’s by Street Sense (13.9%), although the latter is trained by Al Stall, Jr. Her dam, by Unbridled’s Song, was 0/2 on the race track, but in the breeding shed she’s tossed six other foals of racing age. One was quite precocious, having won first out at Santa Anita, before going on to win a stakes event and finish third in a Grade 2 race while still a juvenile. Spendthrift and Repole went to $575K to get her as a yearling (1/39). TAP has overseen six drills (22 furlongs), all at Saratoga, half at Oklahoma and half at the big oval. In his penultimate work, on 7/11/25, he covered the half-mile in 48 seconds flat (4/92).
#4 Ornellaia (7/2) – Girvin (19.9%) is the proud pops to this filly, who was thrown by a dam by Broken Vow. Mom was not a world beater on the track, but she did manage to find the Winner’s Circle three times from 22 starts, and could only add $36,000 to her owner’s bank account. She’s done better in the breeding shed, having produced two other foals of racing age who both were victorious as babies, both at Gulfstream Park, one in a MSW event, the other in a Maiden Claimer. Today’s competitor has been sold in the auction ring three times. The first time, as a weanling in 2023, she brought the most in her daddy’s class, $180K (1/8). Then, last year as a yearling, she demanded $240K (3/18). Finally, in May of this year, her final bid price ballooned to $1.1 million in the FT Mid-Atlantic 2YO Sale (1/20), which was more than three times the second highest in his sire’s class. This filly will be one of two that conditioner Chad Brown (19.0%) will tighten the girth on. He’s readied her for today’s debut with eight drills here at the Spa (28 furlongs), with the first four at three panels over the training track and the most recent four over the main dirt oval covering a half-mile. Times have been respectable, but not fast.
#7 Fletch’s Rockette (6/1) – This filly will make her debut today for HOF trainer, Bill Mott (5.5%). Tiz the Law (17.5%) is her daddy, and her unraced mommy is by Lion Heart. In the breeding shed, mom has tossed seven other foals of racing age, two that scored as juveys, including one that won first out at Keeneland in April. Today’s runner first sold for $100K (28/105) as a yearling, but then was wheeled back in the March OBS sale for 2YOs, and Frank Fletcher picked her up for $375K (9/35). His workout regimen has consisted of a five Oklahoma works, one on the turf, and three on the main dirt track (29 furlongs). Like some of these others, his times have not been spectacular, but they’ve been reasonable.
#10 Prime Connection (10/1) – The second filly in this affair, trained by Chad Brown (19.0%), is by Into Mischief (17.2%). Her dam was a runner, and she’s by Bernardini. Mom won five of 18 starts, including a win first time out and a second-place finish in a Grade 3 event, both while still a baby. She went on to score at the G3 level and banked $438K. The hammer fell on her when the bidding reached $350K last year, when she was a yearling (39/62). This gal is set to make her debut, and Brown has seen her through eight Saratoga works (28 furlongs). He’s yet to complete any of his works with a sub-12-second per furlong breeze.
My Pick – This should be a cracking good event to end the week with. There's a lot to like in this race; however, as always, I pick just one horse. My pick is #4 Ornellaia. Girvin is one of the most underrated sires of two-year-olds, and this filly was the absolute standout in her daddy’s class. Mom has produced two precocious babies from only two older foals. Chad is likely to start getting warm with the juveys, and I think this gal is ready to roll.
Note: I will be out of pocket for the next two weeks; hence, unfortunately, I will not be able to post my pieces. I’ll return to cover races at the Spa during the week of 8/18/25. I’m sorry for this short break, but it’s necessary. I hope that all of you Fantastic Edgies cash piles of tickets, and I so very much appreciate all of your support. Thank YOU!