The 2021 racing season at Saratoga Race Course begins July 15.
Week 1 will contain 6 stakes races, 5 of them graded, including the Grade 1 Diana for fillies and mares and the historic Sanford for two-year-olds. Traditionally the first weekend of the season focuses on two-year-olds and older grass fillies and mares.
The Diana will highlight Saturday’s card. On the grass at a mile and one-eighth it offers a purse of $500,000. Trainer Chad Brown has won this race the last 5 years and is expected again to have numerous entries. The Diana typically showcases the top grass fillies and mares in the country. Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez has won the Diana a record 6 times, including 2 of the last 3.
This year the favorite in a small field could be Mean Mary a prolific grass winner trained by H. Graham Motion. Her main competition is expected to be Harvey’s Lil Goil a beautiful gray stakes winning daughter of American Pharoah trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado. The filly was hampered in her last start when she lost to Mean Mary by a yielding turf course and would prefer a firm course unsoftened by rain. Also running will be a powerful pair of runners from overseas - Althiqa and the aptly named Summer Romance coming off a 1-2 finish in Belmont’s recent Just a Game Stakes. The Godolphin owned pair are trained by Charlie Appleby. The Chad Brown contingent will be led by Pocket Square who was fifth to the Godolphin pair in her previous race.
Saturday will also feature the Sanford which will be run at 6 furlongs. The Sanford, first run in 1913, has seen Triple Crown winners Secretariat and Affirmed rise to prominence through wins but is most remembered as the only race in which all-time great Man o’War was beaten. Man o’War’s loss to Upset in this race in 1919 helped establish Saratoga Race Course’s reputation as “The Graveyard of Champions”. Man o’War’s loss in the Sanford was his only loss in twenty one starts. In the 1913 Sanford Man o’War was unprepared for the start and then was the victim of a terrible ride by his jockey Johnny Loftus. That he almost won the race was actually enhanced his already formidable reputation.
This year’s Sanford is expected to be the second start for Mike Repole’s Wit. Wit was an impressive winner for trainer Todd Pletcher (who will be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in August) in his first start on the Belmont under card overcoming a slow start to win going away.
Opening Day Thursday July 15 will feature two Grade III sprints – The Quick Call for three-year-olds on the grass at 5 ½ furlong and the Schuylerville for two-year-old fillies at 6 furlongs.
The Quick Call is named for a durable gelding who started 86 times and ran at Saratoga each year from 1986 – 1991. Quick Call’s victories included the Forego Handicap in 1988 and 1989, just missing a third consecutive win of the Forego in 1990—losing by a nose. Quick Call lived to the extended age of 35 and was honored by having his ashes buried on the Saratoga Race Course grounds at Clare Court a training track on the grounds. A quick competitive field is expected.
The Schuylerville is an opportunity for two-year-old fillies to gain the coveted stakes race “black type” which will enhance their broodmare prospects and value. Trainers Todd Pletcher and d. Wayne Lucas have each won the race 6 times. The Schuylerville is the traditional stakes race on opening day and like the Diana jockey John Velazquez has had the most wins by a rider with 5. Happy Soul, a daughter of Runhappy trained by former rider Wesley Ward is expected to be the favorite off her two recent wins at Belmont Park.
Friday’s stakes race is the Forbidden Apple at one mile on the grass. The race was not run last year and has only been run at Saratoga in 2019.
Sunday sees the fourth straight day of stakes action with the Coronation Cup on the grass at 5 ½ furlongs for three-year-old fillies.
