Sunday’s Grade 2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga came up a dream race.
Dream Tree and Dream Pauline, who have combined to win all six of their starts, head a field of 10 3-year-old fillies set to run six furlongs in the $250,000 Prioress on Sunday’s 12-race card, which begins at 12:30 p.m.
Dream Tree, a daughter of Uncle Mo, is 4 for 4, having won races from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. Trainer Bob Baffert was not enamored with the way the filly trained following her Feb. 4 victory in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes at Santa Anita, and he opted to stop on the filly.
Baffert thought about running Dream Tree in the Grade 1 Test earlier this meet, but didn’t have her quite ready by then.
“It’s a tough race,” said Baffert, who twice won the Prioress when it was a Grade 1 and run at Belmont Park. “I think she’s a really nice filly and she can probably use a race, but it will set her up for something down the road.”
Dream Pauline is a daughter of Tapit out of Dream Rush, who won the 2007 Prioress at Belmont. Dream Pauline won her debut by six lengths at Aqueduct in December. She returned from an eight-month layoff to win a first-level allowance here by two lengths, earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Javier Castellano has a return call aboard Dream Pauline.
“You never expect that type of effort, but we always loved her and it was a huge race,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who won the 2015 Prioress with Cavorting for Stonestreet Stables, the owners and breeders of Dream Pauline. “Javier knows her now. Lot of speed in the race. We might be stalking in seventh instead of third or fourth.”
Mia Mischief and Classy Act have gone at each other on the front end in both the Victory Ride at Belmont and Test here. Classy Act survived the duel to get beat a neck in the Victory Ride. Mia Mischief survived the battle to finish second in the Test.
Moonshine Memories, who won her first three starts including two Grade 1 races last year, is another who brings speed to the Prioress. She is coming off an allowance win going 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar.
“I kind of like the cutback to six furlongs,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “I think it’s going to be a really good distance for her. She’s trained really well between that allowance win, and goes there with a good shot in what looks like a wide-open field.”
Bronx Beauty, Cathedral Reader, Sower, Win the War, and Purrfect Miss complete the line-up.
KEY CONTENDERS
Dream Tree, by Uncle Mo
Last 3 Beyers: 82-81-86
◗ Been firing bullet works at Del Mar for her return for Baffert, who tends to have his horses ready to fire fresh.
◗ Mike Smith, who won two Grade 1’s for Baffert last weekend, is in for the ride.
Dream Pauline, by Tapit
Beyers: 90-71
◗ Makes her stakes debut after a fine off-the-pace allowance win here on Aug. 2.
◗ Gets six pounds from Grade 1 winners Dream Tree and Moonshine Memories.
Moonshine Memories, by Malibu Moon
Last 3 Beyers: 87-81-80
◗ Has shown the ability to stalk, a style she may have to employ here.
This story originally appeared on DRF.com.
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