Rising Stars Collide in Frizette

While the major players from last month’s GI Spinaway S. remain on the sidelines, a new set of up-and-coming juvenile fillies take their place in Saturday’s GI Frizette S. Christophe Clement trainee Width (Blame) was tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ for a 2 1/2-length debut score at Saratoga Aug. 23 in which, according to Trakus, she covered 27 feet (approx. 3 1/4 lengths) more than the runner-up. Third-place finisher Libreta (Girolamo) came back to romp by 6 1/2 lengths here last Sunday.

Fellow ‘TDN Rising Star’ She’s All Ready (Girolamo) faces open company for the first time, but is the only runner in the field with a stakes win under her girth. The Jimmy Ryerson pupil’s reputation preceded her into her Aug. 7 unveiling, and she ran to top billing to score by a jaw-dropping 8 1/4 lengths Aug. 7. She looked unbeatable again in the restricted Seeking the Ante S. three weeks thereafter, and cruised along from box to wire to win by daylight. Pace pressure and the distance are major question marks for the rail-drawn chestnut, but she has certainly done little wrong up to this point.

“She’s doing great,” said Ryerson. “We’re really happy with how she’s doing coming up to the race. It’s a good test for her, both in the quality of the field and the distance, but we feel like it’s a good spot to try her in open company and also at a mile. [She’s] very fast, very precocious, but she’s got a good mind and we feel that she’ll rate, so we’ll find out a lot of things on Saturday.”

Godolphin’s well-bred Desert Tune (Street Cry {Ire}) figures to be among those running on late. The daughter of GSW Sahara Gold (Seeking the Gold) and half to MGISW Better Lucky (Ghostzapper) finished sixth behind Spinaway third Constellation (Bellamy Road) at the Spa Aug. 9, before earning her diploma over good ground at this track and trip Sept. 11.

Nickname (Scat Daddy) was fourth behind Spinaway winner Rachel’s Valentina (Bernardini) Aug. 2, but took a solid step forward to break through a month later. Trainer Steve Asmussen seeks his second Frizette title, having won in 2012 with eventual champion My Miss Aurelia (Smart Strike).