Trainer Todd Pletcher used Monmouth Park as a launching pad for opening day's GIII Schuylverville S. romper Sweet Loretta (Tapit), and pulled off the same move Friday afternoon with fellow St Elias Stable colorbearer Nonna Mela. Third first up at the Oceanport oval June 3, Nonna Mela had been off since airing by 7 1/4 lengths back at that venue July 22, and had had just one local work since shipping up from New Jersey. Pushed through horses to make the lead before speedster Silvertoni rushed up to take over, the dark bay rated kindly in second through and opening quarter in :21.81 and was guided out into the clear by Javier Castellano around the bend. Regaining the advantage in upper stretch after a half in :45.13, she easily distanced herself from Silvertoni in the lane and, with nobody really running on from behind, had the race all to herself.
“I liked the way she broke from the gate,” Castellano offered. “It was a great performance. There was a lot of speed out of the gate, but she broke sharp and put me in a good position. I moved her a little outside, I didn't want to get stuck on the rail. That was the key to win the race.”
Pletcher also trains two-for-two Bode's Dream (Bodemeister), winner of the Astoria S. at Belmont June 9, for owners Vinny and Teresa Viola.
“It's worked out well. Vinnie and Teresa made the decision to send all of these babies early to Palm Beach Downs,” Pletcher said. “They all got started there and, in the case of Bode's Dream, she broke her maiden at Gulfstream and then won the Astoria, and then Sweet Loretta broke her maiden at Monmouth and won the Schuylerville and now this filly has done the same thing. So it's worked out well, it's paid dividends getting them in there early and having a little experience leading into races like this.”
The Adirondack was originally scheduled for last Saturday, but that card was cancelled midway through after severe storms.
“I wasn't sure how she would've handled the track that day, so that was a question mark,” Pletcher noted. “The condition of the track and how it turned out, it kind of felt good when they did cancel. She had a really good week leading into this. We decided not to breeze her back, it was a little too close to try to squeeze a breeze in. I thought Javier gave her a very clever ride today. We felt like she could've been close but we didn't want to get her out of her comfort zone.”
Friday, Saratoga Race Course
ADIRONDACK S.-GII, $200,000, SAR, 8-19, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:16.83, ft.
1–#@NONNA MELA, 118, f, 2, by Arch
1st Dam: Cool Storm, by Storm Cat
2nd Dam: She's a Winner, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Get Lucky, by Mr. Prospector
($310,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-St. Elias Stable; B-WinStar Farm,
LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Javier Castellano. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $144,120. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”vanmeter-gentry-keesep-hip-1164″][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”]2–Silvertoni, 122, f, 2, Tapit–Somasach, by Johannesburg.
($230,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Silverton Hill LLC; B-Clearsky
Farms (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. $40,000.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-keesep-hip-1861″][bullet ad=”mcelroyequine-purchase”][bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Olive Branch, 118, f, 2, Speightstown–Venetian Sonata, by
Bernardini. ($130,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $185,000 2yo '16
OBSMAR). O-Ralph M. Evans; B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY);
T-Richard A. Violette, Jr.. $20,000.[bullet ad=”stonehaven-steadings-half-sis-sells-at-keesep”][bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-graduate”]Margins: 6, 3 1/4, HF. Odds: 8.90, 4.90, 6.80.
Also Ran: Libby's Tail, Ever So Clever, Romantic Music, Dial Me.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Pedigree Notes…
By Claiborne stalwart Arch–who passed away in January–Nonna Mela is out of an unraced $1-million KEESEP yearling and full-sister to Pletcher-trained GISW Bluegrass Cat. Her dam is also a half to MGSW Lord of the Game (Saint Ballado) and GSW Dramedy (Distorted Humor), and hails from the extremely productive female family of Grade I winners Super Saver, Girolamo, Rhythm, Imagining, Got Lucky, et al. Cool Storm produced a Pioneerof the Nile colt last year, and a Candy Ride (Arg) filly earlier this season before being bred back to Daredevil.
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