'Rising Stars' Square Off in Spinaway

'TDN Rising Stars' comprise two thirds of Saturday's six-horse GI Spinaway S. at Saratoga, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Future Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) beat older males here six years ago in the GI Woodward S., and her daughter Rachel's Valentina (Bernardini) looks for her own victory at the highest level in the same gold and burgundy Stonestreet silks. The bay uncorked a powerful four-wide move to don cap and gown by two lengths here Aug. 2. “I thought her debut was everything we were hoping it would be,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “She was very professional, settled off the pace, closed well, galloped out strongly and has trained well since then. We always felt like more distance would be what she wants. So we are looking forward to getting her going.” Rachel's Valentina's year-older brother Jess's Dream (Curlin) also earned the 'Rising Star' moniker for an improbable out-of-the-clouds tally for Kiaran McLaughlin over nine panels here Aug. 24.

Pletcher also has Tonasah (Malibu Moon) for StarLadies Racing. Scratched after eluding outriders for quite some time when she got loose before Belmont's June 4 Astoria S., she atoned with a 5 1/2-length drubbing at that venue July 2. Favored for the GII Adirondack S. going a sixteenth shorter here Aug. 15, she set the pace before settling for second to Just Wicked (Tapit). “She bounced out of the last race well,” said Pletcher. “We'll try her back, take the blinkers off and hopefully get her to be a little kinder in the first part.”

Just Wicked's trainer Steve Asmussen will be represented by Constellation (Bellamy Road), an $800,000 OBSMAR juvenile (:9 4/5 breeze) who ran to advanced billing to score by 4 1/2 lengths here Aug. 9.

Tap to It (Tapit) rounds out the 'Rising Stars.' The daughter of GISW Leave Me Alone (Bold Badgett) was a $400,000 KEESEP yearling buy for Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, and overcame tons of trouble to don cap and gown Aug. 16 for Ralph Nicks. She fired a :47.66 four-furlong bullet here Aug. 29 in preparation for this race.

Banree (Macho Uno) was a typically sharp debut winner for Wesley Ward at Keeneland in April, but was fifth after breaking poorly against the boys in the June 5 Tremont S. downstate. She was second in the GIII Schuylerville S. here on opening day. Anna Rae (Tiz Wonderful) looks to follow in the hoofsteps of last year's Spinaway winner Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful), who also won for a claiming tag first out. Named for trainer Jeremiah Englehart's daughter, Anna Rae galloped away from $65,000 sellers by 11 1/2 lengths Aug. 14.