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Faithful Departed heads back to Saratoga Race Course as one of the main contenders for Friday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks, a 1 3/16-mile turf race that is scheduled as Race 10 on an 11-race card.
The Grant Forster-trained filly enters off a strong second in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on July 4, where she finished 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner. She previously won the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs on May 30 and owns three wins from eight starts.
Forster said Faithful Departed has trained well since Belmont.
> “She’s doing excellent, and we’ve had a really good four weeks since the Belmont Oaks,” Forster said.
She drew post 6.
Chad Brown will send out three runners: Fitz Right, Just Aloof, and Consensus View. Fitz Right may bring the strongest recent stakes form of that group after finishing third in the Belmont Oaks. She also won the Grade 2 Wonder Again over this course two starts back.
Brown described Fitz Right as “a model of consistency.”
Just Aloof adds another graded-stakes credential after winning the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante last November at Del Mar. Brown said softer ground could help her chances.
Consensus View brings a New York tie into the race after breaking her maiden June 25 at Aqueduct going the Saratoga Oaks distance. Brown said the filly “came home a nice fast quarter at Aqueduct going a mile and three-sixteenths at the Oaks distance.” She drew post 8.
Other notable entrants include Bless Her for Graham Motion, Code for Todd Pletcher, and Kentucky Belle for Brad Cox. Bless Her is a last-out allowance winner, while Code steps up in class after a maiden win at Gulfstream Park and a neck second in allowance company at Churchill Downs. Kentucky Belle is a dual winner from five starts and scored in an allowance at Keeneland over this distance on April 18.
Friday’s card also includes the Grade 2, $400,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
For New York racing followers, the Saratoga Oaks is another reminder of how the state circuit connects major summer turf stakes at Saratoga with earlier form earned at tracks including Aqueduct.
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Source: As reported by news.google.com.
