From the Spa: August 30 Midlantic-breds in Saratoga stakes

by Joseph Aiello “From the Spa” returns to keep you up-to-date on horses bred in the mid-Atlantic racing in Saratoga stakes

After another convincing victory in a Saratoga stakes race, Pennsylvania bred Roses for Debra has emerged as one to be reckoned with as a turf sprinter for fillies and mares. Perhaps having her eyes set on greener pastures in the fall, what she was able to accomplish this meet at the Spa puts her amongst the most successful Midlantic bred runners in Saratoga stakes. Another Pennsylvania bred filly, Dancing Spirit, will look to follow in the footsteps of the four year old Roses for Debra with a second win at Saratoga, this time in her first stakes try after breaking her maiden two weeks ago here. 

Dancing Spirit is owned and trained by Adam Rice, nephew to one of Saratoga’s leading trainers in Linda Rice, who has seen his trainees win both of their tries this meet. One of those wins was by Dancing Spirit herself, stalking a slower pace at a mile and one sixteenth on the turf in her second start, and taking over in the top of the stretch to break her maiden. By Social Inclusion – Dancing Sparks, by Jump Start, Dancing Spirit now gets another crack at turf in the P.G. Johnson Stakes for two year old fillies run at the same distance as her maiden victory. She will break from the five post in a very evenly matched field and keeps Jose Ortiz in the irons from her last race. Ortiz only has six starts riding for Adam Rice in the last year, but has won half of those starts while also taking over as the second leading rider for the Saratoga meet behind his brother Irad this past weekend. With these connections on an improving and still green filly, Dancing Spirit should be a prime contender in her first stakes try as she looks to add to the Midlantic tab for stakes winners this meet. Dancing Spirit was bred by Glenn E. Brok, LLC and enters at morning line odds of 4/1.