This Sunday at the Spa, a pair of Pennsylvania breds enter into Saratoga’s Bolton Landing Stakes exclusively for two year old fillies. Run at five and a half furlongs on the turf, the Bolton Landing has been a great launching point for fillies who are aiming at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in the fall. While both of these entries would need to show improvement to make it that far, this start still serves as a measuring stick for these young fillies who both make their first start in stakes company and just their second start overall.

Beginning from the inside post in this field of eight is Icona Mama, the longest shot on the morning line at 30/1 who is trained by Flint W. Stites. Stites has made a name for himself as a Midlantic based trainer with over 2000 wins, deciding to make the rare move of shipping his two year old up North after her debut victory. By Maximus Mischief – Classe Signora, by Bernstein, Icona Mama won first time out at Presque Isle Downs in late July going five furlongs over their artificial surface. Breaking in second, she quickly captured the lead and never looked back, likely to employ a similar strategy here with new jockey Junior Alvarado in the irons. While this is a major step up in class, being near the lead is always a good thing at a sprint distance, and the aggressive placement into this field by Stites should signify that his filly is ready for the challenge. Bred by J. Patrick Morell & Tanya Lobsiger, Icona Mama looks to pick up an early signature win for her owners DeSales Eight-Five who purchased her for $75,000 this April.

Breaking from the seven post is a filly who flies a bit less under the radar at 6/1 on the morning line in Yesterday. With the breeding of American Pharoah on top and Essential Rose, by Bernardini on the bottom, it is no surprise that she was sold for $190,000 to owners Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and The Estate of Brereton C. Jones. American Pharoah has been producing progeny who have had early success on turf, so Yesterday being debuted over Saratoga’s inner turf course last month should come as no surprise. In that lone try, she was never fully comfortable as the post time favorite, eventually fading late at the mile and one sixteenths distance. Perhaps cutting back in distance for George Weaver should yield better results, as Yesterday picks up the meet’s leading rider in Irad Ortiz this time around. Despite her sixth place finish first time out, this filly has plenty of untapped potential as she looks to pick up her first win in a big spot. Yesterday was bred by Blackstone Farm LLC and will quickly turn around here from a four furlong breeze just two days ago.

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