Longshot Filly Claims Opening Day Victory at Saratoga
Saratoga, NY – The opening day of the highly anticipated Saratoga summer meet was marked by a shocking upset in the featured Schuylerville Stakes. The Queens M G, a 2-year-old filly trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., stormed to victory at odds of 44-1, the longest shot on the board.
Purchased as a yearling for just $3,500, The Queens M G had previously won her debut race at Keeneland in April, also at long odds of 45-1. She was then acquired by the ownership group of C2 Racing Stable and Mathis Stable and sent to Gulfstream Park under Joseph’s tutelage.
After a disappointing last-place finish in the Astoria Stakes at Belmont, The Queens M G was given another chance at Saratoga in the six-furlong Schuylerville. Jockey Dylan Davis guided the daughter of Thousand Words to a smart stalking trip, allowing the early speed to set a torrid pace before pouncing in the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths.
“She just broke well. Took the nice, easy trip on the outside,” said Davis. “She got really comfortable on me, and I liked what I felt, just easing her into the stretch, waiting for her to switch leads, and after that she responded for me nicely down the stretch.”
The upset victory triggered massive payouts, with The Queens M G returning $91.00, $30.40 and $14.20 for a $2 wager. The $2 exacta with 7-1 runner-up Sherbini paid $929.00, while the $2 trifecta with 6-1 third-place finisher Long Neck Paula yielded an astounding $8,064.00.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was thrilled with the filly’s turnaround performance, saying, “Last time at Saratoga she was the favorite, and she didn’t even show up. She ran as poor as a horse could run, and we were feeling really down. But we figured we’d carry forward like that race didn’t exist and train her to the Schuylerville.”
The Queens M G’s next target is likely the Grade 3 Adirondack Stakes on August 4, with the prestigious Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes on August 31 also under consideration for the blossoming young star.
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