Saratoga Storm Disrupts Workouts, But Grade 3 Winner Power Squeeze Shines at Monmouth Park
An overnight storm at Saratoga Race Course forced the postponement of two turf stakes and severely impacted the scheduled workouts, with only 6 breezes recorded on Saturday compared to 271 the previous day. However, the disruption did not affect the preparations of some top contenders elsewhere.
At Monmouth Park, the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks winner Power Squeeze (Union Rags) turned in the fastest of four works covering five furlongs, clocking 1:01.4. Trainer Jorge Delgado has indicated the 3-year-old filly owned by Lea Farms is being considered for the Cathryn Sophia Stakes at Parx Racing in three weeks, as well as a potential start in the Grade 1 Cotillion next month.
In other graded stakes news, several notable winners were spotted on the workout tab on Saturday morning:
- Henley’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy), a Grade 1 victor in the 2019 Belmont Derby Invitational, worked three furlongs in 39.8 seconds at Colonial Downs.
- Rattle N Roll (Connect), the 2021 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) champion, covered four furlongs in 48.6 seconds at Churchill Downs.
- Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), the 2023 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner, went five furlongs in 1:02.0 at Churchill Downs.
- Tarifa (Bernardini), a two-time Grade 2 winner in the 2024 Fair Grounds Oaks and Rachel Alexandra, covered five furlongs in 1:01.4, also at Churchill Downs.
It was a relatively quiet morning for graded stakes winners, with only 12 recorded on the U.S. tab on Saturday. However, the steady preparations of contenders like Power Squeeze suggest the upcoming racing calendar will feature highly competitive fields.
“The disruption did not affect the preparations of some top contenders elsewhere.”
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