After slipping and falling in the paddock prior to the Aug. 3 Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, Brightwork is back to take another shot at beginning her 3-year-old season in the $200,000 Prioress Stakes (G3) Aug. 31.
"It was a very disappointing day because I thought she was going to be more than ready to run," said trainer John Ortiz of the filly's late scratch in the Test.
Exiting with what Ortiz described as "a little road rash," WSS Racing's daughter of Outwork is healed and ready to embark on plan B.
"We were able to take care of her and just continue going forward," Ortiz said. "She's been schooling (in the paddock) quite regularly."
Brightwork schooling long very good in the paddock at Saratoga today with John and Daniel. Game day gitters get the best of us sometimes but the comeback is always greater than the setback. 🌸 pic.twitter.com/jLUhqxMlJE
— ORTIZ RACING STABLES (@johnnyortiz24) August 15, 2024
With four wins from six starts at 2 for earnings of $501,376, the grade 1 winner is a perfect 4-for-4 around one turn and 2-for-2 at Saratoga.
Breaking from the outside in post 9 with Luis Saez aboard, Brightwork will face solid competition in her comeback, including stakes winners Miuccia, Tricky Temper, Belle's Blue Bell, and Carmelina—all in search of their first graded win or placing.
Perhaps the most intriguing opponent is Rigney Racing's Two Sharp. A $925,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the Twirling Candy filly romped in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight by 11 1/4 lengths Aug. 2 at the Spa.
The six-furlong Prioress is race 10 with post time at 5:04 p.m.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 31, 2024, Race 10Entries: Prioress S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Miuccia (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Gustavo Delgado 8/1 2 2Autumn Evening (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 118 Todd A. Pletcher 10/1 3 3Tricky Temper (NY) Dylan Davis 120 Jeremiah C. Englehart 7/2 4 4Belle's Blue Bell (FL) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 Carlos A. David 15/1 5 5Carmelina (PA) Jose Lezcano 120 Robert E. Reid, Jr. 10/1 6 6Pacific Rose (KY) Javier Castellano 118 Jorge Delgado 20/1 7 7Two Sharp (KY) Junior Alvarado 118 Philip A. Bauer 7/5 8 8Lady Moscato (KY) Manuel Franco 118 D. Wayne Lukas 20/1 9 9Brightwork (KY) Luis Saez 124 John Alexander Ortiz 9/2
