There are a multitude of decisions that trainers must make on a daily basis, some of them difficult calls. Among the endless list: Should horses remain in a race where the footing might not be to their liking?
Trainer George Weaver was faced with that choice July 18 with his 2025 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) winner Cy Fair, who was among the entrants in the Coronation Cup Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course. The 3-year-old daughter of Not This Time was also entered in the July 19 Quick Call Stakes (G3T) against males at Saratoga. Both races were scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs.
As forecasted, the Saratoga skies opened up early on Saturday's card that kicked off at 12:35 p.m. ET, quickly rendering the Mellon turf course yielding. Cy Fair's stout record of 4-1-1 in six starts was crafted from running on firm footing.
Weaver was philosophical about his call to run in the Coronation Cup, which Cy Fair won with aplomb.
"I never know how they are going to handle it, given the (yielding) ground, but the filly is doing well. We just led her over there and hoped for the best."
Reagan Swinbank, who bought the filly at the 2025 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $185,000 and now owns her in partnership with Medallion Racing, Joey Platts, and Mark Stanton, said after the race, "She likes a firm, fast turf course. Obviously we (saw) the weather and double entered. We were hoping for a dry, fast turf course, but we were playing the game. George said about noon, 'We're going to run.' Great call, George Weaver!"
Five horses ran in the $218,250 Coronation Cup after the scratch of Quiet Street and the two main-track-only horses, Niche and Hot Currency. Under John Velazquez, Cy Fair tracked the early pace set by Sapphire Beach through fractions of :22.54, :45.01, and :56.08. With a furlong remaining, the bay filly, under a hand ride, sailed home a 2 1/2-length winner over the pacesetter. She returned $3.06 as the odds-on favorite and completed the distance in 1:01.83.
Sapphire Beach was 4 3/4 lengths clear of Cadenza, who was followed under the wire by Hark Theangelssing and Snow Face Princess.
A second trip to the Breeders' Cup looms in Cy Fair's future.
"I think as good as she is, even though she's a 3-year-old filly, we might try to get to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint against older (horses). We'll just map out a campaign that gets us there and see what she can do," Weaver said.
Cy Fair was bred in Kentucky by Marc Keller out of the Arch mare Remarqued. Her sire Not This Time, the current leading sire in North America, stood the 2026 season at Taylor Made Stallions for a fee of $250,000.
