Glens Falls Handicap 2019: Preview, Entries & Odds

CHAD BROWN, the Saratoga Race Course meet leading trainer, will look to saddle his seventh graded turf stakes winner of the meet entering a formidable trio for the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls Handicap Saturday, August 31.

The Glenss Falls is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 12-race Woodward Racing Festival card, which also features the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes; the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress in Race 3; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac in Race 6. First post is 12:30 p.m.

Headlining Brown's triumvirate in the 1 3/8-miles inner turf marathon is multiple graded stakes winner Santa Monica (2-1) for R Unicorn Stable. The 6-year-old British-bred Mastercraftsman mare has two wins from four starts this campaign, including victories in the Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream Park in March and the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay in May at Belmont Park.

Last out, in the Grade 3 Waya, she encountered a difficult trip to finish third to stablemate and fellow Glenss Falls contender Fools Gold.

"She entered the Waya coming in off a layoff and was a little compromised by the pace last time," said Brown. "Hopefully, she'll get more pace in this race, but she's been training well."

With meet leading rider Jose Ortiz aboard, Santa Monica will depart from post 4.

Fools Gold (5-2), a 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro filly for Wise Racing, earned her first graded stakes win and second victory from five starts this year in the Waya while recording a career best 92 Beyer Speed Figure. She entered the Waya off a good second-place finish in the River Memories on July 5 at Belmont.

"She's continued to mature coming out of the Waya," said Brown. "We stretched her out in distance for the first time in the River Memories in which she ran a good second. Winning the Waya off that start she seems to appreciate going long and has trained well heading into the Glenss Falls."

Fools Gold will leave from post 2 with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in the irons.

Rounding out Brown's trio is Martin Schwartz's Night of England (12-1). The 4-year-old Lord of England filly made her first seven career starts in Germany, including a second-place finish in the Group 2 German Oaks as a sophomore before arriving in North America.

In two starts for Brown, she ran fifth in the Grade 3 Long Island on November 24 at Aqueduct Racetrack followed by a fifth-place first-level allowance effort on July 28 at Saratoga.

"We'll look for her to improve," said Brown. "She's been training equally as well as Santa Monica and Fools Gold and also deserves a shot in here."

Drawing post 8, Night of England will have the services of Luis Saez.

Trainer Graham Motion entered a formidable pair of his own in Madaket Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock and Robert Masiello's Empressof the Nile (8-1) as well as Mrs. Sippy (4-1) for owner Andrew Stone.

Joining Motion's barn following 2018, the 5-year-old Pioneerof the Nile mare has made two starts for Motion including a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly on June 29 at Woodbine and a second-level allowance win on August 1 at Saratoga in her most recent start.

Mrs. Sippy will be making her first start in North America in the Glenss Falls. The Blame filly launcher her career in Europe where she collected two wins from nine starts including a stakes win at a Longchamp. She enters the Glenss Falls off a seventh-place finish in the Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes in June at Haydock Racecourse.

Empressof the Nile will depart from the rail with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. Mrs Sippy will depart from post 5 with Joel Rosario in the irons.

Also entered are Get Explicit (5-1) for conditioner Barbara Minshall and owner Eleanor McIntyre (Ricardo Santana, Jr., post 9); Godolphin's Lady Montdore (12-1) for trainer Tom Albertrani (Kendrick Carmouche, post 7); Violet Blue (20-1) (Manny Franco, post 3). Indy Union (3-5) (Junior Alvarado, post 6) is entered for the main track only.