Chaos was the theme of the 106th running of the listed $175,000 Schuylerville Stakes on opening day at Saratoga Race Course, and that includes the win by The Queens M G , who sprung the 44-1 upset.
Second favorite Complexion (Complexity ) acted up in the gate, causing jockey John Velazquez to twice dismount, and he seemed to be in some discomfort, holding his left elbow. Complexion was backed out of the gate before Velazquez got back in the saddle.
Astoria Stakes winner Whatintheliteral (Lord Nelson) next dumped rider Javier Castellano just after the break, and Slang (Omaha Beach ) was pulled up by Ricardo Santana Jr. midway through the race and then got loose, running around the track before she was apprehended near the seven-furlong chute.
Meanwhile, Dylan Davis used his position from post 11 to keep The Queens M G well in the clear and stalking the pace, then drawing away in the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths. The filly by freshman sire Thousand Words ran the six furlongs in 1:11.31. Favored Viggiedal finished sixth after pressing the early pace, and Complexion was never a factor, crossing the wire in seventh place.
“Just broke well,” said Davis. “Took the nice, easy trip on the outside. 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 Queens M G was bred in Kentucky by T.F. VanMeter, Samuel Hernandez, Jesus Torres, and Justin Vinalay. She sold for $3,500 to Rigoberto Acevedo at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale from the St George Sales consignment. She subsequently was purchased privately after winning her racing debut by a head at Keeneland in April. C Two Racing Stable and Mathis Stable bought her and transferred her to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
The dark bay filly out of the Grindstone mare Show Queen is her dam’s second foal and hails from the immediate family of grade 1 winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Bodemeister.
In her debut at Keeneland, The Queens M G was Thousand Words’ first starter and won at 45-1 odds. The Schuylerville win gives Thousand Words his second stakes winner from his first six runners. Vodka With a Twist won the listed Debutante Stakes June 30 at Churchill Downs.
A multiple graded stakes-winning Florida-bred by Pioneerof the Nile, Thousand Words currently ranks third on the leading freshman sires list. He stood this year at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington for $5,000.
In The Queens M G’s second start, in the listed Astoria Stakes during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga, she was sent off as the favorite and finished a disappointing seventh by 18 lengths.
“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. She checked out after the race fine, and we couldn’t find any soundness issue,” said Joseph. “I figured we’d carry forward like that race didn’t exist and train her to the Schuylerville.
“We had nothing to lose by running and she showed today that she’s a good horse. Off of that last race it’s hard to have confidence going into the race, especially a race that was loaded like this one. By the quarter-pole I realized she was running and she kicked.”
