Congrats filly Emma’s Encore, victorious in the Gr.3 Victory Ride S. at Belmont in July, is a likely starter in Saturday’s Gr.1 Prioress Stakes.
The 3-year-old filly breezed four furlongs over Saratoga’s main track on Monday in :47.53 in preparation for this weekend’s Gr.1.
“She did about as good as you can hope” trainer Allen Jerkens told the Thoroughbred Daily News, “She felt pretty good. I don’t think the track is lightning fast”.
“Anyway, that’s it. We wanted her to work good”.
Sent off at 39-1 odds in the Victory Ride, the dark bay defeated Jamaican Smoke (Latent Heat), Tu Endie Wei (Johar) and the highly regarded, previously undefeated 1-5 favourite that day, Agave Kiss (Lion Heart), who finished fifth.
“Emma’s Encore will have to do even better if she’s going to get this one”, said Jerkens. “If she runs in this one, we won’t run in the Test Stakes (Gr.1 on Aug. 25].”
“You never know how the track is going to play, if it’s going to be playing to speed. That’s why they don’t win them all, but you got to take a chance. If she could do it, it’d be some feather in her cap, a Grade I”.
Emm’s Encore would be Congrats latest Group 1 winner following Eclipse Award nominee and multiple Gr.1 winner Turbulent Descent.
