Saratoga Vision, a three-year-old daughter of Court Vision, will look to record a couple of firsts in Saturday’s $125,000 Ontario Colleen (Grade 3), part of Woodbine’s 10-race card.
Owned and trained by Alexander Patykewich, the Kentucky-bred would notch her first stakes crown with a victory in the one-mile turf Ontario Colleen, for three-year-old fillies, while also breaking her maiden in what will be her 13th start.
“I think we can win this one,” said Patykewich. “Right from the start, this filly has done everything I’ve asked of her. She’s had some bad luck along the way, but she’s coming into this race perfectly.”
Bred by Charles Fipke, Saratoga Vision has a pair of seconds and a trio of thirds from 12 starts, including a strong runner-up showing in her latest effort, the Selene Stakes (G3) on July 25 at Woodbine.
Dismissed at 84-1 on the toteboard, Saratoga Vision rallied impressively to finish just three-quarters-of-a-length behind Two Sixty – whom she’ll face again in the Ontario Colleen – for top prize in the $125,000 1 1/16-mile main track race.
“That was the first time she had the chance to go long,” noted Patykewich. “She should have won it, but she got boxed-in at the three-eighths pole. I really liked her that day. I thought she’d win it.”
That performance came after consecutive fifth-place finishes to start her 2020 campaign. Last year, in nine starts, she posted a second and three thirds.
On August 10, 2019, in a seven-furlong turf dash, Saratoga Vision closed stoutly to miss by a nose. One race later, she was third in the 6 ½-furlong Catch a Glimpse Stakes, run over a yielding E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
“She’s been a nice filly right from the day I bought her. You know who she reminds me of? She reminds me of [graded stakes champ] Skylander Girl [a daughter of Stroll who Patykewich also trained and owned]. She does everything like ‘Skylander’ did. She does things so well and you never have to tell her anything twice.”
Three-time winner, stakes-placed Avie’s Samurai, two-time winner Chart, Diamond Sparkles, fourth in last year’s Natalma Stakes (G1), Fly So Pretty, who took last year’s Stewart Manor Stakes, multiple stakes winner Two Sixty, and multiple graded stakes placed Walk In Marrakesh complete the field.
Chart, Diamond Sparkles, Fly So Pretty, and Two Sixty are all Mark Casse trainees.
“She couldn’t be coming into the races any better,” said Patykewich, of Saratoga Vision. “I really believe she can win this race.”
Seek and Destroy, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Verrazano, won last year’s Ontario Colleen.
The Ontario Colleen is scheduled as the seventh race on Saturday’s 1 p.m. program.
The Woodbine Turf Endurance Series continues on Saturday as race nine, with the $50,000 second round featuring nine starters stretching out to 1-1/2 miles. The field includes 4U Thoroughbred Racing’s seven-year-old Niigon gelding Artistico, the 2018 Turf Endurance champion and winner of this year’s 1-3/8-mile opening leg on August 1 for trainer Sylvain Pion, who will also send out English Illusion.
Fans can watch and wager on all the races via HPIbet.com.
$125,000 ONTARIO COLLEEN STAKES (G3)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Avie’s Samurai – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
2 – Walk In Marrakesh – Kazushi Kimura – Ignacio Correas
3 – Fly So Pretty – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
4 – Two Sixty – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
5 – Diamond Sparkles – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
6 – Chart – Justin Stein – Mark Casse
7 – Saratoga Vision – Simon Husbands – Alexander Patykewich
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