Test Stakes 2015 at Saratoga Race Course

Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 1 Longines Test Stakes comes our way this Saturday, August 8 from Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Three year old fillies will be featured when they take to Saratoga’s dirt track and race seven furlongs searching for the winner’s share of the $500,000 purse.

A competitive field of 10 will take to the track in the Test Stakes- race 8 on Saratoga’s stacked Saturday card. Post time is 5:11 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all 10 combatants for this Grade 1 stakes.

Take Charge Brandi – the champion 2-year-old filly of 2014, D Wayne Lukas trained filly races for the first time since January 31 and returns to sprinting for the first time in a year but does enter on a terrific four race win streak – the minor Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park in January, the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes in December, the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess Stakes November 22 and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 61-1 odds. She lost three straight before that by a combined 36 1/2 lengths – an eighth in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland October 3 and fifths in the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes September 6 and the Adirondack Stakes in August. Take Charge Brandi was one of the most feared Juvenile filly on the planet before her layoff and hopes to pick up where she left off – from gate 4 with Luis Saez in the saddle of the 120 pound co-highweight.

By the Moon – Michelle Nevin trained filly has three wins and three seconds in eight career starts. She enters on the heels of consecutive runner-up finishes – the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes last time out June 6 at Belmont Park and the minor Parx Oaks in May. They followed a win in the minor Caesar’s Wish Stakes in March and off-the-board finishes in two graded stakes races – a fifth in the Grade 2 Forward Gal and an eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She also had a good win in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes in October. By the Moon has two wins and two seconds in six career starts and aims for her second Grade 1 score from post 3 with Jose Ortiz guiding her.

Wonder Gal – has placed in six of seven career starts for trainer Leah Gyarmati – one win, two seconds and three third place finishes. Her win came in her debut – the minor Lynbrook Stakes last July and the seconds came in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes in October and last time out in the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park June 27. Before that was a third in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes June 6, a fourth in the Grade 2 Gazelle Stakes in April and a very respectable third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She has been in there with some top field and has fared very well- hopes are she can keep that trend going from gate 6 with Kendrick Carmouche in the reins.

Angela Renee – Grade 1 winning Todd Pletcher trained filly has 10 career starts with two wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. She has struggled lately – a fifth last time out in her turf debut in the minor Wild Applause Stakes followed a sixth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. She was a good second behind Lovely Maria in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland April 4 and also had a third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct in November and a disappointing tenth as favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Her graded stakes win came in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in September. Angela Renee was very good at this time last year and hopes to return to that form when she departs from gate 8 with Mike Smith aboard.

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Cavorting – has five career starts with three wins. Last time out was one of those wins – in the minor Jersey Girl Stakes June 5 at Belmont Park. It followed an ugly ninth in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream February 21, a troubled seventh in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park October 4 and a terrific win in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga August 10. She also had an 11 length a maiden score in wire-to-wire fashion at Belmont Park July 3. She has been up and down in her career for sure but hopes to build on a nice effort last time out. Cavorting tries for her second graded stakes score from gate 2 with Irad Ortiz in the irons.

Irish Jasper – Derek Ryan trained filly has been impressive in her career – six win and a third place finish in nine career starts. She enters on a three race win streak – the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes last time out at Belmont Park July 4, the Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes in May and the minor Belle Harbor Stakes in April. Before that she failed to place in her previous two starts. Irish Jasper has been on fire lately however and hopes to continue that trend from the rail Saturday with Javier Castellano guiding her.

So You Say – Michelle Nevin pupil will make her stakes debut Saturday having posted two wins, a second and three third place finishes. She has two wins and a second place finish in her last three starts overall – a maiden score in April and an Allowance win in June with a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming sandwiched in there. So You Say has looked good the last four months but may be in tough in her huge step up in competition Saturday. John Velazquez has been tabbed to ride from post 7.

Kathballu – Kenneth McPeek trained filly has two wins, a second and three third place finishes in eight career starts. Last time out was a respectable third in the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park July 4 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score in May and three straight on-the-board finishes in Allowance races. Kathballu has place in her last five starts overall and hopes for her first stakes score Saturday from post 5.

Bar of Gold – won her first three career starts – all at Aqueduct for trainer John Kimmel but has struggled in two starts since – in her only two stakes tries. Last time out was a fourth in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks July 11 which followed a sixth in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes in June. Bar of Gold looks for a breakthrough in stakes company when she departs from post 9 with Jose Lezcano in the irons.

Pleasant Tales – has two wins and a second place finish in nine career starts for trainer Dallas Stewart. She enters off an OK fourth in the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park June 27 after one of her wins- an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs May 28, a fourth in a similar race May 1 and an eighth in her only other graded stakes action to date – the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds in February. Pleasant Tales has won two of her last five starts but has stumbled in the others over that span. Junior Alvarado rides from the outside post 10.

Race 8 on Saratoga Race Course’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:11 PM.