SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. _ In upper stretch of the Appalachian Stakes on July 11 at Keeneland, it appeared as though trainer Shug McGaughey might have been a bit too ambitious running Enola Gay in a Grade 2 stakes off a 244-day layoff. The 3-year-old filly, still eligible for a first-level allowance race, was fourth and seemingly going through the motions.
At the eighth pole, however, Julien Leparoux was able to get Enola Gay outside and into the clear and she came with a strong late run that got her up in the final jump to win the Appalachian by a nose over Walk In Marrakesh.
"She kind of got lost down in there. Once he got her to the outside she could focus on what she's running at. She came really running at the end," McGaughey said.
Hoping that race moved her forward, McGaughey is taking another big swing when he runs Enola Gay in Saturday's $500,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational at the Spa. Enola Gay will be stretching out from a mile to 1 3/16 miles on turf while facing the top four finishers from the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes here on July 19 as well as the European import Ricetta and the well-bred Antoinette.
"Standing here on Friday, I don't think she's over her head," McGaughey said. "Monday morning we might say differently."
The stretch-out in distance doesn't concern McGaughey. Enola Gay is by Uncle Mo out of the dam Dakota Queen, who is a half-sister to Beauty Parlor, a graded stakes winner at 1 { miles. Deeper in the pedigree are marathon turf graded winners Moon Queen and Innuendo.
"I definitely think she'll run that far," said McGaughey, who has tabbed Jose Ortiz to ride Enola Gay.
Speaktomeofsummer came from off the pace and outfought Stunning Sky by a head to win the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes going 1 [ miles. That was the third victory from five starts for Speaktomeofsummer, a daughter of Summer Front trained by Christophe Clement.
"She won well the other day. Mine is an improving type," Clement said. "I've got a small question mark on the distance."
Speaking of the Lake Placid performance, Clement said Speaktomeofsummer "looked good."
"She finished strong," he said. "I worked her twice since, both works were nice."
Stunning Sky was forced to steady around the far turn of the Lake Placid. But she got through on the inside and still had every chance, yet fell a head short. Queens Embrace and Key Biscayne were a neck apart when third and fourth in the Lake Placid.
The wild card in the field is Ricetta, a Great Britain-bred daughter of Camelot who packed three races in five weeks in Europe for trainer John Gosden. She has since shipped to Bill Mott for this race. It is noteworthy that Mott does not put Ricetta on Lasix.
Antoinette, also trained by Mott, finished third in the Grade 3 Wonder Again going a mile in her last start on turf.
