Complexion, 10 Others Contest Opening-Day Schuylerville

The first stakes race of the 2024 meeting at Saratoga Race Course, the $175,000 Schuylerville, attracted a field of 11 2-year-old fillies, with some of the meet’s perennial successful connections squaring off July 11. First run in 1918, the Schuylerville was downgraded from a grade 3 to listed this year.

The race is loaded with speed, and among those expected to challenge for an early advantage is Complexion , a $400,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite. Owned by Ammore Thoroughbreds, Carl F. Pascarella, and Yurie Pascarella, the filly is a half sister to multiple grade 1 winner Jack Christopher   and was bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate. She comes to the Schuylerville off her lone start, a 6 1/2-length score at Aqueduct that came despite a troubled beginning under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

“She stumbled at the start and was able to pick herself up,” trainer Danny Gargan said. “Johnny was probably the most confident I’ve ever had a jockey walk in the paddock with me. I never expect to win first out, and he looked over and said, ‘Well, you’re going to win first out today.’ It’s exciting to get to ride Johnny on a few good horses. He’s one of the best riders of all time. I’d love to win a stake with him.”

Velazquez, a record five-time Schuylerville winner, has the call from post 5.

Another pricey speed sort, Will Stroud’s Long Neck Paula , cost $500,000 at this year’s OBS March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. Trained by Wesley Ward and coming off a gate-to-wire, 3 1/2-length win at Churchill Downs, she was ridden by Velazquez in her first start and gets Flavien Prat on Thursday. At 8-1 on the morning line, she’ll break from post 9. The Uncle Mo   filly was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm. 

“The only thing that worries me about these early races, especially stretching out to six furlongs, is they’re all 2-year-olds that have broken their maiden,and they’re very fast horses. Everyone has speed and that’s why they’re in these early stakes,” Ward said. “Sometimes they can go a little too fast early for how old they are just being young horses. To sustain it for three-quarters of a mile is really tough, so the pace is crucial. If they go too fast early, these 2-year-olds can’t kick on like the older horses can.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher has won this race six times, and he sends out a filly who might benefit from a hot early pace. Repole Stable named Carmen’s Candy Jar  for the late Carmen Barrera, the longtime director of horsemen’s relations for the New York Racing Association. She returns on relatively short rest, having won on debut June 23 at Aqueduct.