Lake George Draws Overflow Field

Wednesday’s 16^th renewal of the Grade 2, $150,000 Lake George, a 1 1/16^th-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies, has attracted a full field for what looks to be a wide-open contest.

In the previous 15 runnings of the race, trainer Christophe Clement has saddled three winners, more than any other trainer, and will send 7-2 morning-line favorite Strike It Rich postward on Wednesday.

The daughter of Unbridled’s Song streaks into the race with three consecutive victories dating back to an April 23 turf allowance at Gulfstream Park. She has won back-to-back stakes races at Monmouth Park, including a 1 ¼-length score in the Grade 3 Boiling Springs on June 26, in which she led the field from gate to wire.

“She’s doing very well,” said Clement. “She’s an anxious filly, but she’s grown more manageable and her form is getting better as she gets more mature. She rated nicely for Garrett [Gomez, jockey] the last time, but we’ll need firm turf and a bit of racing luck.”

Strike It Rich will be reunited with Gomez, aboard for both of her stakes victories, as she breaks from post position eight.

Runner-up to Strike It Rich in the Boiling Springs was Robert Smithen’s Bay to Bay, who will attempt to turn the tables in the Lake George. An exceptionally consistent performer with a record of 3-3-1 from seven lifetime starts, Bay to Bay was installed as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line and will get the services of Robby Albarado from post 12.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has saddled two previous Lake George winners, and on Wednesday will send out Starlight Partners’ Caminadora, tabbed at 12-1 on the morning line. Dismissed at 32-1 in her most recent start, the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs on June 12, the More Than Ready filly made a wide run from last to first to prevail by a half-length at the wire.

“We think she’s best suited to settle and make one run,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “In the Regret, once she got going she had to give up a little ground, but she was moving forward.”

Javier Castellano will ride Caminadora for the first time in the Lake George from post 11.

Making her second start for Godolphin Stable and trainer Saeed bin Suroor is House of Grace, a Limehouse filly who was undefeated in two starts going into last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, in which she finished third when trained by Ken McPeek.

The filly also ran third in her first start for Godolphin, a one-mile turf allowance at Belmont Park on July 1.

“It was a three-horse field in that race and the way it set up didn’t help her,” said Rick Mettee, assistant to bin Suroor. “It was clear she needed the race, but she’s come back and worked well twice since and from a fitness standpoint, she should be a lot tighter.”

Ramon Dominguez, New York’s leading jockey, will ride House of Grace from the inside.

Returning from a short layoff is Chester and Mary Broman’s Khancord Kid, last seen finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Sands Point at Belmont Park on May 31. The daughter of Lemon Drop Kid became a graded stakes winner this spring when she took the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on the turf at Gulfstream Park on March 6, after which she finished fifth in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan over Pimlico’s main track. She has been a regular on the NYRA worktab since July 4.

“She had a beautiful work at Belmont on July 17 [5 furlongs in 59.90], the fastest of 41,” said Kimmel. “Although she didn’t run that badly at Pimlico, she is returning to the surface she’s been most successful at.”

Regular rider Rajiv Maragh has the call from post 3.

German-bred Neon Light, a Group 3 winner in her country of birth, will make her first start in the United States. Trained by Andreas Wohler in Germany, the filly is stabled with H. Graham Motion at Saratoga and will remain with him following the Lake George.

Installed as the 9-2 third choice on the morning line, Neon Light will break from post 4 with Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado.  

Another Hall of Famer, trainer Bill Mott, will send out Dynazaper, a stakes winner at Churchill on April 29 who finished fifth behind Caminadora in the Regret, her most recent start.

Completing the field are Crescenda, runner up in the Sands Point at Belmont, Perfect Shirl and No Explaining, both recent allowance winners at Woodbine for trainer Roger Attfield, Indiana Distaff winner Go Ask Alex and allowance winner Exclusive Love.

Also eligible to run should any scratches occur are Ambitoness, Kittylicious and Queen Hazel.

The field for the Grade 2 Lake George: