Pletcher sending four in Spinaway

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.  With limited stakes options on dirt for juvenile fillies, trainer Todd Pletcher entered four of his 2-year-olds in Sunday's Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga. A total of eight was entered for the seven-furlong race.

Pletcher went in with R Heat Lightning, Sky Hosoya, Stopspendingmaria, and Valiant Passion. Pletcher was considering entering a fifth starter but elected to wait for an overnight stakes at Belmont Park with Summer Laugh, a 6 3/4-length winner of her debut here Aug. 8.

"I felt like she needed a little more time," Pletcher said. "Didn't know for sure there was going to be an option at Belmont, since the Matron wasn't there, but with the overnight stakes there's a suitable option."

The New York Racing Association scrapped the Matron, a Grade 2 race at seven furlongs typically run in mid-September, for budgetary reasons.

Stopspendingmaria, who finished second in the Grade 3 Schuylerville here on opening day, and Sky Hosoya, who won for a maiden claiming tag of $50,000, will be coupled as part of a Mike Repole-owned entry.

Valiant Passion overcame a troubled trip to win her career debut for trainer Ralph Nicks, who owned the filly in partnership with Barry Berkelhammer. Team Valor purchased the filly shortly after the race and turned her over to Pletcher.

R Heat Lightning won a maiden race at Delaware Park by five lengths before running second in the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park on Aug. 7.

Alienation and Coax Liberty, second and third, respectively, to Position Limit in the Grade 2 Adirondack, head the list of challengers to the Pletcher quartet. Le Mi Geaux, who won the Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes on opening day, and Abide, a debut winner for Steve Asmussen, complete the field.

Fantastico Roberto seeks rebound in Saranac

Pletcher hopes it only takes one horse to get the job done in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac as he sends out Fantastico Roberto against five others in the 1 3/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds.

Fantastico Roberto won the Choice Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 5 but then ran off with jockey Alan Garcia while finishing seventh in the Jersey Derby at Monmouth on Aug. 1.

Pletcher said he is taking the blinkers off Fantastico Roberto and reuniting him with John Velazquez, who was aboard for the Choice victory. Fantastico Roberto breaks from post 2.

Devon Rock, third to Fantastico Roberto in the Choice; Mystic, Lethal Combination, Turf Melody, and Citrus Kid complete the field.