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Soloshot looks to keep it rolling in $150K NYSSS Statue of Liberty

by Christian Abdo

Travis and Eddie Racing Stable’s Soloshot looks to double up on stakes scores in Wednesday’s $150,000 Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a one-mile inner turf test for eligible New York-sired sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

The chestnut daughter of Solomini closed to a nose victory last-out in the six-furlong NYSSS Cupecoy’s Joy on June 14 at Belmont at the Big A. With a rival-splitting stretch run engineered by returning pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr., Soloshot collared the pacesetting Geopolitics and stalking returning foe Being Betty, earning a first career stakes victory for trainer Lolita Shivmangal.

Soloshot, also a winner of the 5 1/2-furlong state-bred Lady Finger in September over the Finger Lakes’ dirt for conditioner George Weaver, has never started beyond seven furlongs. Since being claimed for $32,000 out of a runner-up finish on March 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack, Soloshot has made four efforts for her current connections there at six-furlongs, with the last three coming over the lawn.

Soloshot’s trio of recent turf starts has coincided with her three highest Beyer Speed Figures, earning a career and field-best 81 when second in an April allowance versus open-company, a 73 when fourth in a May state-bred optional-claimer, and a last-out 69 in victory.

Bred in the Empire State by Rhapsody Farm, Soloshot was originally a $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase. She is out of the multiple stakes-placed Twirling Candy mare Sweet Queen, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Queen Ofthe Catsle.

Ortiz, Jr. will be back aboard from post 3.

Hilly Fields Stable’s New York-homebred [post 9, Jose Lezcano] Being Betty comes from a family that has enjoyed much NYSSS turf success for trainer Phil Serpe. The Central Banker bay is out of the stakes-winning Courageous Cat mare Lady Joan [2017 Cupecoy's Joy], who is a half-sister to stakes-winners Goodbye Brockley [2018 Statue of Liberty] and Itsallcomintogetha [2023 Cab Calloway]– all Hilly Fields Stable-campaigned and Serpe-conditioned.

The veteran conditioner said Being Betty’s pedigree points to longer races than her last effort when third by a neck to Soloshot.

“Considering her family, the one-mile is better than the sprint race, pretty much all of them ran long,” said Serpe. “We won the colt division of this race last year with Itsallcomintogetha, so I think the mile is good.

“Itsallcomintogetha last year was still growing and now he’s a pretty mature horse. I think it will be the same for this filly, she’s a little bit on the smaller side. Her mother wasn’t a real tall horse, but she did a lot of winning, including at Saratoga,” Serpe added.

In the Cupecoy’s Joy, Being Betty traveled in second position within one-length of Geopolitics before Soloshot kicked clear between the pair as the trio approached the wire.

Being Betty graduated at second asking in a six-furlong state-bred turf sprint in September at Belmont at the Big A, exiting to run fifth in the one-mile Tepin against open company there in November. She returned to the Big A as a sophomore when ninth in a 1 1/16-mile allowance in April.

Serpe said the Cupecoy’s Joy was a bounce back effort at likely not a preferred distance.

“I think she ran good, considering she was coming off kind of an off race for her first race back,” said Serpe. “I think what will help her is the added distance.”

Shea D Boy’s Stable’s stakes-winner My Shea D Lady [post 4, Javier Castellano] has been a regular face in the stallion series stakes after earning her first stakes win in the seven-furlong $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue on dirt in December. Trained by Carlos David, the Solomini dark bay was second in the Park Avenue division going 6 1/2 furlongs on the Aqueduct main track on April 14 ahead of a last-out fifth when making her grass debut in the Cupecoy’s Joy.

Gregory Hoffman, Rosemore Racing, Schwing Thoroughbreds and Elements Racing’s stakes-placed Sohana [post 2, Flavien Prat] was fifth in the Cupecoy’s Joy, missing the board for the first time of her six-race career for dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. The Solomini dark bay was making her turf debut, after a state-bred optional-claiming score at the site on May 10 when traveling seven furlongs over the muddy and sealed main track.

Previously, Sohana finished third in the Park Avenue after back-to-back seconds against older state-bred optional-claimers in the winter at the Big A. She won on debut sprinting six-furlongs on dirt in December there when a nose better than next-out winner Mel’s Baby Sister.

A new competitor to the stallion series is Mathis Stables’ maiden-winner Cap Ferrat [post 5, Manny Franco] for conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr. The New York-bred Destin bay was a pacesetting debut victress over next-out winner Vincey Girl traveling seven furlongs on May 16 at Gulfstream Park– earning a 72 Beyer Speed Figure in victory.

Rounding out the field are maiden-winners Bossy Jeans [post 10, Luis Saez] for conditioner Mike Maker, Baroness Bourbon [post 6, Dylan Davis] for trainer James Begg, and the Edmund Pringle-conditioned Amy’s Light [post 8, Julien Leparoux]; in addition to maidens Tour Jete [post 1, Jose Ortiz] for trainer Horacio De Paz and Spirit of Esther [post 7, Junior Alvarado] for conditioner Carlos Martin.

The Michelle Nevin-conditioned Starlight Dancer and the Gary Contessa-trained War Terminatrix are also-eligible.

The Statue of Liberty is slated as Race 8 on Wednesday’s nine-race card that features the Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial [Steeplechase] in Race 1. First post is 1:10 p.m.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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