Impressive maiden winner Senza Parole returns in Frizette

Photo:

Jason Moran / Eclipse Sportswire

Senza Parole is set for her highly anticipated second start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette, a one-mile test for juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

The Frizette offers a win-and-you’re-in berth for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. The Frizette also offers the top five finishers 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points toward the 2025 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Gun Runner chestnut made one of the most impressive debuts of the Saratoga summer meet, winning a six-furlong sprint by 7 3/4 lengths over next-out open-lengths winner Stunner on Aug. 23.

There, Senza Parole bumped with a rival at the start but showed speed before being taken back to travel in third position early under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. She took over nearing the half-mile call and cruised to a much-the-best victory under a hand ride in a final time of 1:09.84. The performance was awarded a 94 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form. It was the second highest debut number for a 2-year-old of the year, behind a 96 for $1.3 million colt Ferocious.

“She was very impressive,” Brown said. “We were cautiously optimistic that she would put in a good performance first time out and run to her works, but you never know, especially at Saratoga.”

Senza Parole has breezed back four times since the win, most recently covering a half-mile in 48.20 seconds on Sept. 28 on Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track, ranking second of 140 workers at the distance.

“She’s good. She had another good work and she’s been a brilliantly fast horse, so we’ll test her stretching out,” Brown said.

Graded stakes winner The Queens M G won the Adirondack (G3) and listed Schuylerville during the summer at the Spa but most recently was a distant fifth in the Spinaway (G1) on Aug. 31 there.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., the Thousand Words dark bay put a head in front at the half-mile call of the seven-furlong Spinaway before weakening over the muddy and sealed footing.

Joseph also will saddle Paradise City, who won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden on debut by one length Sept. 6 at Gulfstream Park.

Another Cleeshay was a dominant winner in her lone start to date Aug. 30 at Saratoga. Trained by Gary Contessa, the Volatile chestnut tossed her head at the break but was able to recover and set the pace in the 6 1/2-furlong restricted maiden race, drawing off to win by 9 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:18.34.

“She was throttled down and extending her lead at the wire, and that was 6 1/2 furlongs, not six, so she definitely acts like she will run all day,” Contessa said. “I do not think the distance will be a problem. I like to take a shot.”

Another Cleeshay received a 69 Beyer in victory and almost certainly will have to improve from a numbers standpoint, but Contessa was quick to remind horseplayers of when he saddled 2-year-old Nutella Fella to a 54-1 upset in last summer’s Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga.

“I think this is a very logical spot to take a chance. I don’t really care what the handicappers think. Let’s not forget we won the Hopeful and paid $111 last year,” said Contessa. “She’s training with enthusiasm, she’s run one time and she overcame a bad start to win by open lengths, so this makes a lot of sense to me and I’d like nothing more than to be at Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup.”

Social Fortress dominated the one-mile Sorority with a gate-to-wire seven-length score Aug. 24 at Monmouth Park. Trained by Jamie Ness, the Social Inclusion dark bay won on debut in similar fashion, drawing off to an 11-length victory sprinting five furlongs off the turf July 13 at Delaware Park.

Social Fortress completed her pre-race preparations with a half-mile bullet work in 47.80 seconds on Sunday at Delaware Park, fastest of 26 workers at the distance.

“She’s coming off of two wins, including the Sorority, and this was a race that was kind of on our radar the whole time. She has worked well, had a good workout this morning at Delaware so we are going to come up and take a shot,” Ness said. “She’s proven she can go two turns, this is a one-turn mile, but it proves that the distance I don’t think is an issue for her.”