'TDN Rising Star' Guarana (Ghostzapper) looks to stretch her speed around two turns and nine panels as she looms the one to reel in in Sunday's GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. The Three Chimneys homebred thrashed sprinting maidens in the Keeneland slop Apr. 19 to the tune of 14 3/4 lengths. Favored off just that debut over GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Serengeti Empress (Alternation) in the one-turn-mile GI Acorn S. at Belmont June 8, the Chad Brown pupil put six lengths on that formidable foe in the stretch under Jose Ortiz, who had ridden both fillies in their prior outings.
Should Guarana falter, Point of Honor (Curlin) boasts the lone 1 1/8-mile win on her record, having annexed the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. last out May 17. She opened her account two-for-two, including a win in Tampa's Suncoast S. in February, but was a somewhat disappointing fourth behind Champagne Anyone (Street Sense) and Guarana's stablemate and recent GII Mother Goose S. romper Dunbar Road (Quality Road) in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 30.
Brought along in typically patient, progressive fashion by Ian Wilkes, Champagne Anyone seemed to put it all together in the Gulfstream Oaks. She was far from disgraced when fourth from far back after a rough start in the Kentucky Oaks, and got a feel for the Saratoga main track with a 1:00 1/5 (3/29) spin Saturday.
“She's training well and I'm happy with her,” Wilkes said. “I freshened her up, backed off a bit and just was trying to get her ready for this race.”
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