By Jill Williams
GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Cy Fair (f, 3, Not This Time–Remarqued, by Arch) captured Saturday's GIII Coronation Cup Stakes at Saratoga, soundly beating the only two in-training fillies who have ever finished in front of her. It was something of a return to her roots, as Cy Fair was named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' on debut over this course and distance last July. What a ride she's taken her owners–Medallion Racing, Swinbank Stables LLC, Joey Platts, and Mark Stanton–on since then.
In addition to her Breeders' Cup win over colts last fall at two, which put her on the short list of finalists for Eclipse Award 2-year-old filly honors, Cy Fair also won the GIII Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs Apr. 30 and the Algonquin Stakes, also over colts, at Woodbine in October. A colt has never finished in front of her and Saturday's win ensured she's now defeated each of the fillies who has: the re-opposing Snow Face Princess (Midshipman) finished a neck in front of Cy Fair last August in the Bolton Landing Stakes, while Sapphire Beach (Ire) (No Nay Never) finished a half-length to the good in Keeneland's Apr. 10 GIII Limestone Stakes, Cy Fair's first start of 2026. The winner that day was Slay the Day (Into Mischief), who was retired earlier this week and was beaten by Cy Fair in the Mamzelle.
“I think all things equal, she is the best 3-year-old filly turf sprinter out there,” said winning trainer George Weaver of his charge. “I know it's not a big category in the [United] States, but she is a pretty special horse. We're very proud of her.”
Cy Fair broke sharply in the Coronation Cup, but it was Sapphire Beach who went to the front while Cy Fair bided her time just off the leader's flank on the inside and last-out GIII Soaring Softly third Cadenza (Charlatan) sat third. Cy Fair and Cadenza swapped spots just after Sapphire Beach recorded the :22.54 first quarter and remained there until the straight, while longshots Hark Theangelssing (Mendelssohn) and Snow Face Princess trailed and never cracked the top three. As they leveled off in the lane, Sapphire Beach clung to the lead until Cy Fair angled off the rail, accelerated effortlessly, and went right on by to win by 2 1/2 lengths in little more than a hand ride. Sapphire Beach outclassed Cadenza by another 4 3/4 lengths for second.
Purchased by Swinbank Stables for $185,000 at the 2025 OBS April 2-year-old sale, Cy Fair had originally been slated for a trip to Royal Ascot last month, but Weaver wasn't happy with the way she was training at the time. After the Coronation Cup, Weaver said Cy Fair's major end-of-season target may be the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint against older males.
He added, “I decided I wanted to be a horse trainer a long time ago, and this type of horse is the reason why. We love all our horses, and we love winning maiden $10,000, claiming races, it doesn't matter, but these good horses, they put a pep in your step. She has been really good to us.”
Pedigree Notes:
Taylor Made's 2026 leading general sire Not This Time is the sire of Cy Fair and 38 other graded winners, as well as 75 career black-type winners. Cy Fair is one of several of his runners to have shone brightly at Saratoga, including 2022 GI Travers Stakes winner Epicenter and 2024 GI Jaipur Stakes winner Cogburn, who set the course record for the Coronation Cup's 5 1/2-furlong distance in :59.80.
Out of a winning Arch mare, Cy Fair has three younger half-siblings: the 2-year-old filly Channel Crossing (Omaha Beach), who sold to Steve Young for $400,000 at Keeneland September, and a 2025 filly and a 2026 colt, both by Nyquist. The now-yearling filly was a $750,000 MWG purchase at Keeneland November. Their dam, Remarqued, was bred to Annapolis for 2027. Remarqued is a half-sister to British MG2SW & G1SP Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), who is also a MSW in the U.S., while her dam hails from the same family as champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Caledonia Road (Quality Road).
CY FAIR, last year's @BreedersCup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner, wins the Grade 3 Coronation Cup Stakes under @ljlmvel for trainer George Weaver. pic.twitter.com/Cd26YKSCu4
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) July 18, 2026
Saturday, Saratoga
CORONATION CUP S.-GIII, $218,250, Saratoga, 7-18, 3yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:01.83, yl.
1–CY FAIR, 124, f, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Remarqued, by Arch
2nd Dam: Citizen Advocate, by Proud Citizen
3rd Dam: Twilight Service, by Horse Chestnut (Saf)
'TDN Rising Star'. ($185,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-Medallion
Racing, Swinbank Stables LLC, Joey Platts and Mark Stanton;
B-Marc Keller (KY); T-George Weaver; J-John R. Velazquez.
$123,750. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-5-1-1, $1,016,005.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sapphire Beach (Ire), 122, f, 3, No Nay Never–Bright
Sapphire (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). ($85,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP;
$57,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT). O-Three Diamonds Farm; B-Mr
Charlie Brooks (IRE); T-George R. Arnold II. $45,000.
3–Cadenza, 124, f, 3, Charlatan–Maddie's Odyssey, by Kitten's
Joy. ($385,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC;
B-KMN Racing, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $27,000.
Margins: 2HF, 4 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.53, 2.28, 7.54.
Also Ran: Hark Theangelssing, Snow Face Princess. Scratched: Hot Currency, Niche, Quiet Street. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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