You can spend a million dollars on a young Thoroughbred at a sale and wind up with a handful of fruitless starts.
Meanwhile, Napoleon Solo was bought for $40,000 and won the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) for his original owner.
Another $40,000 buy could become a black-type earner July 3 on opening day of the 46-day Saratoga Race Course meet as Luminous Beauty tries to follow up an impressive maiden win at the Spa in the $200,000 Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Provided, of course, that Mother Nature and the expected brutally hot temperatures cooperate.
Trained by Triple Crown winner Jena Antonucci, the daughter of Flameaway was bought for a bargain price last year at The July Sale at Fasig-Tipton from the Gainesway consignment by the HorseOlogy partnership formed by Antonucci and Katie Miranda.
Owned by HorseOlogy, Fred Rosen, Steve Dervenis, and Cliff Racing, she was a good second in her debut at Churchill Downs to the Mark Casse-trained Pierette, who won the Debutante Stakes in her next start.
Bred by Debby Oxley out of the Into Mischief mare Sly Beauty, Luminous Beauty took a big step forward June 4 when she registered a dominant 6 1/4-length maiden win, leading through a half-mile in :44.88 and covering 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.34.
She faces seven Schuylerville rivals, none of whom have stakes experience on the dirt.
"I hope she keeps making us look smart," Antonucci said.
She worked 5 furlongs in :59.46 June 24 over the Spa's main track, and Eclipse Award-winning rider Flavien Prat will return in the saddle.
"It was good to see her come out of the race well, so we don't have to worry about the 'B' word," Antonucci said, referring to the dreaded "bounce" after a big effort.
Among the threats are Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe, and John Cilia's Washton, a Mitole filly who won her debut for trainer Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs, and D J Stable's Voyager, a Justify filly who closed for second in her 5 1/2-furlong debut for Casse and may benefit from the added distance.
Saratoga Race Course, Friday, July 3, 2026, Race 9Entries: Schuylerville S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Voyager (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Mark E. Casse 7/2 2 2Prime Aurora (NY) John R. Velazquez 122 Abraham Gardea 9/2 3 3Pot's Right (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 122 Philip Antonacci 12/1 4 4Madeleine Swann (KY) Javier Castellano 122 Jorge Delgado 8/1 5 5Washton (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Steven M. Asmussen 4/1 6 6Harper's Corner (KY) Paco Lopez 122 Cathal A. Lynch 6/1 7 7Costa Linda (MD) Xavier Perez 122 John J. Robb 10/1 8 8Luminous Beauty (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Jena M. Antonucci 3/1
Supporting Stakes Action
The 11-race opening day card also features two ungraded turf stakes for 3-year-old non-stakes winners, the Wild Applause Stakes and Saranac Stakes.
The $150,000 Saranac at 1 1/16 miles attracted a field of 12 entrants, including West Paces Racing, Rainbow's End Racing Stable, and Michael Lyden's Glavine, fourth in the June Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T) for trainer Tom Morley,
The restricted stakes field also includes Steven Duncker, St. Elias Stable, Susan Karches, and Vicarage Stable's Teddy's Rocket, a Liam's Map colt who was second in the Summer Stakes (G1T) last year for trainer Miguel Clement, and Newtown Anner Stud Farm and LNJ Foxwoods' Siyouincanada, a Siyouni colt who was a sharp debut winner at Churchill Downs for trainer Joe Sharp.
Saratoga Race Course, Friday, July 3, 2026, Race 10Entries: Saranac S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Siyouincanada (FR) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Joe Sharp 9/2 2 2Heeere's Johnny (KY) Dylan Davis 120 Raymond Handal 20/1 3 3Go Grey (KY) Paco Lopez 122 Michael J. Trombetta 12/1 4 4Teddy's Rocket (KY) Manuel Franco 120 Miguel Clement 8/1 5 5Tiz Trouble (FL) Junior Alvarado 120 Lisa L. Lewis 20/1 6 6My Favorite Bird (FL) Tyler Gaffalione 120 J. Kent Sweezey 20/1 7 7Glavine (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Thomas Morley 4/1 8 8Print (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 Robert Ribaudo 20/1 9 9Blinging It Back (KY) Edgard J. Zayas 120 Mark E. Casse 12/1 10 10Zeppelin (KY) Jose Lezcano 120 George R. Arnold II 10/1 11 11Arizona Territory (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Chad C. Brown 5/2 12 12A Little At First (NY) Javier Castellano 122 Horacio De Paz 15/1 13 13Gulfy (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 122 Gustavo Rodriguez 3/1
The mile $150,000 Wild Applause wound up with 11 3-year-old fillies, topped by Marc Dobbin's Smexy. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the Mehmas filly was third in the May 29 Penn Oaks.
Also on hand will be Spa allowance winner Pillar of Beauty, a Caracaro filly stretching out for trainer Bill Mott and owners West Point Thoroughbreds and William Sandbrook; Gold Square's Charlatan filly I Love Giraffes, who won a Laurel Park allowance test for trainer Chad Summers; and Go Go Grey Stable's Lovely Grey, who returns to turf after finishing 12th in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Saratoga Race Course, Friday, July 3, 2026, Race 8Entries: Wild Applause S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Scratch It (KY) Manuel Franco 122 Brad H. Cox 12/1 2 2Paris Carver (KY) Javier Castellano 120 Jorge Delgado 12/1 3 3Alone Time (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Cherie DeVaux 20/1 4 4Candy Moonshine (KY) Jaime Rodriguez 120 Michael E. Gorham 15/1 5 5Faye's Gold (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 122 Grant T. Forster 20/1 6 6Smexy (IRE) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Brendan P. Walsh 7/2 7 7To a Flame (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 George R. Arnold II 9/2 8 8Lovely Grey (KY) Dylan Davis 120 Kelsey Danner 4/1 9 9I Love Giraffes (KY) Paco Lopez 122 Chad Summers 6/1 10 10Code (KY) Flavien Prat 120 Steven Hampson 5/1 11 11Pillar of Beauty (KY) Junior Alvarado 122 William I. Mott 8/1
