SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Trainer Tim Hamm’s Dayoutoftheoffice took command at the top of the stretch and strode home powerfully to pull the 19/1 upset in Thursday’s $100,000 Schuylerville Stakes (G3) at Saratoga.
With Junior Alvarado aboard, Dayoutoftheoffice broke inwardly from post 7 and bumped into Queen Arella before straightening out and tracking four-deep down the backstretch. Make Mischief was hustled from the rail and set the early pace while Hara applied pressure to her outside.
Sent three-wide through the turn, Dayoutoftheoffice gained ground on the front-runners and met their eyes near the top of the stretch. Given the green light, Dayoutoftheoffice kicked clear and crossed 6 lengths the best in a final time of 1:10.43 for the 6-furlong fast main track sprint.
“We knew there would be a lot of speed, but I thought if we could be third or fourth early, we’d have a big chance,” Hamm said. “When I saw her coming into the turn laying third, I thought we had a shot. We got the trip we were hoping to get. In the paddock, (Alvarado) said to me, ‘Into the turn, if you could pick a spot for me to be, where would that be?’ I said, ‘Third, right outside the speed.’ When I saw him laying there, I said, ‘Wow, we’re still alive.'”
While unable to keep pace with the runaway victor, Make Mischief held second by 1 length over the 5/2 second choice Hopeful Princess, making her first start since being privately purchased and transferred to the Steve Asmussen barn.
Hara, Queen Arella, and Quinoa Tifah completed the order of finish. Sunny Isle Beach was scratched.
The 1/2 favorite Beautiful Memories was pulled up midway through the far turn when jockey Jose Ortiz felt that something was amiss, but other than a small cut on her right front, she returned to the barn in good order.
“She stumbled out of the gate and was traveling okay, but she was getting a lot of dirt in her face,” Ortiz said. “Going into the turn, she switched leads and I noticed she wasn’t traveling well, so I decided to take care of her. It was a tough decision to make. She had a small cut on her right front. I don’t think it’s serious.”
Dayoutoftheoffice’s win followed her maiden-breaking debut while going 4 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park on May 14. The Into Mischief juvenile filly was bred by Siena Farm, who co-owns along with Hamm.
“Last time, in the first 1/16 of a mile, it took her a little bit to get going, so my goal today was to get a good position,” Alvarado said. “I knew she would handle the distance fine today. She broke good and put me in a good spot and I was for sure a smiling person the whole way around. I knew what I had under me and she responded very well when I asked her turning for home.”
Dayoutoftheoffice returned $41.60 to win, $14.60 to place, and $7.80 to show. Make Mischief brought back $11.60 to place and $7 to show, while Hopeful Princess paid $4 to show.
