Samborella Wins Seeking the Ante

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Jockey Luis Saez rode four winners Friday, including three in stakes events, as New York-breds took center stage at Saratoga Race Course for New York Showcase Day, as part of a 12-race card containing six stakes for state-breds worth a combined $900,000.

Saez started the stakes action off with a gate-to-wire 2 1/4-length victory aboard Samborella in the seventh running of the Seeking the Ante for juvenile fillies in the opening race.

The Jeremiah Englehart trainee led the six-horse field through fractions of 21.65 seconds for the opening 1/4-mile, the 1/2 in 44.40, and 3/4 in 1:09.49 on the fast main track.

Drawing away in the stretch under jockey Luis Saez, Samborella completed the 6 1/2-furlong main track sprint in 1:16.45, outkicking runner-up and 9/5 favorite Make Mischief.

After running third in her debut on July 24 at Saratoga, Samborella went off at 5/2 and returned $7.90 on a $2 win wager. The daughter of Outwork, bred by WinStar Farm, was owned by It’s All About the Girls, Gold Square, Paul Braverman, Fortune Farm and Harlow Stables.

Saez notched a pair of stakes wins for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, including with Samborella in the Seeking the Ante.

“I’m so blessed and thankful for the trainers and owners who give me these opportunities,” said Saez. “The horses have been running pretty good.”