Danner vies for repeat G2 Miss Grillo win with Bittersweet Memory

Trainer Kelsey Danner captured last year’s Grade 2, $250,000 Miss Grillo with Ground Support, and will have a chance to defend her title with the promising Bittersweet Memory in Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile Widener turf route for juvenile fillies at Belmont Park.

The Miss Grillo [Race 7] offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in October at Keeneland, and is one of six graded events on Saturday’s loaded 11-race program. The card also features three additional “Win and You’re In” events in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne [Juvenile] in Race 8, the Grade 2, $250,000 Pilgrim [Juvenile Turf] in Race 11 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Futurity [Juvenile Turf Sprint] in Race 10 to go with the Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette [Race 9], a Breeders’ Cup “Dirt Dozen” race that offers the top-three with entry credits to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Those events are supported by the Grade 3, $200,000 Matron in Race 6. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.

A Kentucky homebred for NBS Stable, Bittersweet Memory enters from a professional neck victory at second asking in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course.

The daughter of The Factor took the early lead under Luis Saez and hugged the hedge as she marked splits of 23.60 seconds and 49.40 over the firm footing. She was challenged by the pressing Amelia In Air rounding the far turn, but Bittersweet Memory turned back that bid while repelling new challenger Sellonthenews by a neck in a final time of 1:44.06. She earned a 72 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“She ran really well,” Danner said. “She’s always seemed like she’s two turns. She’s a little sharper now than before she ran. Phsycially, she’s always been a nice-looking filly, and she’s filled out more between her first race and her second race.”

The talented gray debuted with a stalking third behind the nose-to-nose top pair of Voyager and Correlation Trade, landing 6 1/4-lengths back going the same distance on August 1 at the Spa. Voyager exited that effort to win the Grade 1 Natalma on September 12 at Woodbine Racetrack.

Bittersweet Memory worked back once since her maiden score, covering a half-mile in 49.40 on September 11 over Saratoga’s Oklahoma turf training track before shipping down to Belmont to work the same distance in the same time over the Tapeta on September 19.

“She worked good, she’s used to breezing on the Tapeta at Turfway,” Danner said.

Out of the Twirling Candy mare Candy Floss, Bittersweet Memory’s female family descends from Reine de Course broodmare Up the Flagpole.

Manny Franco rides from post 7.

Gary Barber’s Bounce Back [post 5, Antonio Fresu] is one of two entrants for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, and will look to do just that after a solid fourth-place effort in the aforementioned Grade 1 Natalma.

There, she was slow from the gate and settled near the back of the 11-horse field, swinging nine-wide entering the stretch to show good courage with a flying late run and coming up just 1 1/2 lengths shy of victorious stablemate Voyager while headed out of show honors by Embouteillage.

"Her race in the Natalma was super,” Casse said. “She had a rough trip, and I think with a little luck, she's second. She's extremely talented and is learning.”

Though she is a maiden through two starts, Bounce Back’s 76 Beyer she earned for the Natalma effort is the third-best in the Miss Grillo field. She finished a 2 1/4-length second on debut sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs over the Woodbine turf, and a stylish graduation here would give Casse his first win in this event.

The Hard Spun bay is out of the winning Twirling Candy mare Bouncy, making her a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winning turfer Pounce.

Brad Smith’s Golden Siren [post 2, Dylan Davis] also gives Casse a strong chance here following a wire-to-wire graduation at second asking on August 21 at Saratoga. There, the daughter of Bolt d’Oro took a one-length lead early and never looked back, skipping clear to cross the wire four lengths in front in a final time of 1:43.61.

"She was awesome at Saratoga and I would expect both fillies to run well,” Casse said.

The $135,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale is out of the The Factor mare Sea Song, a half-sister to this year’s Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks-winner Niche, dual graded stakes-placed Proven Strategies and dual stakes-winner Corona Bolt.

Klaravich Stables’ Domestic Agenda [post 6, Flavien Prat] vies to provide five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown with a record-extending 10th win in this event following past triumphs with Maram [2008], Watsdachances [2012], Testa Rossi [2013], Lady Eli [2014], New Money Honey [2016], Significant Form [2017], Newspaperofrecord [2018], Selflessly [2019] and Hard to Justify [2023]. Hard to Justify, Newspaperofrecord, New Money Honey, Lady Eli and Maram all used this race as a successful springboard to a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Domestic Agenda was a half-length winner of her September 4 debut traveling 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga. She showed speed from post 7-of-8 under returning rider Flavien Prat, but settled in third one length off the pace. She angled in while exiting the second turn under a strong hand ride from Prat, but straightened up to make a sustained bid up the inside and edge Charlotte’s Beach by a half-length in a final time of 1:43.71.

"She was a little green in the second turn in her debut, but she did figure it out before the end of the race and got up in time,” Brown said of the effort that yielded a 69 Beyer. “I'd expect a forward move out of her in here."

A $290,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the American Pharoah chestnut is out of the Gun Runner mare Smuggle, a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Chess Chief.

Icon Racing Stable’s Runaway Bride [post 1, Edgard Zayas] also exits a deep-closing effort in the Grade 1 Natalma, where she finished fifth a half-length behind Bounce Back. Trained by Whit Beckman, the Charlatan chestnut graduated first up in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden in July at Saratoga, and is out of the Bayern mare American Model, a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winner American Gal.

Completing the field are debut maiden winners Sunny Bird [post 8, Chris Elliott] for trainer Keri Brion, Fiora [post 4, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for trainer Philip Antonacci and Quibbler [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche] for conditioner Riley Mott. 

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