For Goodness Sakes, right, overtakes Swoop to win Fair Hill's Iris Ann Coggins Stakes. (Tod Marks photo)
For Goodness Sakes and Sarah Joyce, who traded victories in the spring’s two major stakes races for fillies and mares, will square off Thursday in Saratoga Race Course’s $75,000 Mrs. Ogden Phipps.
Limited to fillies and mares, the 2 1/16-mile Mrs. Phipps will be Saratoga’s first race, with a 1 p.m. post time.
The Fields Stable’s Sarah Joyce struck first, winning the Iroquois Steeplechase’s Margaret Currey Henley Stakes on May 13. Amy Taylor Rowe’s For Goodness Sakes made her U.S. debut in the Henley and finished fifth, beaten more than 12 lengths.
Two weeks later at the Fair Hill Races in Maryland, For Goodness Sakes scored an emotional victory in the Iris Coggins Memorial for fillies and mares. Paddy Young, the five-time champion jockey, was listed as the trainer of For Goodness Sakes after suffering a serious injury at the Radnor Hunt Races a week earlier.
Sarah Joyce, the even-money favorite in the Coggins Memorial, finished fourth after leading to the top of Fair Hill’s homestretch. Jack Doyle again will ride Sarah Joyce for trainer Elizabeth Voss.
Leslie Young, who has resumed training For Goodness Sakes, will have the services of Sean McDermott, currently the leading jockey by purse earnings. The veteran Irish jockey will have his first ride on the five-year-old Yeats mare.
Voss also will saddle Swoop for her mother, owner-breeder Mimi Voss. A maiden over fences, Swoop finished second in the Coggins Memorial, beaten 2 3/4 lengths by For Goodness Sakes after leading at the last. Bernie Dalton has the mount.
Henley competitors heading into the Mrs. Phipps are Gil Johnston’s Amnicalola, who was fourth in Nashville for trainer Jack Fisher, and Jacqueline Ohrstrom’s Lady Yeats, who lost her rider at the last.
Forest Boyce, who rode Amnicalola to a Laurel Park flat win on June 30, has the mount for Fisher, and Shane Crimin returns aboard Lady Yeats for trainer Richard Valentine.
Here is the field for the Mrs. Ogden Phipps in post-position order. The horses’ National Steeplechase Association ratings are in parentheses at the end of their profiles. Maidens are not rated.
Wigwam Baby. 2011 b. f., Langfuhr—Tepee Tot, by Waquoit. Owner: Bill Pape. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Jockey: Darren Nagle. Breeders: Bill Pape and Jonathan Sheppard (Pa.) 2017 NSA record: No starts. 2016 record: 2-1-0-0, $16,500. Making first start over fences since May 2016. Opened 2016 with win in Atlanta allowance hurdle for fillies and mares, then was sixth in Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois Steeplechase. Three-time winner on flat scored first jumps win against tough allowance field at Montpelier in 2015. (109)
Swoop. 2010 b. m., Louis Quatorze—Admonish, by Caveat. Owner: Mimi Voss. Trainer: Elizabeth Voss. Jockey: Bernie Dalton. Breeder: Mimi Voss (Md.) 2017 NSA record: 2-0-1-0, $1,000. Faded late to finish second in Fair Hill’s 2017 Iris Coggins Memorial after leading at the last. Allowance winner on the flat finished fourth in her jumps debut at the 2017 Radnor meet. (No rating.)
Lady Yeats (GB). 2011 . m., Yeats (Ire)—Oblique (Ire), by Giant’s Causeway. Owner: Jacqueline Ohrstrom. Trainer: Richard Valentine. Jockey: Shane Crimin. Breeder: Biddestone Stud (GB). 2017 record: 1-0-0-0, $0. 2016 NSA record: 2-0-0-1, $3,000. Lost rider in 2017 Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois Steeplechase. Finished third in Colonial Cup’s 2016 Springdale Stakes after eighth in Peapack Stakes at Far Hills, N.J. Had a successful run in England for trainer George Moore. Won an allowance hurdle at Catterick Bridge to open her 2016 season. (115)
Amnicalola. 2013 b. f., Arch—Copelan’s Angel, by Copelan. Owner: Gil Johnston. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Forest Boyce. Breeder: Christiana Stables LLC (Ky.). 2017 NSA record: 3-0-2-0, $9,700. Finished fourth in Margaret Currey Henley Stakes at 2017 Iroquois after seconds in maiden hurdles for fillies and mares at the Atlanta Steeplechase and Carolina Cup. Prepped with win in open Laurel turf allowance. (No rating)
Fall Colors. 2010 ch. m., Northern Spur (Ire)—Leaves of Autumn, by Expelled. Owner: S. Bruce Smart Jr. Trainer: Jimmy Day. Jockey: Keri Brion. Breeder: Mr. and Mrs. S. Bruce Smart Jr. (Va.) 2017 NSA record: 2-0-1-0, $1,925. 2016 record: No starts. Finished second in Fair Hill open allowance hurdle after tiring and being pulled up in High Hope handicap hurdle. Won maiden victory at Foxfield Spring in 2015 and finished fourth in the Iroquois Steeplechase’s Margaret Currey Henley before missing 2016 season. (106)
For Goodness Sake (Ire). 2012 b. m., Yeats (Ire) —Muschana, by Deploy. Owner: Amy Taylor Rowe. Trainer: Leslie Young. Jockey: Sean McDermott. Breeder: Aylesfield Farms Stud (Ire). 2017 NSA record: 2-1-0-0, $32,000. 2016 NSA record: No starts. Won Fair Hill’s 2017 Iris Coggins Memorial with Paddy Young, seriously hurt a week earlier, listed as trainer. Ran fifth in Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois Steeplechase, her U.S. debut. Maiden hurdle winner in England was competitive over fences and on flat while trained by Warren Greatrex. (119)
Amazing Anthem. 2011 dk. b. or br. m., National Anthem (GB)—Amazing Truth, by Proud Truth. Owner: Welcome Here Farm. Trainer: Elizabeth Merryman. Jockey: Michael Mitchell. Breeder: Nina Gardner (Pa.) 2017 NSA record: 2-1-1-0, $15,500. Won 2017 Radnor maiden hurdle for fillies and mares after second against other females at Foxfield Spring. Had two wins on the flat, most recently against Pennsylvania-bred females last year at $15,000 claiming level. (107)
Sarah Joyce (Ire). 2012 b. f., The Carbon Unit—The Real Thing, by Traditionally. Owner: The Fields Stable. Trainer: Elizabeth Voss. Jockey: Jack Doyle. Breeder: Thistle Bloodstock (Ire). 2017 record: 3-2-0-0, $47,500. 2016 NSA record: 3-0-1-0, $6,000. Impressive winner of 2017 Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois Steeplechase, then fourth as even-money favorite in Fair Hill’s Irish Coggins Memorial. Won 2017 debut in Queen’s Cup ratings handicap. (119)