Test Of Faith, last year's New York Sire Stakes champion among two-year-old pacing fillies, made her 2021 debut a winning one in Wednesday's (June 2) New York Sire Stakes season opener at Saratoga Casino Hotel, scoring in 1:52.1 as the 1-9 favourite.
David Miller wasted little time putting the daughter of Art Major and Cannae Cammie on the front in her $50,400 Sire Stakes division, and the superstar filly took it from there, missing the all-time track record for sophomore pacing fillies by just a fifth of a second. Test Of Faith, who earned exactly $500,000 last season while winning eight of her nine starts, is poised for another sensational season for trainer Brett Pelling and the partnership of Melvin Segal, Eddie Gran and the Kentuckiana Racing Stable.
Heart Of Mine, runner-up to Test Of Faith in last year's Sire Stakes final, rallied from the pocket to win her division in 1:54.3. Scott Zeron piloted the Linda Toscano-trained daughter of Roll With Joe and Acquavella to her fourth win in as many starts this season for owners Fred Wallace, Bay's Stable, Radio Racing Stable and Camelot Stable.
Jessica Okusko trainee Purameri sprang a 13-1 upset in her division, parlaying a pocket ride to a 1:56.2 victory with Wally Hennessey — a five-time winner on the card — at the controls for the Purple Haze Stables.
Blue Me A Kiss took top honours among three $15,000 Excelsior 'A' divisions, recording a 1:54.3 win in line to Matt Kakaley. Jeff Byron trains the daughter of Heston Blue Chip for Brydown Farms Inc. of Ontario. So Amazing (1:55, Jason Bartlett) and Delightful Z Tam (1:56.2, Pat Lachance) captured the other splits.
Live racing at Saratoga resumes on Monday afternoon (June 7) with first post set for 12 noon.
(with files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)