Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

Trainer Will Phipps thought he had a good one in his barn with Fancy Point and she proved him right when the 2-year-old daughter of Point Given led from start to finish in the P.G. Johnson Stakes on the inner turf course Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.

“We’re very lucky people. We’re honored to have a horse for the Steinbrenners – this one is for the big guy. We felt pretty bullish coming into the race. She comes from a very classy family and she took to the lawn the way we thought she would,” Phipps said.

Fancy Point, under jockey Javier Castellano, was away in good order and responded kindly to Castellano’s rating tactics during the run down the homestretch the first time. She spurted off to an easy lead before completing the half-mile in 48.29. Pleine Forme was three lengths back in second at this point and Lauren Byrd was another half-length back in third.

“She looked like she was on her toes today; very sharp. She set up beautifully in the gate. As soon as they opened the gate, she broke like a shot. BOOM! She got the first jump. I tried to settle her a little bit and I was wishing somebody else could go in the lead just to keep track, but she just galloped along,” Castellano said.
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Will Phipps
Fancy Point gets a bath at the barn of Will Phipps after winning the P.G. Johnson on Wesdnesday at Saratoga.
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Fancy Point continued to gallop along to the three-eighths pole in 1:12.90 and Pleine Forme moved to within a half-length and applied pressure to the leader rounding the second turn.

After feeling Pleine Forme’s pressure at the quarter-pole, Fancy Point shook free entering the stretch and had her three-length lead back. Castellano kept her busy nearing the eighth-pole.

“At the eighth-pole, turning for home, it looked like some horses on the outside were going to go by. But, when I asked her a little bit, she gave it to me and took off again,” Castellano said.

Fancy Point held off a late charge by Kathmanblu and won the mile-and-a-sixteenth race by one-and-a-half-lengths in 1:42.78. Pleine Forme held for third and Lauren Byrd filled out the superfecta.

A happy Phipps said he was only sure of the win after Fancy Point crossed under the wire. “You never know. All sorts of things can happen. My palms were sweaty and I started getting excited inside the sixteenth-pole,” Phipps said.

The trainer was asked if he was worried about the filly’s antics before the race when she balked a little on loading into the gate. “She was on her toes in the paddock, but she’s schooled with this gate crew and they know her, so I wasn’t worried,” he said.

Phipps also was asked if it was the intention to send her to the lead out of the gate. “You don’t need to tell Javier (Castellano) much. He was to judge the pace and ride with confidence. And get the best trip,” Phipps said.

Future plans for Fancy Point are undecided. “We’ll take her home and see how she comes out of the race before we make any decision. It will be a group decision. I’ll talk with Jessica Steinbrenner (Kinsman Stable) and decide what is best for her,” he said.

This was Fancy Point’s second race and her maiden breaker. She was sent off as the third choice in betting after finishing fourth in a six-furlong dirt try on Aug. 1 at Saratoga. In that race she was bumped at the start and blocked at the quarter-pole.

Fancy Point is out of the Rahy mare Fancy Clancy and her distaff family is full of turf stars. She is a half sister to stakes placed Powerchord. Her dam is a half sister to the Grade 1 winning sire Joyeux Dancer, his stakes winning full brother Fabuleux Dancer, and their full sister Danseur Fabuleux, the dam of European Champion, Arazi and his Group 1 winning half brother Noverre. Fancy Clancy also is a half sister to Grade 3 winner Doubles Partner, grand dam of Group 1 winner Eagles Cafe and his multiple Grade 1 winning half sister Let.

The winner paid $9.70, $5.50 and $4.60. The exacta was worth $139 and the trifecta paid $694. The superfecta returned $2,838.