Venetta powers to Bouwerie Stakes win at Saratoga

Venetta did more than win the Bouwerie Stakes. She looked like a filly who may be outgrowing state-bred company right in front of Saratoga.

The Danny Gargan trainee swept past a pressured pace and drew off by 1 1/4 lengths in the 7-furlong, $200,000-guaranteed stakes for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies on June 3, stopping the clock in 1:22.63 over a fast track. Hot Currency was second and Galinda held third, but the shape of the race mattered as much as the order of finish. Hot Currency and Galinda hooked up through an opening half-mile in 45.40 seconds, and Kendrick Carmouche had Venetta sitting just behind that battle before angling wide and running them down late.

That is the kind of win that gets a filly noticed in the state-bred program. Venetta is still early in her career, with just three starts, but she now owns two wins and a second while pushing her 2026 earnings to $169,000. Before this race, her Equibase profile showed $59,000 in earnings for the year, which shows how quickly a good New York-bred can change class lines with one sharp performance at Saratoga. She paid $10.62 to win, and the modest exotics, including a $15.04 exacta and $21.79 trifecta, suggested the race was honest enough to sort out the right horses without turning chaotic.

The pedigree also helps explain why this might not be Venetta’s ceiling. She is by Yaupon out of Gypsy Angel, by Silver Train, and Yaupon was a Grade 1-winning sprinter who went 6-for-8 and earned $703,264 in North America and the UAE. That kind of bloodline usually screams speed, but Venetta just proved she can carry it seven furlongs against live pace at Saratoga, which opens the door to bigger targets if Gargan decides to stretch her further or keep mining these New York-bred spots.

For Sequel Racing and Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC, the Bouwerie was exactly the sort of return state-bred racing is supposed to deliver: a well-placed filly, a sharp ride from Carmouche, and a result that turns a useful prospect into a horse Saratoga fans will want to track through the meet. The official chart also noted that Lasix was not allowed within 48 hours of post time under HISA Rule 4212, a reminder that Venetta handled this test under standard conditions. She did not just win a stakes race. She took a step toward becoming a name.