Dorth Vader Works For Personal Ensign, Pop Idol ‘Well’ After Galway Win originally appeared on Paulick Report.

R.A. Hill Stable and trainer George Weaver’s Pop Idol received a career-high 87 Beyer Speed Figure for her wire-to-wire victory in Thursday’s Listed $150,000 Galway, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

The daughter of Maclean’s Music was one of four entrants for Weaver and led each step of the way under Hall of Famer John Velazquez to notch her second stakes score in her first effort off a more than eight-month layoff dating to a win in Woodbine Racetrack’s Shady Well in November.

“She came back well,” Weaver said. “I had four fillies in the race, and I felt like they were all doing well and had a chance to win. She popped out of there and showed some speed. She got the most uncomplicated trip and got the job done. Johnny did a great job with her.”

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Weaver said he was not surprised the talented filly showed up with a big effort off the bench.

“My other fillies all kind of had troubled trips and cost them a chance to win or hit the board, but anyways, it would not have surprised me if any of those fillies won – Pop Idol either,” Weaver said. “She was doing well; she already put together a nice resume last year and is a legit, nice horse who already won a stakes race. It wasn’t a surprise.”

Weaver added that each of his Galway contenders emerged well from the effort, and that no immediate plans have been made for Pop Idol.

A $150,000 purchase at last year’s Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale, Pop Idol is out of the Grade 3-winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Unspurned. She returned $37.60 on a $2 win bet at odds of 17-1.

On Friday, Weaver sent out two G1-winning mares to breeze at the Oklahoma training track, beginning with Dorth Vader, who covered a half-mile in 49.50 seconds over the dirt. The daughter of Girvin won the G1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford on June 6 here, and was last seen finishing a prominent fourth in the G3 Molly Pitcher on July 19 at Monmouth Park.

Weaver said the Florida homebred for John Ropes is targeting the G1, $500,000 Personal Ensign on Aug. 23 here, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Del Mar. Dorth Vader already secured a berth in the Breeders’ Cup with her Ogden Phipps win.

“She had a nice half in 49 and change, and we were happy with her,” Weaver said. “We’ll run in the Personal Ensign if things continue going how they are now.”

Later in the morning, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher Dunn, and Anthony Spinazzola’s Sacred Wish took to the Oklahoma’s turf training track to breeze a half-mile in 50 and 1/5 seconds, according to NYRA clockers.

The dark bay Not This Time 5-year-old won the G1 Matriarch in December at Del Mar ahead of a neck second to Be Your Best in the G2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park. Her latest effort was a neck second to Segesta in the G3 Matchmaker on July 19 at Monmouth.

“She worked well and she did what we wanted her to do,” Weaver said. “She’s going to Kentucky Downs.”

Kentucky Downs offers the G3, $2 million Ladies Turf for fillies and mares 3-year-old and up going one mile on Aug. 30.

This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.