SARATOGA SPRINGS — Trainer Gary Sherlock and jockey Alonso Quinonez will return to California with more than just good memories of their first trip to Sar­atoga Race Course.

They’ll also head back to the West Coast with a potential champion in Intangaroo.

Given an expert ride by the young Quinonez, Intangaroo sat off a quick early pace and came running late to win the Grade I Ballerina on Sunday.

The third choice of eight at

5-1, Intangaroo ($12.20) ran seven furlongs in 1:22.18 over a fast main track. Miraculous Miss rallied late for second, 23⁄4 lengths back. Sugar Swirl, the 2-1 favorite, was third.

“I’ve never been here before this weekend,” Sherlock said. “This is fantastic, but that’s why we came. We’re not going to get on an airplane to just come all this way. This is what we had in mind. You just hope it can happen.”

The victory was the third in a Grade I race for the 4-year-old daughter of Orientate, strengthening her credentials as one of the country’s top female sprinters.

It also qualified Intangaroo for automatic entry to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Oct. 24 at Santa Anita.

“It’s a national stage,” Sherlock said. “I figured if I could win this, that’s three Grade 1’s this year, one on synthetic and two on dirt, and two of the biggest ones.

“She should be looking good for the Eclipse Award. The next race will be in the Breeders’ Cup, and I didn’t want to have to win that one to get it.”

Breaking from the rail, Quinonez, 24, took late-running Intangaroo back off the pace of :22.30 and :44.88 set by another California import, Mistical Plan.

“I was real happy with that 44,” Sherlock said. “That’s the only thing we were concered about was the pace. He just took hold of her and let her drop back, and it

actually worked out just like we drew it up.”

Quinonez swung Intangaroo six wide rounding the final turn and rapidly closed the gap down the center of the track, reeling in the frontrunners in midstretch and pulling away.

Though it was Quinonez’s first time at Saratoga, the Ballerina was his second race. He was fourth with the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Nika in the sixth race. Like Intangaroo, Nika also broke from post one.

“It was my first time here and my first win, so I am excited,”

Quinonez said. “What can I say? I just followed instructions. I was a good passenger. She just did it all.

“She relaxes pretty good when she is in behind horses. When she’s not, she wants to go, so I just kept her behind horses, and she was perfect. When we turned for home, we angled to the outside and took off.”

Owned by Tom Grether Farm, Intangaroo is now 5-for-6 this year. She won the Grade I Santa Monica Handicap on Santa Anita’s synthetic surface in February, and the Grade I Humana Distaff by a neck over Baroness Thatcher over the Churchill Downs dirt on Kentucky Derby day.

“She gets no respect. Maybe now she’ll have some respect,” Sherlock said. “She gets it from us. We never lost confidence in her. We know how good she is.”

So does trainer Steve Klesaris, who has both Baroness Thatcher and Miraculous Miss, who ran second in her second consecutive Grade I race.

“ ‘Miss’ always shows up,”

Klesaris said. “Intangaroo is a good filly. She beat us at Churchill; she’s tough. This was another Grade I race, and everyone came with their running shoes on.”