Month: June 2023

Grade 1 Preakness winner National Treasure and Winchell Thoroughbreds' Kentucky homebred Red Route One put together their final serious preparations for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes with breezes Monday over the Belmont Park main track.

Under sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s, National Treasure was amongst the first horses to visit the track following the renovation break. With exercise rider Erick Garcia aboard, the son of Quality Road went five furlongs in 59.55 seconds over the fast main track before galloping out six furlongs in 1:11.20 and seven furlongs in 1:25.20.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, National Treasure has now worked twice over Big Sandy after breezing a half-mile in 50.62 seconds on May 30.

Baffert's chief assistant Jimmy Barnes was on hand for the work and expressed satisfaction with the move.

“He worked very well this morning,” Barnes said. “It's a big track and you can find yourself lost out there. Erick did an excellent job working him and now we're just waiting for the race.”

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan, National Treasure was fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby prior to his Preakness conquest.

A debut maiden winner in September at Del Mar, National Treasure finished a respective second and third in the American Pharoah at Santa Anita and Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland – both Grade 1 events. He was a $500,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and is out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Treasure.

Red Route One posted a half-mile work in 50.20 seconds Monday over Belmont Park's dirt training track.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the chestnut son of Gun Runner stepped onto the track just after the first renovation break and was walked down part of the stretch before turning back the other way and making his way to the backstretch to begin his exercise. He completed the work under sunny skies with temperatures in the low 60s.

“I thought he went beautiful,” said Toby Sheets, Asmussen's Belmont-based assistant. “It was nice and fluid and he came back with good energy. I'm very happy with him. We wanted to be out on the track before it got really busy.”

It was the second work Red Route One has posted at Belmont since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Preakness on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course. He logged a similar half-mile breeze in 50.85 over the Belmont main track on May 29.

Sheets said he has been pleased with the way Red Route One has come along over the past two weeks.

“He's doing everything right and I have no complaints,” Sheets said.

In the Preakness, Red Route One rated in sixth, six lengths off the moderate pace set by returning rival National Treasure and improved to fourth position by the three-quarters call, but could not reel in the runaway pair of Blazing Sevens and National Treasure as they battled down the stretch to the wire. Red Route One finished 4 3/4 lengths back of the victorious National Treasure, who completed the 1 3/16 miles in a final time of 1:55.12.

Red Route One entered the Preakness from a narrow victory over fellow Belmont Stakes hopeful Tapit Shoes in the nine-furlong Bath House Row on April 22 at Oaklawn Park. He finished second in both the Grade 3 Southwest and Grade 2 Rebel earlier this year at the Hot Springs oval and earned a Grade 1 placing when third in the Breeders' Futurity in October at Keeneland.

The post Belmont Stakes: National Treasure, Red Route One Both Breeze Monday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

It might not be quite as longstanding of a tradition as white carnations adorning the Belmont Stakes winner, but the weekend of the final jewel of the Triple Crown has consistently seen trainer Chad Brown enter formidable contenders to the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game, at Belmont Park.

After saddling five winners in the race's previous six editions, Brown will send out Peter Brant's In Italian and Speak of the Devil in Friday's 30th running of the one-mile Widener turf contest for older fillies and mares on the eve of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

The Just a Game, named in honor of Brant's 1980 American Champion Female Turf Horse, is one of five graded stakes on Friday's 11-race card, joining the Grade 1, $600,000 New York for older fillies and mares going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf; the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. for sophomore fillies competing at 1 1/16 miles on the main track; the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup for 4-year-olds and up going a marathon two miles on the Widener turf; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental for older fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs on the inner turf.

Brown, who shares the record of five Just a Game wins with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, won last year's edition with Regal Glory en route to honors as Champion Female Turf Horse.

He will send out four-time graded stakes-winner In Italian, who commenced her 5-year-old campaign the same way she tore through her 2022 year by posting a three-length victory in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley going 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland turf in April.

“She looks good. She's at her best right now. We've been down this road before with a top horse like her,” Brown said.

The British-bred daughter of Dubawi has registered triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in four consecutive starts, encompassing Grade 1 wins last year in the Diana at Saratoga Race Course and the First Lady at Keeneland, the latter earning a 104 figure that was matched for her runner-up effort to Tuesday by one length in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at the same Keeneland track to close her year.

Brown said he appreciates Brant's decision to bring back In Italian for a 2023 campaign.

“Peter loves running his horses and if they're sound and healthy, he'll run his mares through age five,” Brown said.

In Italian has finished on the board in all 10 starts, compiling a 6-3-1 record with a field-high $1.635 million in earnings. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will have the call from post 1.

Brant also owns Speak of the Devil, who ran fourth in last year's running of the prestigious race at Belmont. The French-bred mare did not race again in 2022 following the Just a Game but started her 6-year-old year with a fifth-place effort in the Grade 3 Honey Fox in March at Gulfstream Park before earning black type with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in May.

Brown said Speak of the Devil would appreciate a bit of moisture in the ground Friday after racing on firm footing in Kentucky.

“She seems to be a little bit sensitive for her ground, so if it comes up a little soft with a little more give, she'll be more effective. Most of my horses didn't handle the Churchill ground,” Brown said.

Flavien Prat will be in the irons from post 5.

Gainesway Stable's New York homebred Spendarella outkicked Speak of the Devil by one length for second in the Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill and will have a rematch in making her Empire State debut for trainer Graham Motion.

After some weather-related challenges postponed Spendarella's 2023 bow, the 4-year-old daughter of Karakontie was able to get back on track and was bested by winner Fluffy Socks by one length, earning a personal-best 95 Beyer while moving to 4-2-0 in six career starts.

Motion said she ran well enough to win but was happy she progressed from her impressive workouts following a layoff of more than eight months since suffering a slight setback last fall.

“I thought she was very tenacious. It's tough to come back from that kind of a layoff against that kind of company,” Motion said. “Since then, she's worked well. She breezed well last week and we went easier on her in her last work. It was a good work and I've been pleased with her.”

Spendarella recorded another workout at Motion's Fair Hill, Maryland base on Friday, going five furlongs in a minute flat over the all-weather training course.

“In her last race, I was initially a little disappointed that she was second because she was training really well,” Motion said. “But looking at it now, it was the best figure that she's run and she's done well since the race. Hopefully, having a race will help her moving forward.”

Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 3.

Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Wakanaka closed her 4-year-old season with a win in the Fall Harvest in November at Keeneland.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott put her against high-caliber competition to start 2023, beginning with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park before a fourth-place effort in the Distaff Turf Mile against a contingent of familiar faces she'll race against again in the Just a Game.

After consistently showing a propensity to stalk the speed of the race, Mott said the inclusion of fast early speed could be beneficial.

“She's doing well. A bit of pace helps her,” Mott said. “I'm sure it's going to be a tough race.”

Jockey Joel Rosario drew the assignment and will break from post 4.

Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Fergus Galvin's New Year's Eve [post 2, Luis Saez], who finished third last out in the Grade 3 Modesty going 1 1/8 miles on the Churchill turf, will return to Belmont for trainer Brendan Walsh.

The 4-year-old Kitten's Joy filly's only previous appearance on the Belmont turf came in an eighth-place effort in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational last July in the 1 1/4-mile test. But New Year's Eve followed with a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational and was third in the Tom Benson Memorial in March at Fair Grounds before returning to graded stakes company.

The Just a Game is slated as Race 4 on Friday's 11-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/.

The post Just A Game Favorite In Italian ‘At Her Best Right Now’; ‘Tenacious’ Spendarella Should Move Forward appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

This May, trainer Brendan Walsh celebrated his first Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks triumph with Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Pretty Mischievous. The daughter of Into Mischief will now look to provide Walsh with his first Grade 1 victory on the NYRA circuit in Friday's $500,000 Acorn, a one-turn 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont Park.

Walsh said it was particularly meaningful to win a high-profile race like the Oaks for Godolphin, who also owned Walsh's first Grade 1-winner Maxfield.

“It was fantastic,” Walsh said. “It was great to win the Oaks in the first place but to win it with them was especially special given their huge influence on my career. It's just an honor to train that caliber of a horse.”

Pretty Mischievous stands tall amongst her seven rivals as the lone Grade 1 winner in the field with field-best earnings of $1,206,560. She began her journey towards Kentucky Oaks greatness with a debut victory in September at Churchill Downs, and followed with a score against winners in October over the same oval. She finished third in her stakes debut with an even effort in the Grade 2 Golden Rod before capping her juvenile campaign with a 3 1/4-length win in the Untapable at Fair Grounds Race Course.

The bay filly returned to the races two months later with a prominent victory in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra for her sophomore debut, defeating Miracle by three-quarters of a length under a well-timed ride from regular pilot Tyler Gaffalione. Her lone loss in three starts this season came two starts back when finishing second to Southlawn in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March where she bobbled at the start and raced 2 1/2 lengths off the pace before taking command at the top of the stretch. She ran on strongly down the lane but was collared by Southlawn and defeated 3 1/4 lengths.

Pretty Mischievous' win in the Rachel Alexandra and runner-up effort in the Fair Grounds Oaks awarded her with enough qualifying points to secure a spot in the Kentucky Oaks starting gate, where she made her Grade 1 debut. She added blinkers for her first try at the nine-furlong distance and was sent to post at odds of 10-1 as the Brad Cox-trained duo of Wet Paint and her familiar rival Southlawn attracted the attention of the betting public.

Ridden from the outermost post 14 by Gaffalione, Pretty Mischievous broke well and settled in fifth while racing four-wide one length behind pacesetter Flying Connection through the first half-mile. Gaffalione gave his cue approaching the final turn and the talented filly responded, picking off her rivals swiftly and taking a three-length advantage while in-hand at the top of the lane.

She continued a strong sustained run down the lane but was challenged by the oncoming New York-bred Gambling Girl to her outside, prompting Gaffalione to give right-handed encouragement with the crop. Pretty Mischievous dug down in the final sixteenth and was shown the crop her left side in the final strides to the wire before staving off the bid from Gambling Girl and claiming the blanket of lilies by a neck in a final time of 1:49.77.

Walsh said the addition of blinkers helped Pretty Mischievous remain engaged in the race throughout the stretch run. She will don blinkers again in the Acorn.

“I think they helped her to focus a little bit better maybe at the end of the race,” said Walsh. “I had a pretty good idea that they weren't going to have a negative effect, so that was the main thing. I knew she wouldn't under perform with them. I think the day of the Fair Grounds Oaks, it probably set up for a closer that day, not taking anything away from the winner, but she did lose her focus down the stretch. I think it helped her, especially going a mile and an eighth.”

Along with a cutback of a half-furlong, Pretty Mischievous will also contest at one-turn in the Acorn for the first time since her maiden win in October. Walsh said he does not expect the configuration to present any issues.

“I don't think it'll be a problem at all,” said Walsh. “It should work out well for her. She has plenty of natural speed, which is required in this type of race.”

Gaffalione retains the mount from post 6.

Fellow Kentucky Oaks alumnus Dorth Vader [post 1, John Velazquez] makes her first outing since finishing fifth on the First Friday in May, as well as her first start for conditioner George Weaver after making her first nine appearances for Michael “Bo” Yates.

The daughter of Girvin was squeezed at the start of the Oaks and put in a three-wide bid in between foes in the turn after racing close to the pace throughout, but was outrun in the stretch and defeated 3 1/4 lengths.

Dorth Vader, a Florida homebred for John Ropes, has posted one work since being transferred to Weaver, who said he was pleased with the five-furlong move in 1:01.37 over the Belmont main track Friday.

“She worked very well,” said Weaver. “We recently got her, but she's a nice filly and is talented. Bo Yates did a great job with her and we're just trying to carry on what he's done. Hopefully she runs well.”

Dorth Vader earned a graded victory three starts back with an impressive 4 3/4-length score in the one-turn mile Grade 2 Davona Dale in March at Gulfstream Park. She arrived at the Oaks off a close fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks where she was defeated 2 1/4 lengths by Affirmative Lady.

“I think getting back to the one-turn configuration will be more in her wheelhouse, but she ran big in the [Kentucky] Oaks, too,” said Weaver. “I think she's a talented filly and she deserves a shot in this race.”

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown saddles three contenders in Juddmonte's graded stakes-placed Accede [post 8, Flavien Prat]; Alpha Delta Stables' stakes-winner Occult [post 4, Jose Ortiz]; and Klaravich Stables' maiden winner Randomized [post 2, Manny Franco].

Brown said each of his fillies are likely better suited to one-mile, but is hopeful one-turn may help them travel the extra half-furlong.

“All three of mine look like milers on paper, so they're going to have to find an extra sixteenth somewhere,” said Brown. “They might all be just fine, especially around one turn.”

Accede was last seen posting a close third-place effort in the Grade 2 Eight Belles on May 5 at Churchill Downs when pouncing from one length off the pace under Prat. The daughter of Into Mischief made a four-wide bid in the turn and appeared poised to make a big run down the lane, but flattened out as Red Carpet Ready claimed victory by a nose over Acorn aspirant Munnys Gold. She broke her maiden on debut sprinting six furlongs in March at Gulfstream Park in prominent fashion.

Accede is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning mare Jibboom, who Brown grew familiar with when he worked for the mare's late trainer, Bobby Frankel. Brown said he has been impressed with Accede so far, noting she was produced from a then 16-year-old Jibboom.

“Jibboom was very good and it's really interesting that she can still throw a good horse at that age,” said Brown.

Occult, also by Into Mischief, makes her first appearance since finishing an even fifth in the Grade 3 Gazelle in April at Aqueduct Racetrack. The $625,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale Purchase won the nine-furlong Busanda around two turns at the Big A in January and was a one-mile maiden winner over the same surface in December.

Brown said he was impressed with the latest work Occult posted in company with Randomized, covering a half-mile in 48.03 seconds Friday over the Belmont main track.

“The cutback from a mile and an eighth should suit Occult,” said Brown. “She and Randomized worked together on Friday; excellent work.”

The well-bred Randomized makes her first start against winners after a commanding 5 1/2-length maiden coup traveling one mile on March 31 at Aqueduct, leading at each point of call to win geared down under Manny Franco. She was awarded a 92 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Brown said the circled date of the Acorn after her maiden win left too little time to fit in another race in between.

“It was just because I didn't really have enough time from her win to the Acorn and really wanted to run in the Acorn,” said Brown. “It would have been too tight.”

The $420,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale Purchase is by Nyquist and out of the unraced Elusive Quality mare French Passport, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Smooth Air and Grade 2 winner Overdriven, as well as Super Phoebe, the dam of three-time Grade 1-winner Got Stormy.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will have two chances to win his fourth Acorn as he sends out the speedy stakes-winner Munnys Gold [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and two-time winner Frosty O Toole [post 3, Luis Saez].

Robert and Lawana Low's Florida-bred Munnys Gold is 3-for-4 lifetime, with each of her wins posted with impressive open-length margins. She graduated by 14 1/2 lengths on debut in June at Monmouth Park and earned a 101 Beyer before a seven-month respite. She picked up right where she left off when making her sophomore debut in with a 6 1/4-length allowance victory against fellow state-breds in January at Gulfstream, and followed with a devastating 17 1/4-length triumph in the state-bred Sophomore Fillies at Tampa Bay Downs in March. She suffered her first loss last out when defeated a head by Red Carpet Ready in the aforementioned Grade 2 Eight Belles.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Frosty O Toole has won 2-of-4 starts this year and enters from a sixth-place finish in the Gazelle where she ran evenly after an inside trip. Both her wins this year came at one-mile and 40 yards at Tampa, led by a 3 1/2-length coup against optional claiming company in March.

Completing the field is the Brittany Russell-trained Goodgirl Badhabits [post 7, Jevian Toledo], who is undefeated in two starts at Laurel Park. Campaigned by Jim Bakke and Gerald Ibister, the Mastery filly graduated in her March 10 debut by 12 3/4 lengths when sprinting 5 1/2 furlong and followed with a 10 1/4-length score sprinting seven furlongs against winners on April 29.

The Acorn is slated as Race 9 and is one of five stakes races on Friday's 11-race card, which co-features the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game in Race 4; the Grade 1, $600,000 New York in Race 8; the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup in Race 10; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental in Race 11. First post on Day 2 of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/.

The post ‘She Has Plenty Of Natural Speed’: One-Turn Acorn Draws Kentucky Oaks Winner Pretty Mischievous appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Godolphin's British homebred Siskany tops a contentious field of 13 in Friday's Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup, a two-mile Widener turf test for older horses, at Belmont Park.

The Belmont Gold Cup is one of five stakes lined up for Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival along with a trio of Grade 1 events in the $600,000 New York, the $500,000 Just a Game and the $500,000 Acorn along with the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, Siskany took the 12-furlong Godolphin in September at Newmarket and added the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy at 1 3/4-miles over good Meydan turf to his ledger in February.

The 5-year-old Dubawi gelding was defeated a neck by Broome two starts back in March in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup and will make his North American debut from a close fifth in the 1 3/4-mile Group 2 Yorkshire Cup on May 19 over good-to-firm ground at York.

“He ran well last time against some very good horses. No disrespect to Siskany, as he's had a great international campaign, but that's probably where he sits in Europe,” said Appleby, who captured the Grade 2 Fort Marcy with Ottoman Fleet here earlier in the meet. “I can't blame the track for his run, because at the end of the day, he has that level there and when he goes to the international stage, it always seems to bring out improvement.”

The marathon specialist was a good third in the 1 7/8-miles Group 3 Red Sea Turf last February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse and Appleby said he fancies Siskany's chances over Belmont's expansive Widener turf course.

“The trip will suit him there on Friday,” Appleby said. “He's a good two-miler or a mile-and-six [-furlong] horse, but he's not a Group 1 horse, so we wouldn't go to Ascot with him. We'll take Yibir to Ascot for the Gold Cup. On his best form, Siskany is in with a good chance.”

William Buick retains the mount from post 2 aboard Siskany, who races with cheek pieces on and was assigned 122 pounds.

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's multiple Grade 1-winner Channel Maker [post 3, Luis Saez, 122 pounds] boasts a record of 52-9-6-5 for purse earnings in excess of $3.7 million.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the evergreen 9-year-old English Channel gelding will travel beyond 12 furlongs for the first time. The Ontario-bred has amassed an impressive list of honors, including a Sovereign Award as Canada's Champion 3-Year-Old Colt in 2017 and an Eclipse Award as the 2020 Champion Turf Male.

He has posted graded scores in the 2019 Grade 1 Man o' War, the Grade 2 Bowling Green [2018], Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational [2018, 2020], Grade 1 Sword Dancer [2020], and Grade 2 Elkhorn [2022].

Channel Maker enters from a close sixth in the Grade 1 Man o' War on May 13 here where he led the way and stayed on strong down the lane to finish sixth, defeated less than two lengths by the victorious Red Knight.

“He ran a really good race last time. He didn't win, but was beaten half a length for second. He's been a real warrior,” Mott said.

Leipers Fork Steeplechasers Group 2 winner High Definition [post 11, Jose Ortiz, 118 pounds] will make his North American debut for trainer Joseph O'Brien.

The 5-year-old Galileo bay's last win on the flat came in the 2020 Group 2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford at the Curragh. He posted a runner-up effort in the 10-furlong Group 1 Gold Cup last May at odds of 20-1 at the Curragh and followed 12 days later with a third-place finish in the 12-furlong Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom. He enters from a runner-up effort over jumps on April 28 at Punchestown.

British Royalty [post 8, Kazushi Kimura, 118 pounds] finished second in this event last year. Trained and co-owned by Barbara Minshall with Bruce Lunsford, the 5-year-old English Channel gelding hit the gate at the break and trailed in last-of-8 under Joel Rosario before closing to finish 3 1/4-lengths back of the victorious Loft.

“He had a bit of a raggedy start, but he overcame it and ran well. After two miles, if you can't overcome a bad start then you probably weren't going to win it anyway,” said Minshall, with a laugh. “He ran a good race and that's why we're coming back. The horse definitely wants distance and we haven't been able to find that kind of race.”

British Royalty finished a good second in the 11-furlong Grade 3 Singspiel in September at Woodbine before closing out his campaign with a pair of off-the-board efforts in the 12-furlong Grade 3 Sycamore on the Keeneland turf in October and the Grade 3 Valedictory over 12-furlongs on the Woodbine Tapeta in December.

Minshall said British Royalty simply doesn't run his best efforts over synthetic.

“Knowing the horse, I have a reason I can throw those last races out and I'm expecting a lot better effort,” Minshall said. “At Keeneland, the rider took too much of a hold of him and the horse's head was in the air and he never got to drop his head and relax.”.

British Royalty will make his seasonal debut from a six-month layoff with a steady string of breezes under his belt on Woodbine's Tapeta surface.

“He had a bit of a break and then he was at Travis Durr's training center in South Carolina all winter,” Minshall said. “Since he's come back, he's had a lot of works and a lot of two-miles, and he seems very fit. Kazushi Kimura's been on him several times here in the morning, so he knows him a little bit. He's a tricky horse for any rider to just hop on and ride, so hopefully it works out that he's had a chance to know the horse a little bit.”

Kimura won the 2019 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey and has been named Canada's Outstanding Jockey the past two years. Minshall said she will task Kimura with working out a mid-pack stalking trip for British Royalty.

“He's got a great, galloping stride,” Minshall said. “He just needs to get into the flow and I think he'll finish up. I wouldn't mind if it rains a little bit, he loves soft ground.”

Bred in Ontario by Richard Lister, British Royalty boasts a record of 17-2-4-0 for purse earnings of $381,532.

The 5-year-old German-bred mare Amazing Grace [post 7, Joel Rosario, 117 pounds] will take on the boys for trainer Christophe Clement while stretching out beyond 12 furlongs for the first time.

Amazing Grace, owned by Moyglare Stud Farm, launched her career in Europe with conditioner Waldemar Hickst, capturing the 10-furlong Group 2 Diana Trial at Hoppegarten in May 2021 and the 12-furlong Group 2 T. von Zastrow Stutenpreis in September at Baden-Baden.

She completed her European campaign with a third-place finish against the boys in the Group 1 Preis von Europa at Cologne when three lengths back of the victorious Rebel's Romance, who was in the midst of a five-race win streak that culminated with a victory in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland.

The chestnut has made two starts for Clement, capturing the 12-furlong Grade 3 Orchid in April at Gulfstream ahead of an even fourth last out in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay over good going.

Clement had initially considered entering Amazing Grace in the 10-furlong Grade 1 New York on Friday here, but opted to stretch out the talented chestnut.

“I know she stays. She's a good filly,” Clement said. “She ran below form last time. She's better than that. She has trained very, very well coming out of the race. She's a very good looking filly and fun to train.”

Three Diamonds Farm's multiple graded-stakes winning New York-bred Cross Border [post 12, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 118 pounds] returns to the Mike Maker barn after five starts for conditioner Keri Brion, including a trio of efforts over jumps.

The 9-year-old millionaire son of English Channel, bred by Berkshire Stud and B. D. Gibbs, captured back-to-back editions of the 11-furlong Grade 2 Bowling Green in 2020-21 for Maker. The ultra-consistent ridgling sports a ledger of 49-12-8-6 but has yet to win over the Belmont turf, although he has finished second here on three occasions.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Albert Frassetto's multiple graded-stakes placed The Grey Wizard [post 13, John Velazquez, 120 pounds] enters from a smart 12-furlong allowance score on April 27 at Keeneland in his seasonal debut for conditioner Graham Motion.

The 4-year-old Caravaggio grey finished a distant second to Nations Pride in the 11-furlong Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational in September at the Big A and two starts later closed to finish second to Prince Abama in the 12-furlong Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup in November at Del Mar. He closed out his campaign with a pair of 10-furlong turf starts at Santa Anita, winning an allowance before landing a close fifth in the Grade 3 San Marcos.

“Two miles is a bit of an unknown for all of us, but he seems like a horse that wants to do that,” Motion said. “I've really been pleased with him. He's progressed and he's a much more impressive workhorse now than he was last year. I feel like he's coming into the race really well.”

A stacked field also includes graded-stakes winner Tide of the Sea [post 4, Katie Davis, 118 pounds], who exits a pacesetting second in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy here for conditioner Tom Morley; the multiple graded stakes-placed Strong Tide [post 5, Dylan Davis, 118 pounds] for trainer Michael Lauer; the Archibald Kingsley, Jr.-trained trio of graded-stakes winner L'Imperator [post 6, Trevor McCarthy, 122 pounds], stakes-placed Cibolian [post 10, Tyler Gaffalione, 118 pounds] – who races with blinkers off – and Barbados [post 1, Junior Alvarado, 118 pounds], who races with cheek-pieces off; and last-out Hasta La Vista-winner Tartini [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche, 118 pounds] for trainer Rob Atras.

The Belmont Gold Cup is slated as Race 10 on Friday's 11-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/.

The post ‘Real Warrior’ Channel Maker Faces International Challenge In Marathon Belmont Gold Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post