Marc Keller's Kentucky homebred Daunt will look to make his stakes debut a winning one in Friday's $100,000 Awad, a 1 1/16-mile Widener turf test for juveniles at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
The Awad is one of four stakes on Friday's packed card, including the $200,000 Ticonderoga, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for state-bred fillies and mares; the $150,000 Tempted, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies; and the $100,000 Atlantic Beach, a six-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-olds.
Trained by Bobby Ribaudo, Daunt, a 2-year-old Nyquist colt, finished a close fifth in his August debut traveling 1 1/16-miles over the firm turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He overcame a bobbled start to graduate at second asking with a strong rallying effort traveling 1 1/16-miles over firm Belmont turf on September 23.
Ribaudo said Daunt has matured considerably.
“He was a playful colt and we were considering gelding him, but he's really turned around,” Ribaudo said. “His race in Saratoga was real good. We just wanted to see what he was all about in that spot. He came back here and broke his maiden and it was a troubled trip for a young horse, but he handled it well mentally.”
The well-related Daunt is out of the graded-stakes placed Artie Schiller mare Promotional, who is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winner and $2 million earner Marketing Mix.
Keller purchased Promotional for $275,000 in foal to Nyquist out of the 2019 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. A Glen Hill Farm homebred, the turf-focused Promotional made all but two of her 18 career starts at 1 1/16-miles or beyond, including a runner-up effort in the 12-furlong 2017 Grade 3 Dowager at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.
“She was with Tom Proctor her whole career for Glen Hill, so she was in good hands racing wise. She's a homebred of theirs and we bought her in foal to Nyquist,” Ribaudo said. “This is her first foal and it turned out to be real nice. We have a Speightstown out of her but we're thinking about going back to Nyquist.
“The mare was all distance,” Ribaudo added. “She was placed going long in stakes and this horse [Daunt] shows the same kind of talent and he never gets tired.”
Ribaudo said if Daunt continues to improve, he would be a good fit for NYRA's Turf Triple Series.
“He's going to be a very nice horse next year,” Ribaudo said. “I'm hoping he stays around for those long races here next year for 3-year-olds.”
Daunt breezed a half-mile in :50.22 seconds October 24 over firm Belmont inner turf, which was softened somewhat by overnight rain. Ribaudo said he expects Daunt will be able to handle less-than-firm footing this weekend if needed.
“Since the race, he's really been training good. I worked him the other day on the turf and he did well,” Ribaudo said. “Soft turf is tiring for young horses but he never gets tired, so I don't think it will affect him as much it might the other horses.”
Manny Franco will have the call from post 3.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Royal Spirit graduated on debut at 1 1/16-miles over firm Spa turf in August for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. By Into Mischief, the $450,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase purchase was bumped at the break before rallying to finish second last out in the one-mile Nownownow over good turf at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on September 26.
Pletcher said he's hopeful of a good effort on Friday.
“I think he's proven he's a stakes quality horse,” Pletcher said.
Royal Spirit will emerge from post 6 under Paco Lopez.
General Ken, a recent private purchase for owner Louis Lazzinnaro, will make his stakes debut for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.
A Violence juvenile, General Ken earned a 74 Beyer for a front-running 7 1/4-length maiden score traveling a mile and 70 yards over good turf at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., on September 15.
General Ken has breezed five times at Belmont with his last two works coming over the inner turf, including a five-eighths effort Saturday in 1:01.40.
Dylan Davis will pilot General Ken from post 2.
Rounding out the field are maiden winners Geno [post 5, Jorge Vargas, Jr.], Artie's Angel [post 1, Wilmer Garcia], and Ohtwoohthreefive [post 4, Eric Cancel].
The Awad is slated as Race 7 on Friday's 10-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.
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