Saturday’s Belmont Headliner is Brown’s ‘Game’ to Lose

Chad Brown saddles a trio so strong in Belmont’s GI Just a Game S. Saturday that it would be quite surprising if he does not take home his fourth straight renewal of the event. Leading the Brown contingent is Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), who makes her first start of 2020 after a championship 2019 season. Winner of the 2018 GI Matriarch S., the chestnut kicked off last term with a win in the Perfect Sting S. over course and distance June 29 and was third to the re-opposing Got Stormy (Get Stormy) when facing males in Saratoga’s GI Fourstardave H. in August. Returning to winning ways in Keeneland’s GI First Lady S. Oct. 5, Uni got the better of Got Stormy last tie with a 1 1/2-length score when facing the boys again in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita Nov. 2. Got Stormy won last year’s Matriarch, but is winless in three starts this season, most recently finishing fourth in Belmont’s GIII Beaugay S. June 3.

“She’s doing well,” Brown told the NYRA notes team in reference to Uni. “There’s a little uncertainty with the layoff, but she seems to be training well. She has a great turn of foot and we’ll just see how it plays out.”

Uni’s biggest competition will likely come from her own shedrow in Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). A perfect three-for-three during her 2019 juvenile seasonal capped by a win at the Breeders’ Cup, the bay was winless in 2019, starting with a pair of runner-up efforts in the GIII Edgewood S. and GIII Wonder Again S. Fading to ninth in the GI Belmont Oaks last July, she was subsequently shelved for the season and appeared back to her old self when next seen in the seven-panel GIII Intercontinental S. over a yielding course at Belmont June 6. Newspaperofrecord seemed to relish the cutback in trip last time–registering a 103 Beyer Speed Figure–after racing over distances from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/4 miles last season and a repeat of that performance would make her a strong contender here.

“She seems very settled in the mornings,” Brown said of Newspaperofrecord. “She went fast fractions last time, which wasn’t really what I wanted, but she doesn’t need to do that. She’s been pretty relaxed and settled.”

The third Brown runner Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) will likely be much higher odds than her two stablemates, but it would be no surprise to see her get a piece. The chestnut captured both the GIII Lake George S. and GII Lake Placid S. last summer, but could only manage sixth behind another stablemate Cambier Parc (Medaglia d’Oro) in the GI QEII Cup Oct. 12. She finished second to Newspaperofrecord last out in the Intercontinental.

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Keeneland’s Summer Meet to Allow Participating Owners

Keeneland’s Summer Meet, to be held July 8-12, has been given approval to allow a limited number of participating owners to attend on the day their horse is running. Officials at Keeneland worked with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and state public health officials on a plan to permit owners to attend while ensuring the safety of horsemen and track employees under the ‘Healthy at Work’ guidelines. However, as previously announced, spectators will not be permitted due to restrictions resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are pleased to be able to welcome owners to Keeneland to watch their horses run during the Summer Meet,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “We thank Gov. Beshear and state and local health officials for their counsel and support as we remain vigilant about the safety of participants and Keeneland staff during this next phase of our reopening process. Our team has done a tremendous job of creating a plan that spreads seating for owners safely throughout the facility, allowing inside and outside accommodations so they can comfortably view the races. It’s quite an accomplishment for these unprecedented times.”

Owners with a horse entered in a stakes race at Keeneland will receive six credentials for the day their horse is running, while owners with a horse entered on the undercard will receive four. Seating will be assigned both inside and outside. There will be limited food and beverage service. All individuals will be required to wear a face mask, maintain proper social distancing, and must pass a health screening at gates two or three. Owners will not be permitted to enter the saddling paddock, winner’s circle, or stable area. Keeneland’s Horsemen’s Hospitality team will contact owners to arrange credentials when the race fields are set.

“While we would love nothing more than to see our fans fill the stands, unfortunately at this time we are not confident we can maintain the recommended safety guidelines and also deliver the quality racing experience our fans expect of Keeneland,” Thomason said. “We are working closely with health officials to allow spectators at Keeneland for our Fall Meet.”

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Promises Fulfilled Makes Seasonal Bow in True North

Grade I winner Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford) makes his first racetrack appearance of 2020 Saturday in Belmont’s GII True North S. Victorious in the 2018 GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., the chestnut was fourth in a loaded renewal of the prestigious GI Met Mile last summer and romped in the track-and-trip GII John A. Nerud S. last July. Fading to sixth behind champion Mitole (Eskendereya) and the re-opposing Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior) in Saratoga’s GI Forego S. Aug. 24, Promises Fulfilled was last seen finishing sixth when trying to defend his title in the GII Phoenix S. at Keeneland Oct. 4.

“He had ankle surgery [during his time off] and since he’s come back he’s been training very well,” Dale Romans told the NYRA notes team. “He just keeps getting better. There’s a lot of money out there for him. I think he’ll run well. He’s doing good enough.”

Romans continued, “He likes every track, but he did perform very well there last year. He’s going to do the same thing this time, they’re going to have to come get him.”

Fellow Grade I winner Firenze Fire closed out 2019 with a pair of victories in the Fabulous Strike S. at Penn National and Aqueduct’s Gravesend S. Dec. 22. He picked up where he left off in 2020 with a four-length domination of the GIII General George S. at Laurel Feb. 15. Transferred from Jason Servis to Kelly Breen after the former was indicted for use of performance-enhancing drugs, Firenze Fire was a well-beaten fourth in his first start for his new barn in a sloppy renewal of the GI Carter H. June 6, run at Belmont instead of its traditional spot on Aqueduct’s GII Wood Memorial S. card, which was canceled due to COVID-19.

While not quite as fleet-footed as the top two on the morning-line, Diamond King (Quality Road) has a shot to get some money here. Capturing the Stymie S. Mar. 7, the bay faded to seventh last tone in the Blame S. going that distance at Churchill May 2. He has done his best work at a mile or longer, but did win at seven furlongs back in 2017 in the Heft S.

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Come Dancing Back On Home Court For Vagrancy

Come Dancing (Malibu Moon), a five-time stakes winner in New York, returns to the Empire State after making her last two starts elsewhere as the likely favorite in the GIII Vagrancy H. in Belmont. Winner of the GIII Distaff H. and GII Ruffian S. last spring, the dark bay checked in second to champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in this venue’s GII Ogden Phipps S. last June. Returning to winning ways with a dominant score in the GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga in August, she followed suit with a decisive score in the GII Gallant Bloom H. at Belmont a month later and finished off 2019 with a sixth in the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint S. Nov. 2. Come Dancing made her last start under the name of Hall of Fame legend D. Wayne Lukas, fading to last in the GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn Apr. 18, but has since returned home to the barn of Carlos Martin. Come Dancing enters off a pair of bullet works in Elmont, most recently breezing five panels in :57 4/5 June 15.

“We wanted to just keep her fresh,” Martin said. “It didn’t look like she was out of a canter. She was just so smooth. It’s just one of those things where the track is extremely fast and she came out of it great.”

A close runner-up in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint, Chalon (Dialed In) was second in both the GIII Bed O’Roses S. and GII Honorable Miss H. last term, but returned to winning ways in the Roamin Rachel S. at Parx Sept. 2. She was fourth when last seen in Keeneland’s GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. Oct. 5.

Dual graded winner Royal Charlotte (Cairo Prince) looks to return to the winner’s circle in this spot. Capturing the GII Prioress S. at Saratoga Aug. 1, the gray was off the board in the GII Raven Run S. at Keeneland Oct. 19 and was subsequently shelved for the season. She finished second as the favorite in her seasonal bow in the mud in Belmont’s Harmony Lodge S. June 5.

Also exiting the Harmony Lodge is the Bob Baffert-trained Mother Mother (Pioneerof the Nile), who finished fourth in that test and stuck around town for this one. Third in the GI La Brea S. Dec. 28 at Santa Anita, she won the Kalookan Queen S. there next out Jan. 12 and was second to La Brea winner Hard Not to Love (Hard Spun) in the GII Santa Monica S. Feb. 15. Mother Mother was fourth, but promoted to third in the GIII Desert Stormer S. in Arcadia May 17 prior to her last out effort here.

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