Following a successful conquest in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay at Belmont Park, Peter Brant and Michael Tabor's Rougir, who captured last year's Group 1 Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp in France, could seek her first Grade 1 win in the United States in the $750,000 New York on June 10 at Belmont Park.
Rougir made her debut for trainer Chad Brown in the 1 1/16-mile Beaugay for older fillies and mares on the inner turf, displaying a phenomenal turn of foot to rally from last-of-seven. Rougir, with Flavien Prat up, made a five-wide sweeping move in upper stretch to win by three lengths. The 4-year-old daughter of Territories registered a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for the triumph.
“She came out of her race well,” Brown said. “It looks like she'll be headed to the New York Handicap.”
Brown, a three-time winner of the New York, could also have Brant's Virginia Joy or Bleecker Street point to the ten-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares. Virginia Joy captured last Saturday's Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont while Bleecker Street kept an unbeaten record intact when taking last Friday's Grade 3 Modesty at Churchill Downs.
“I'd probably only run two, but I'll speak to Mr. Brant about what we want to do and how the horses are doing,” Brown said. “There's still plenty of time between now and then so we'll see how everyone is doing. Hopefully, we have two representatives in there.”
Following her Prix de l'Opera coup in October, Rougir shipped to Del Mar for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf for previous conditioner Cedric Rossi. Brant joined forces with Coolmore's M.V. Magnier to purchase the talented filly in December out of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in December, where she was acquired for nearly $3.4 million.
Brown noted her forward training over the winter at Payson Park in Florida.
“She's got a terrific turn of foot and she had a terrific winter. We got her down to Payson Park and gave her time to acclimate. We turned her out for a little while. She just really adapted well,” Brown said. “Obviously, she had good form prior and was a super talented horse before we got her. But we were able to get her acclimated and put a lot of weight on her. Her coat really came around and was shining by the time we had her ready to run. I was just so pleased with how she looked and trained going into the race. I'm very relieved to see her show that good turn of foot and get her 4-year-old campaign started the right way.”
Brown also saddled Brant's Lemista in the Beaugay. The 5-year-old Raven's Pass mare finished second in last year's Beaugay, but could do no better than fourth this time around when returning to action off an eight-month layoff from a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Beverly D. in August at Arlington Park.
Brown indicated that Lemista and Rougir would go their separate ways next out.
“She just got out of position midway through the race and doesn't have the turn of foot that Rougir has,” Brown said. “It didn't work out for her, but I was proud of her to try and to pick up some horses late. She was just out of position for her style of running. She's back off a long layoff with a race under her belt now. We'll separate them now and find a race for her.”
Brown had multiple horses work over Belmont's inner turf on Sunday morning, including Brant's dual Grade 1-winner Regal Glory, who went five furlongs in 1:02.12 in company with maiden winner Credit Event.
Regal Glory, a 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom, is unbeaten in two starts this year when capturing the Grade 3 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park en route to a victory three months later in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.
Brown said he and Brant contemplated retiring Regal Glory following the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf, but opted to keep her in training for another year due to her strong effort in that race.
“We were at least going to run in the Pegasus prior to breeding season and then decide on her 6-year-old campaign based on how she did there, and she ran terrific,” Brown said. “So, we decided to run her another year and so far, it's paying off. She's an outstanding racehorse.”
Regal Glory is targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Just a Game at one mile on turf for older fillies and mares on June 11.
Brown also worked Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron, and Team Hanley's Haughty, third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, in company with Klaravich Stables' Customer List, a debut winner over the Monmouth Park turf in September. Both fillies went five furlongs in 1:02.33.
Brown said one, but not both, of the sophomore fillies could entertain the $150,000 Penn Oaks on June 3 at Penn National. He said the Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly on May 28 is a possibility for Haughty, as well as a local allowance event for both fillies.
“I like what I see from Haughty. She's training quite well,” Brown said. “She fell a little bit behind this winter. She got a little sick on me and we got started a little later than I wanted to, but she's making up for lost time rapidly now in her works. She might be headed to the Penn Oaks, I won't run two in that race. Allowance races in New York are also on the table.”
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