Thomas Targets Belmont Derby for Hard Love

Trainer Jonathan Thomas didn't get the prep race he initially had in mind for Robert LaPenta, Augustin Stable, and Madaket Stables' Hard Love, but said he still plans on running the talented son of Kitten's Joy in the $1 million Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series, on July 10 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Hard Love was entered in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes on May 29 but scratched when inclement weather forced the event onto the main track. Thomas went to Plan B and ran Hard Love in a nine-furlong allowance optional claiming race against older horses on the turf in the Belmont Stakes Day finale on June 5.

Piloted by Manny Franco, Hard Love tracked the pace from second, battled to the outside of pacesetter Desert Peace in the stretch drive, and prevailed by a head.

“We felt like we had him ready for the Pennine Ridge,” Thomas said. “It was a bit of a gut punch having it come off the turf, so we were lucky the allowance race was in the book. We felt like we got a nice prep into him for the Belmont Derby. Based off what we've seen, it looks like the further the better. He is an efficient moving horse, and his pedigree suggests the further the better. He should appreciate the added distance.”

Thomas is targeting a second Belmont Derby victory having won in 2018 with the versatile Catholic Boy, who proceeded to win the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. that year.

“There are some similarities in his physique,” Thomas said. “He's a big leggy colt and also a very genuine horse. He seems to show up every time. He's a little more laid back in his disposition than Catholic Boy. But the biggest difference is that I am almost certain he's not the same horse on the dirt. He's a turf horse.”

Thomas said he was delighted to see Burning Bright notch a third lifetime victory in a 1 ¼-mile off-the-turf allowance optional claimer on May 30.

Owned and bred by George Strawbridge, Jr.'s Augustin Stable, the son of Empire Maker, out of 2008 Champion Grass Mare Forever Together, won the event by 7 ¼ lengths, recording an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

Thomas did not rule out going back to turf with Burning Bright and mentioned the $150,000 Grand Couturier Stakes on July 5 at Belmont Park going 1 ½ miles and the $500,000 Grade 1 United Nations on July 17 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. as options.

Burning Bright's lone start on grass was a well-beaten tenth on debut going 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs last March.

“He breezed on the turf before his last race and I really liked what I saw,” Thomas said. “His first race on the grass was a toss-out. I've been looking forward to getting him on the grass. The main thing is getting the opportunity to stretch out. The further, the better.”

Thomas also eyes a return to grass for fellow Augustin Stables homebred Evoking, who won on debut by 4 ¼ lengths in an off-the-turf maiden special weight going six furlongs on May 29.

“We'll keep our options open with Evoking,” Thomas said. “She is probably going to be better once we get her on the grass. I was very pleased with the effort.”

Thomas said McConnell Racing Stable's War Terminator, a maiden winner in April at Aqueduct who had been pointing for Saturday's $150,000 NYSSS Spectacular Bid, would get some time off following a minor issue.

“We like the horse quite a bit and the owners are exceptional people, but we need to back off on him unfortunately,” Thomas said.

While War Terminator will be out of action, Thomas will soon welcome LaPenta's New York-bred stakes winner Nicky the Vest back to his stable. The son of second-crop sire Runhappy was a last-out winner of the Gander Stakes on February 15 at Aqueduct but was sidelined due to a knee chip discovered following a workout in late March.

“The recovery is going well,” said Thomas. “They've got him doing a lot of aqua therapy. I hope to get him back in a few weeks.”

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Gufo Flies Home to Belmont Derby Score

Gufo (Declaration of War), favored at 7-5 in Saturday’s GI Belmont Derby Invitational, a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland, came storming down the stretch to deliver a smart, one-length victory over No Word (Silent Name {Jpn)). Mo Ready (Uncle Mo) was third.

Gufo capped a four-race winning streak with come-from-behind scores in Gulfstream’s English Channel S. May 2 and Delaware’s GIII Kent S. July 4. He established a new course record in the latter.

He rallied from seventh to finish a very close second behind Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the $500,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational S. last time Aug. 15.

Gufo caboosed the Belmont Derby field of eight as they began their run into the clubhouse turn. He raced in a covered up fifth through a half mile in :50.61 and began to launch midway around the far turn. The chestnut punched through a tight spot splitting horses and slightly drifted out, forcing Eric Cancel aboard a tiring Moon Over Miami (Malibu Moon) to tap on the brakes in the stretch.

Gufo had all of the momentum from there, however, and came rumbling home to record a career high.

The result stood after a Stewards’ Inquiry looked into the stretch run regarding Gufo and Moon Over Miami.

“He won well,” winning trainer Christophe Clement said. “I thought he had a great trip from Junior [Alvarado] and when he asked him to quicken, he really quickened well in the stretch. He’s a good horse. If you look at all his races this year, he’s been running well all year round. I know he got beat last time, but he actually ran a winning race when you look back at it.”

On a potential start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Clement added, “I’m not sure. We’ll have to check with the owner and see how he comes out of it. There’s also the [GI] Hollywood Derby [Nov. 28 at Del Mar] going a mile and an eighth.”

Pedigree Notes:

Gufo is the sixth Grade/Group 1 winner for Declaration of War. He is the sire of 17 graded winners (30 blacktype) and was also responsible for GII Pilgrim S. hero Fire At Will on the undercard. Petionville is the broodmare sire of five graded (20 blacktype) stakes winners.

Gufo is a half-brother to popular three-time graded victor Hogy (Offlee Wild). Floy’s most recent produce is the unraced 2-year-old filly Sisi (Tourist). She was bred to Preservationist for 2021.

Floy, a homebred for Fairly Stable, was fourth in her lone career start for Jeffrey D Thornbury at Keeneland in 2007. She RNA’d for $1,500 in foal to Shaniko at the 2011 FTKFEB Sale.

Saturday, Belmont Park
BELMONT DERBY INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $250,000, Belmont, 10-3, 3yo, 1 1/4mT, 2:02.25, fm.
1–GUFO, 122, c, 3, by Declaration of War
1st Dam: Floy, by Petionville
2nd Dam: Risen Miss, by Peteski
3rd Dam: Eddie’s Star, by Risen Star
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Otter Bend Stables, LLC; B-John Little &
Stephen Cainelli (KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-Junior Alvarado.
$137,500. Lifetime Record: 7-5-1-1, $415,010. *1/2 to Hogy
(Offlee Wild), MGSW-USA & SP-Can, $1,339,782. Werk Nick
Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–No Word, 122, c, 3, Silent Name (Jpn)–Listen A. P., by A.P.
Indy. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$50,000.
3–Mo Ready, 122, g, 3, Uncle Mo–Ready and Good, by More
Than Ready. O/B-Repole Stable Inc (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$30,000.
Margins: 1, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 1.45, 3.15, 28.50.
Also Ran: Ajourneytofreedom, Pixelate, Moon Over Miami, South Bend, Venezuelan Hug. Scratched: Domestic Spending (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Saratoga Derby Top Three Meet Again in Open Belmont Derby

The first three across the wire in a blanket finish in the Saratoga Derby Invitational S. last month will reconvene along with some interesting new shooters in Saturday’s GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. at Big Sandy, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Narrowly victorious at the Spa was Klaravich Stables’ Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}), given slight morning-line favoritism here at 5-2. Bought for 300,000 guineas at Tattersalls October in 2018, the gelding graduated on debut at even-money Feb. 12 at Tampa and repeated with a fast finish in a mile allowance here June 7. Left with too much to do when third in the GII Hall of Fame S. July 18 at the Spa, he showed tactical speed for the first time in the Saratoga Derby and ground out a head victory.

Just missing was runner-up Gufo (Declaration of War). Graduating at second asking Dec. 29 at Gulfstream, the chestnut scored last-to-first victories in an optional claimer and the English Channel S. there Mar. 27 and May 2, respectively before making it three in a row with a half-length success in the GIII Kent S. July 4 at Delaware.

Wertheimer et Frere’s No Word (Silent Name {Jpn}) was a debut winner last summer at Saratoga and finished fifth as the favorite in the GIII Pilgrim S. in his juvenile finale. Third in a pair of tries this summer, the dark bay narrowly annexed a local optional claiming July 9 before running third at 18-1 in the Saratoga Derby.

Two last-out stakes winners add to the fray. Moon Over Miami (Malibu Moon), who was briefly on the GI Kentucky Derby trail earlier this year, scored a Churchill allowance victory on grass June 20 before running fourth at 14-1 in the Hall of Fame and drawing in off the also-eligible list to take the Gun Runner Dueling Grounds Derby Sept. 10 at Kentucky Downs. Godolphin’s Pixelate (City Zip), second or third in five straight stakes tries as a 3-year-old–including a runner-up finish to Gufo in the Kent–surged late to get up by a head in the GII Del Mar Derby Sept. 6.

Rounding out the major contenders is Venezuelan Hug (Constitution). Claimed from Orlyana Farm and Alexis Delgado when running third in a $40,000 maiden claimer Mar. 25 at Gulfstream, the gray dominated Florida-bred maiden special weight rivals next out Apr. 25 and repeated in a starter optional claimer May 30. Not quite ready for prime time when last of six in the GII Pennine Ridge S. here June 20, he bounced back with a sharp allowance success Aug. 9 at Saratoga and shows a pair of bullet half-mile works over Saratoga’s Oklahoma turf for Danny Gargan in this return to stakes company.

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Talented 3-Year-Olds Chasing Breeders’ Cup Turf Berth In Belmont Derby Invitational

A thrilling finish to the Saratoga Derby Invitational in August saw the top-five finishers separated by less than a length. The trifecta from that contest – Domestic Spending, Gufo and No Word – will engage again on Saturday as part of a talented nine-horse field of 3-year-olds going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf in the Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Derby Invitational.

The 71st running of the Belmont Derby is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf on November 7 at Keeneland. It also is the headliner on a stacked card that features five graded stakes, including the Grade 1, $250,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 ½ miles on the Widener turf; the Grade 2, $150,000 Gallant Bloom for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on the main track; the Grade 2, $150,000 Kelso for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on Big Sandy and the Grade 2, $150,000 Pilgrim for juveniles contesting at 1 1/16 miles on the grass.

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo ran second by a head to Domestic Spending in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby and will look to turn the tables in a rematch for trainer Christophe Clement. The Declaration of War colt has won four of his six career starts, with his third-place debut effort in November at Aqueduct marking his only other non-winning effort.

Gufo registered a four-race winning streak heading into his first Saratoga start, including a 1 1/2-length win in the English Channel in May at Gulfstream Park and followed by a rallying half-length score in the Grade 3 Kent going 1 1/8 miles on July 4 at Delaware Park.

Gufo breezed four furlongs in 50.25 seconds on Belmont's inner turf Sunday with jockey Junior Alvarado aboard. Alvarado will have the call Saturday from post 2.

“Gufo went Sunday for his last work for the race and we're very happy with him,” Clement said. “He's been training very forwardly since the race at Saratoga. I had two choices; to run him here or go to Kentucky Downs. We trained for here because we think he's an ideal horse to run at Belmont with the wider turns and the mile and a quarter will be really good for him.”

Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending was unraced as a juvenile but started his career with consecutive wins, breaking his maiden in February at Tampa Bay Downs at one mile before edging Don Juan Kitten by a neck in an allowance tilt in his first Belmont appearance on June 7.

The Chad Brown trainee stepped up to stakes company, running third behind the Clement-trained winner Decorated Invader in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame at 1 1/8 miles on July 18 at Saratoga. A month later, the English-bred son of Kingman earned his first stakes win and a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Saratoga Derby.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will be in the irons from post 4.

Wertheimer and Frere's No Word comprised the trifecta last out, just a half-length back to Gufo in the Saratoga Derby in his best stakes result. Trained by Todd Pletcher, No Word started his 3-year-old campaign with back-to-back third-place efforts before besting the field in an $80,000 optional claimer on July 9 at Belmont. Making his first stakes start as a sophomore, and first overall since running fifth in the Grade 3 Pilgrim in September 2019, No Word tallied a 92 Beyer for his stellar return to the Spa.

Jose Ortiz will ride from post 1.

Pletcher will also send out Repole Stable's Mo Ready, a last-out allowance winner on August 15 at Saratoga. Making his graded stakes bow, the son of Uncle Mo will be running at Belmont for the first time since his fourth-place debut effort in May 2019. Kenrick Carmouche will be aboard and break from post 3.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle a pair of contenders who previously were on the Triple Crown trail in South Bend and Moon Over Miami.

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch and Pantofel Stable's South Bend will be switching back to turf after running off the board in two prestigious Grade 1 dirt tests, running fourth in the Runhappy Travers on August 8 at Saratoga before finishing 15th in the Kentucky Derby on September 5 following a wide trip and tiring late.

But South Bend showed talent earlier in the campaign, running second in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby in June at Thistledown under previous trainer Stanley Hough. Before that, the Algorithms colt ran five consecutive times on the grass earlier in 2020, posting a runner-up effort in the Cutler Bay in March at Gulfstream Park and third-place efforts in the Dania Beach and the Grade 3 Palm Beach going a mile and 1 1/16 miles, respectively, on the Gulfstream turf.

“I don't know that he's any better on grass. The race he was in last time was just a really tough race,” Mott said. “He ran well in the Travers. He picked up a check and ran a pretty good race. I think he's fine on dirt, it's just the level of competition.”

Jockey Dylan Davis will pick up the mount for the first time, drawing post 5.

Summer Wind Equine's Moon Over Miami won his first stakes last out with a half-length score in the Dueling Grounds Derby on September 10. Stretched out to 1 5/16 miles, the son of Malibu Moon tracked in 10th-of-12 position before a late surge edged him clear of Big Dreaming, earning a personal-best 91 Beyer.
Moon Over Miami ran in a Kentucky Derby prep race in his final dirt start on February 15, finishing eighth in a division of the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds. Mott moved him to turf next out, where he ran eighth in the Cutler Bay.

After earning his first win on grass in a 1 1/8-mile allowance tilt on June 20 at Churchill – the first of three straight races he's worn blinkers – Moon Over Miami ran fourth in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame in July at Saratoga before his stakes win earlier this month. He will now return to Belmont for the first time since his fourth-place debut effort on Big Sandy in October 2019.

“He'll be fit. The race comes back a little quick for him,” Mott said. “The timing isn't ideal coming back from three and a half weeks. Generally, off a race like that, you would want a little more time, but this is one of the last straight 3-year-old races so we're going to give it a shot.

“It seems like the blinkers have helped,” he added. “He just seemed to be getting a little distracted.”

Eric Cancel will ride from post 8.

Godolphin's ultra-consistent Pixelate has never finished off the board in 11 starts [3-5-3] and has handled a step up in company, finishing second behind Gufo in the Grade 3 Kent before notching his first graded stakes score by outlasting Margot's Boy by a head in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby going 1 1/8 miles on September 6.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Pixelate, a son of City Zip, ran second in his only previous Belmont start, finishing a neck behind Buy Land and See in the Awad last October.

“We've been really happy with his training,” Stidham said. “He's raced at many different tracks with different riders and seems to always go out there and try hard, so we're excited to run him in a Grade 1. He's just an honest horse who goes out there and gives a big effort every single time.”

Jose Lezcano, the Belmont fall meet's current leading rider, has the call from post 6.

Rounding out the field is Venezuelan Hug, who ran sixth in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge in June at Belmont before coming back to best allowance company on August 9 at Saraoga, for trainer Danny Gargan [post 7, Manny Franco]; and Ajourneytofreedom, who will make his first start for trainer Mike Maker after running second in an $80,000 optional claiming turf contest on August 31 at Del Mar [post 9, Benjamin Hernandez].

The Belmont Derby is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 12:40 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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