Originally known as the Rare Perfume and then the Garden City, the Belmont Oaks under its current name has only been in existence since 2014, although the race itself dates to 1979. The history may not be long and some of the winners were better racemares than producers, but a trio of particularly illustrious future broodmares stands out.

Following are highlights of some of the most important Belmont Oaks winners by what impact they've had on the sport through their sons and daughters.

Sky Beauty (1990, Blushing Groom {Fr}–Maplejinsky, by Nijinsky II), bred by Sugar Maple Farm: Early in her broodmare career, she sold for $2.85 million at Keeneland and would produce just a handful of more foals, with the best on the track being England's GSW Hurricane Cat (Storm Cat). However, her great-grandson Violence is keeping her name relevant today. He's currently among the top 10 leading sires in the U.S. for 2023 by earnings.

November Snow (1989, Storm Cat–Princess Alydar, by Alydar), bred by D. J. Stable and Overbrook Farm: Although she didn't produce a stakes winner herself, November Snow's daughters have done her proud. Among her descendants are Irish champion and G1 Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}); New Zealand champion Bounding (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}); GISWs Morning Line (Tiznow) and Express Train (Union Rags); and a number of other graded performers.

Personal Ensign (1984, Private Account–Grecian Banner, by Hoist the Flag), bred by Ogden Phipps: This grand mare has to be among the sport's best examples of what a top racemare remodeling into a top broodmare can look like. Considered one of the best fillies or mares of the 20th century as an undefeated champion and Breeders' Cup winner, Personal Ensign's foals included GISWs My Flag (Easy Goer), Miner's Mark (Mr. Prospector), and Traditionally (Mr. Prospector), as well as MGISP Our Emblem (Mr. Prospector). Her descendants through her daughters include champion Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat); Breeders' Cup winner Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}); GISWs Mr Speaker (Pulpit) and Arabian Lion (Justify); and a plethora of other graded winners, including recent MGSW Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro). Four 'TDN Rising Stars', including Arabian Lion and GSW & GISP Ocho Ocho Ocho (Street Sense), have her as a granddam or great-granddam. Personal Ensign was honored as Broodmare of the Year in 1996.

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Aspen Grove carried Craig Bernick's distinctive silks to victory in a Group 3 contest at the Curragh last term and, with that valuable black-type success already secured, Stack felt connections could afford to be brave in travelling her over for Saturday's Grade I assignment. 

Stack said of the filly who is co-owned by Mrs. John Magnier, “She was in season when she ran in the Irish 1,000 Guineas so there was very much a plausible excuse for that effort. There's only one Guineas, she couldn't run in it next year, so that's why we took our chance. 

“Listen, she's travelled over well and she seems to have settled in nicely. Mark Enright is over here with her and he is happy with her so we'll see what happens.”

He added, “She has good form. She ran very well on her reappearance at Leopardstown when third in a Group 3 despite being caught wide the whole way round. 

Aspen Grove looking good ahead of Saturday's #Belmontoaks @Stack_Racing @craigb1818 @Deburghequine @oismurphy pic.twitter.com/kb3n7pT00q

— Mark Enright (@Markfishenright) July 3, 2023

“You could run around in Group 3s at home in Ireland for forty grand or you can come over here for a lot of money. She's already a Group 3 winner so she's nothing to lose and it all to gain.”

Aspen Grove is a general 8-1 chance with most firms for the Belmont Oaks and will have the assistance of Oisin Murphy in the saddle. 

Murphy's primary reason for jetting out Stateside is to ride Andrew Balding's The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the Belmont Derby and Stack said that it would have been “silly” not to snap up a rider of his quality for Aspen Grove. 

He said, “It made a lot of sense to get Oisin to ride the filly. He's coming over to ride The Foxes for Andrew Balding anyway so it would have been silly not to use him while he's here.”

Stack has enjoyed a good start to his domestic campaign in Ireland and is operating at a 17 per cent strike-rate with 11 winners under his belt. 

Indeed, he has already tasted big-race success on American soil when Yesterdayoncemore (Ire) (No Nay Never) won a Grade II at Del Mar in 2019.

Like Yesterdayoncemore, Stack says that Aspen Grove could well continue her career in America for Bernick, who he describes as an important supporter of his famous County Tipperary stable.

Stack said, “We'll get this over with first, but we will probably run her at Saratoga or at Del Mar after this. I'm very lucky to have Craig as an owner. He's a very nice guy and has a great interest in the game. He actually bred Aspen Grove.”

On the race itself, he added, “Graham Motion's filly [Mission Of Joy (Kitten's Joy)] sets a good standard and Chad Brown has a couple of nice fillies [Aspray (Quality Road) and Prerequisite (Upstart)] in there as well. 

“There are no easy Group 1 races wherever you go but they are usually not as difficult to win on the grass in America than they are in Europe so hopefully she can go close.”

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Highly-regarded McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), named after trainer Chad Brown's first employee when he struck out on his own, was an impressive debut winner last summer at the Spa, but went winless in her next three starts while placing in the GII Miss Grillo S., GII Edgewood S. and GIII Regret S. Stretching out to 10 furlongs in the Belmont Oaks, the bay kicked clear strongly in deep stretch to earn a 1 3/4-length victory. The runner-up that day, Godolphin's With The Moonlight (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), has stayed in America for Charlie Appleby since and breezed four times in an 11-day span at Saratoga in preparation for her rematch with McKulick. William Buick, who rode the homebred to a 4 3/4-length romp in the Betfair Pretty Polly S. May 1 at Newmarket, takes the reins back from Frankie Dettori, who flew in for the ride last out.

“Hopefully, she'll settle a little more into the race,” Appleby's traveling assistant Chris Connett told the NYRA notes team. “She jumped real handy last time and just was a little bit on the muscle going into the first turn and might have done just a little too much, but she still ran hard. If she can reproduce that, she should be right there.”

Filling out the short but high-quality field are Walkathon (Twirling Candy), who most recently bested McKulick in the Regret to keep her turf record perfect at three-for-three, Contemporary Art (Dubawi {Ire}), a super impressive 4 1/2-length maiden victress June 17 at Belmont, New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy), a 'TDN Rising Star' who took down McKulick in the Edgewood before finishing a non-factor eighth in the Belmont Oaks, and Oakhurst (Mr Speaker), a close second in the June 15 Wild Applause S. behind Eminent Victor (Mr. Z), who came back to just miss by a nose with a troubled trip in the local GIII Lake George S. July 22.

Earlier in the card, D. Wayne Lukas will have a significant favorite in the GIII Adirondack S. when he sends out Naughty Gal (Into Mischief), a 9 1/4-length second-out winner July 4 at Churchill. The $350,000 OBS March grad earned a 75 Beyer for that effort, while none of her five opponents have topped 64.

Out west, the GIII La Jolla H. will run as the feature in race five of an 11-race card at Del Mar, with Richard Mandella's streaking Sumter (War Front), winner of the Pasadena S. and Singletary S. earlier this year at Santa Anita, coming off a four-plus month layoff in a six-horse field that includes Armagnac (Quality Road), who will make his turf debut upon return to the Bob Baffert barn. The $210,000 Keeneland September buy was last seen setting the pace in the May 21 GI Preakness S. before retreating to finish seventh.

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Hazelwood Bloodstock, which O'Brien set up alongside his wife Philippa in 2016, boards up to 30 mares with an emphasis on quality over quantity. 

In Astrelle (Ire) (Makfi {GB}), the dam of McKulick and one of the first mares to walk through the gates at O'Brien's base in Newmarket, he has certainly been dealing with quality. 

“She's not the biggest, nor is she the flashiest, but bloody hell she puts big engines into them,” – Adrian O'Brien on Astrelle, the dam of McKulick

A solid mare on the track with Marco Botti, Astrelle achieved black-type and reached a rating of 100 in her pomp. However, it's as a broodmare where she has excelled. 

Fearless King (GB) (Kingman {GB}), her first foal, landed the G2 German Guineas in 2020 and now stands at Gestut Helenenhof while Just Beautiful (GB) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) won the G3 Sceptre S. at Doncaster before selling to BBA Ireland on behalf of Moyglare Stud for 625,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale last year.

McKulick has continued the trend for Astrelle and O'Brien revealed that he scarcely can remember a mare to have enjoyed a better start at stud.

He told TDN Europe, “We're very fortunate to have some exceptional clients and we have had the pleasure of taking nice horses to the sales. We've topped six yearling sales in the past five years and that's all well and good but, unless they are doing it on the track, we are wasting our time. 

“As the caretaker of this horse [McKulick] from the time she was born until the hammer fell [for 180,000gns to Mike Ryan at Book 1 at the Tattersalls Yearling Sale in 2020], it was enormously satisfying. 

“Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, who bred McKulick and raced her dam Astrelle, is also thrilled. He invests a lot in racing all over the world and I can guarantee that he got a great buzz out of the success.”

O'Brien added, “We opened our doors in 2016 and Astrelle was one of the first mares we covered. She was here as a maiden in her first year. That first foal became Fearless King, who won the German 2,000 Guineas. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum bred and retained an interest in Pride Of Dubai, which is why she went to him next, with the resulting foal turning out to be Just Beautiful. Then this filly [McKulick] came along. I can't remember a mare to get off to a better start.”

With a Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) 2-year-old in training with Andrew Balding and a couple of well-bred youngsters coming through the ranks, the future for Astrelle, and indeed Hazelwood Bloodstock, is bright. 

O'Brien said, “She has a Cracksman 2-year-old, who Alastair Donald bought at Tattersalls last year [for 200,000gns] on behalf of King Power, and I believe he is in training with Andrew Balding. There is some serious pressure on that horse now!

“She also has a yearling filly by Calyx (GB), who will be retained, unsurprisingly, and she has a Pinatubo (Ire) filly foal at foot. She missed on a late cover this year but will be ready to roll at the end of February but we haven't had the conversation about which sire she will visit. 

“She's only 10 years of age. It's mind-boggling. She's not the biggest, nor is she the flashiest, but bloody hell she puts big engines into them.”

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Among top-tier trainers, there is no one like him. He'll run fillies against the boys, run back in a week and he's not afraid to throw a 50-1 bomb into a race or, in the case of 2022 GI Belmont S. winner Sarava (Wild Again), a 70-1 shot. It hurts his winning percentage, which is at 17% on the year. But McPeek doesn't seem to care. His job is to make money for his owners, and he understands that the more chances he gives his horses, the more money his clients are likely to make.

McPeek dipped into his bag of tracks Saturday when he entered Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) in the Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational, a decision that led to a Grade I win in a $1-million race.

The colt had shown a lot of promise early in his career and was among the top contenders for the GI Kentucky Derby after winning the GII Tampa Bay Derby. Then trained by Brian Lynch, Classic Causeway went off form and finished eleventh in the GI Florida Derby and eleventh again in the GI Kentucky Derby. The owners made a move after the Kentucky Derby and turned the horse over to McPeek. In his first start for McPeek, he ran third in the GIII Ohio Derby, a sign that maybe he was about to come around.

That might have set him up for some of the big dirt stakes coming up for 3-year-olds. Instead, McPeek targeted the Belmont Derby. Never mind that Classic Causeway would have to come back in two weeks or that he had never run on the grass. It was a $1-million race, and McPeek decided to take a shot, something few other trainers would have done with this horse.

It didn't hurt that Classic Causeway was the recipient of a lucky break. Emmanuel (More Than Ready) was not only a top contender in the race but the clear speed. But he was scratched by the stewards for reasons that remain unclear. The New York Gaming Commission tweeted the following: “The Commission Steward has ordered the scratch of Emmanuel, scheduled to run in today's Belmont Derby, due to issues relating to veterinary records. The matter remains under review.”

With Emmanuel out, Classic Causeway was the only speed in the race. Jockey Julien Leparoux picked up on that and put in a heads-up ride. Classic Causeway led by a length after a half-mile had been run in :48 and, from there, they couldn't catch him.

McPeek's aggressive handling of horses was also on display at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where he had a good showing Saturday. He got a win in the $100,000 Mari Hulman George S. with Semble Juste (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}), who was coming back in nine days after winning an allowance at Churchill. In the GIII Indiana Oaks, he ran Runaway Wife (Gun Runner) off an eight-day layoff and Silverleaf (Speightster) off a nine-day layoff. Runaway Wife finished second and Silverleaf was third. McPeek also ran Rattle N Roll (Connect) in the GIII Indiana Derby, just a week after he won the American Derby. He finished seventh.

On Saturday, McPeek also won the GIII Iowa Oaks with Butterbean (Klimt). She was coming back in 28 days, by McPeek standards a long layoff.

The only horse he ran all day that had more than four weeks off was Tiz The Bomb (Hit It a Bomb), who was making his first start since the May Kentucky Derby in the Belmont Derby. He finished ninth.

On the day, McPeek ran horses in five different races, all of them stakes. He won two and had two others, both fillies, finish in the money and pick up black type. Among that group, everyone was running back in 28 days or less. That just doesn't happen anymore.

A Record-Breaking Belmont Meet For Chad Brown

Chad Brown winning a training title at the NYRA tracks is no longer big news, but what Brown accomplished at the Belmont meet that ended Sunday was historic.

With 153 starters, he won 47 races, setting a new record for most wins by a trainer at the Belmont spring-summer meet. The old record was 44, set by David Jacobson in 2013. But Jacobson compiled those numbers during a year in which the meet ran for 56 days. This year's meet ran for 44 days.

Twelve of Brown's winners came in graded stakes races and four were in Grade I's. He won 14 stakes overall. He won 27 turf races and 20 on the dirt. But his winning percentage on the turf was 26%, while he won with 41% of his dirt starters.

More Small Fields

They could only find five horses to run in the GII Suburban S. Saturday out at Belmont–a race that has been won by Easy Goer, Dr. Fager, Forego, Buckpasser, Kelso, Bold Ruler–and one came from the barn of the racing secretary's best friend, Uriah St. Lewis. The winner, Dynamic One (Union Rags), had never before won a graded stakes.

Between the June 11 GI Metropolitan H. and the GI Woodward S., likely to be run this year on Oct. 1, NYRA will offer five graded stakes for males on the dirt. (The other two are the GI Whitney S. and the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup). Please don't try to tell me this isn't a problem.

Juan Vazquez and the Pennsylvania Racing Commission

For years, the Pennsylvania Racing Commission seemed like a do-nothing organization run by bureaucrats who had better things to do than to truly police the sort. But it looks like that has changed.

Juan Vazquez, who has a long and troubling history of breaking the rules, shipped a horse in January from Belmont to Parx. The horse, Shining Colors (Paynter), arrived in such bad shape that she had to be euthanized due to what the stewards said was a case of severe laminitis. Vazquez was suspended for 2 1/2 years Friday, and the stewards called his actions “grossly negligent, cruel and abusive.”

This was not your typical slap on the wrist, but a penalty that fit the crime. Obviously, the racing commission has had enough of Vazquez's flouting the rules and it brought its hammer down on a trainer who should have been thrown out of the game years ago.

He is eligible to return on Jan. 26, 2025. Will someone–a racing commission, a track?–let him race at that time? One would hope that the sport can show enough backbone that Vazquez will never participate again. Just don't count on it.

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It had been suggested that La Parisienne would be trained in America at some point in her career but part-owner Peter Bradley revealed on Monday that the filly will remain in the care of the father and son team of Carlos and Yann Lerner.

Reflecting on Sunday's race, Bradley told TDN Europe, “It was a bit gut-wrenching but, when you lose to a filly like Nashwa, you know it represented a huge step up from La Parisienne.”

He added, “It was amazing how Gérald Mosse rode her and, when he asked her to quicken, she produced a huge run. You really can't ask much more than for horse and rider to do their best and that they did.”

Bradley thinks La Parisienne possesses a lot of the key attributes needed to excel in America but admitted that the lure of some of the top races in France, including the Arc, is enough for connections to leave the star filly in training there.

Kentucky-based Bradley said, “Most of the time when I buy a horse, the plan is for them to come to America in the relatively near future and, judging by her first race, after which we bought her, she certainly looked like she had the turn of foot you love to see in American turf racing. 

“In America, you absolutely need a turn of foot because of our short straights, but in Europe, the straights are much bigger and a horse who grinds it out can get there.”

He added, “She looks like she would be a good fit for America and the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. would have been a good race for her but the timeframe rules that out because there is only three weeks until that race. 

“Coming into the French Oaks, the way she had been training, I really felt that she'd finish top six or seven and, with the talent in the race, said that, if she ran a top three finish, I'd be exceedingly happy. Given the way she ran, finishing a short neck behind one of the best fillies in Europe, she stamped herself as a filly who needs to stay in France.”

La Parisienne will be aimed at the Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp next with Bradley revealing that her trainers believe the best is yet to come from the filly.

He said, “We will give her an easy summer and maybe look at the Prix Vermeille then we'll see what October holds. We'll look at the Prix de l'Opéra and the Arc wouldn't be out of the question. 

“Team Lerner think she will be better with cut in the ground. They all think that soft ground is what she needs and, if that is the call, the autumn could be exciting.”

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For a complete list of 2021 honorees, visit the TTA's website here.

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Lynch said Silverton Hill's Red Danger will use that Saratoga experience to step up to stakes company next out at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky. Red Danger had been training in the Bluegrass State at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., before setting up a show at the Spa in early July.

“He stepped up like we needed him to the other day and now we'll look at one of those 2-year-old stakes at Kentucky Downs,” Lynch said. “We're very happy with how he did it and his time at Saratoga set him up nicely for his next steps.”

The news wasn't as positive for Amerman Racing's graded stakes-winner Gift List, who was working her way back from one setback before needing a chip removed last week, postponing her return to the track.

“We had another little hiccup with her,” Lynch said. “She had a small chip removed and she's going to be laid up for a little bit. She'll be back in the fall, hopefully.”

Gift List has not run since finishing third in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 3 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. as the 3-year-old Bated Breath filly worked her way back after recovering from pneumonia and combating colic.

On August 6, Gift List breezed four furlongs in :54.20 seconds on over Saratoga's Oklahoma turf training track. Lynch's original goal was to get her ready for the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks going 1 3/8 miles on September 18 at Belmont, but those fall plans have now been placed in a holding pattern.

After earning black type in the Wonder Again over a Belmont turf rated good, Gift List was slated for a potential next-out start in the first leg of the Turf Triple with the $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on July 10 followed by the $700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 8.

Instead, she likely will have to skip the Turf Triple series entirely, curtailing the momentum she generated to start 2021 when she ran second, a half-length back to Jouster, in the Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., before winning the Grade 2 Edgewood by 4 1/2 lengths going 1 1/16 miles in April at Churchill Downs. That winning effort netted a personal-best 88 Beyer.

Toby's Heart, who ran third in the Grade 3 Lake George on July 23 going one mile on the Saratoga turf, was listed as a probable for Saturday's $200,000 Grade 2 Lake Placid for sophomore fillies going 1 1/16 miles but instead will opt for the $500,000 Music City at 6 1/2 furlongs on Sunday, September 12 at Kentucky Downs.

Owned by Terry Hamilton, Lynch and Gary Barber, Toby's Heart won the 5 1/2-furlong Limestone Turf Sprint in April at Keeneland over a course labeled good. Stretched out to seven furlongs, the Jack Milton filly ran fifth in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly in May at Belmont but responded by running second in the Tepin contested at the Lake George distance on June 26 at Churchill Downs over firm ground.

After heading back to Kentucky, Lynch said there is a possibility Toby's Heart will return to Belmont for the fall meet.

“She's doing really well and we're looking forward to cutting her back in distance a little bit and having a crack at the big pot down there and then see what our options are,” Lynch said.

Toby's Heart breezed a half-mile in :51.50 Sunday on the Oklahoma training turf.

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Dalika started the sequence by besting Luck Money by one length in the $150,000 Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial in Race 5 at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., with fillies and mares 3-years-old and up competing at 1 3/8 miles on the turf. Trained by Al Stall, Jr. and ridden by Miguel Mena, Dalika completed the course in 2:16.35 and returned $10.60 on a $2 win wager.

Three consecutive stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. comprised the heart of the wager, starting with Santa Barbara's rally for a half-length win in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational in Race 7. The Irish-bred shipper for trainer Aidan O'Brien rallied from seventh at the top of the stretch under internationally renowned jockey Ryan Moore, winning the 1 1/4-mile inner turf contest for sophomore fillies that was the first leg of the Turf Triple series. Santa Barbara, who notched a 2:03.76 final time, paid $4.30 as the even-money favorite in Race 7.

Prat, aboard the runner-up Con Lima in the Belmont Oaks Invitational, earned a trip to the winner's circle in the next race piloting Souper Sensational to a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Victory Ride for 3-year-old fillies sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track in Race 8. Trained by Casse, Souper Sensational returned $13.80, posting a final time of 1:15.79 to top Ova Charged.

Belmont's other Turf Triple opener – the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds also going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf, saw O'Brien and Moore team up again to win aboard a talented Irish-bred shipper, as Bolshoi Ballet rewarded his even-money favoritism with a 1 1/4-length score, paying $4.10. Bolshoi Ballet topped the French-bred Tokyo Gold, hitting the wire in 2:04.42.

Delaware Park bookended the action when Miss Marissa bested a six-horse field of fillies and mares 3-years-old and up to win the $400,000 Grade 2 Delaware Handicap by 1 1/4 lengths in Race 9. Miss Marissa, conditioned by James Ryerson and ridden by Daniel Centeno, notched a final time of 2:04.50, paying $11.40.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational notched her first career graded stakes score when going five-wide in the upper stretch and surging home under jockey Flavien Prat to win the 6 1/2-furlong main track sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Her win over Ova Charged earned the Curlin filly a personal-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure as she improved her career record to 3-1-1 in seven starts.

Casse had Souper Sensational on the trail for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks earlier in her sophomore campaign, where she finished third in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March over a fast track. In her last start, she ran fourth in the Grade 2 Eight Belles in April at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., also over a fast track. The Victory Ride was the first time Souper Sensational ran over a track rated good.

“She's always shown a lot of talent,” said Casse. “We tried to get her to the Oaks and maybe in retrospect, she might just be a good sprinter type or going a mile. But the race set up for her yesterday and Flavien rode her well. She was impressive.”

In the Eight Belles, Hall of Famer John Velazquez was aboard for the seven-furlong sprint, and the veteran rider told Casse afterward he was disappointed in the effort based on Souper Sensational's ability.

“She trained really well into this race. [Assistant trainer] David Carroll, who had her for me at Louisville, thought she trained as well, if not better, than ever coming into the race, and he was right,” Casse said. “The last time she ran at Churchill, Johnny came back and was very frustrated. He said he was following a horse and a horse stopped in front of him and said we should have done a lot better than she did.

“So, we gave her a little break. She had been running hard,” Casse added. “I gave her just a little training beak. Sometimes you don't have to go home to get a break. We just didn't do anything with her for a little while. After the race at Churchill, our goal was the Test, and I figured, what's the best way to get to that race?' And yesterday was a great step.”

The G1 Longines Test for sophomore fillies is held at seven furlongs. Casse said Souper Sensational was headed upstate to Saratoga Springs to begin training for that contest next month.

“She got a 95 Beyer, which is very good for a 3-year-old filly. If you consider the wide trip too, it was impressive,” Casse said reflecting on the Victory Ride. “She's now headed to Saratoga this morning and we'll look at the Test.”

John C. Oxley's Palazzi had a troubled trip and finished sixth in Saturday's $1 million Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational at 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf. After breaking from the inside post under Tyler Gaffalione in the nine-horse field, Palazzi could not find racing room until it was too late, finishing 3 1/4 lengths behind winner Bolshoi Ballet. It was the third time in six starts Palazzi drew the inside post in a stakes race.

“Poor Palazzi, he can't catch a break,” Casse said. “He drew the one-hole again and there wasn't anything Tyler did wrong, but there was nowhere to go and there was too much to do when he finally got loose. I guess we'll go to the next big one in Saratoga.”

With the Belmont Derby Invitational serving as the first leg of the Turf Triple series, the “big one” at Saratoga will host the middle jewel of the series, with the $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at 1 3/16 miles set for Whitney Day on August 7.

Casse's other entry in a Turf Triple race, Spanish Loveaffair, ran last-of-eight in the $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf. Casse didn't pick up a next spot yet but said a shorter distance could suit the Karakontie filly better. Spanish Loveaffair is owned by Gary Barber, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael Hernon.

“I just think we're going to cut her back and go a mile,” Casse said. “She wants a race where there's a little more pace. The problem is the further you run, the less pace there is. She was just too rambunctious early on yesterday.”

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