Belmont Oaks | Horse Racing Free Tips

Weekend Lineup: International Challengers Take On Belmont Turf

There will be seven graded stakes races this weekend at Woodbine, Delaware Park, and at Belmont Park, which closes out its spring/summer meeting with two Grade 1 turf races as European and American 3-year-olds compete in the Belmont Oaks and Belmont Derby Invitationals. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern).

TVG will be broadcasting racing throughout the weekend from Delaware Park, Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, Woodbine and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app, which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

“America's Day at the Races” will be broadcasting live on Saturday, July 10 on FS1 from 1-3 p.m., and on FS2 from 3-5:30 p.m. from Belmont. On Sunday, July 11, “America's Day at the Races” will be live on FS2 from 12:30-4 p.m., and on FS1 from 4-5 p.m.

Saturday, July 10

3:15 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park on TVG

Godolphin's Micheline looks to return to her winning ways leading a field of nine fillies and mares at Delaware Park in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial on turf. Trained by Mike Stidham and ridden from post 4 by Joe Bravo, Micheline won the Grade 2 Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs in March, but finished sixth in the Grade 1 Coolmore Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April, and 10th last out in Monmouth's Grade 3 Eatontown on June 20, failing to launch a serious bid. Pocket Aces Racing's 5-year-old Temple City Terror defeated Bal Mar Equine's Dalika (GER) by three-quarters of a length in the black type Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 22, reversing the order of finish from the listed Albert M. Stall Memorial at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 13 when Dalika prevailed by 1 length. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Temple City Terror, a 5-year-old daughter of Temple City, will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 5. Dalika, a six-time winner, is trained by Al Stall Jr., and will be ridden by Miguel Mena from post 8.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DEL071021USA5-EQB.html

4:06 p.m. ― $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at Belmont Park on FS2

Trainer Aidan O'Brien has sent over Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Santa Barbara (IRE) from his base in Ireland, leading a European challenge of Nazuna (IRE) from England, and Cirona (GB) from France, among eight 3-year-old fillies in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at 1 ¼ miles on turf. The even-money morning line favorite, Santa Barbara, ridden by Ryan Moore from post 5, just missed winning the Group 1 Al Wasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh on June 27, losing a furious stretch-drive battle to 4-year-old Thundering Nights (IRE) by a neck. Hanako Varian's Nazuna, trained by Roger Varian, returns to the U.S. where she finished 10th in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. In her lone start this year, Nazuna, a daughter of Kodiak (GB), finished second in the Grade 2 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom on June 5. John Velazquez will ride from post 6. Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron, Kent Starr, Sara Starr and Gary Finder's Cirona won the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte Stakes at ParisLongchamp on April 18. She lost a heartbreaker in the Group 1 Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp, headed in the final yards. Cirona is trained in by Christophe Ferland, but will be turned over to Chad Brown following this race. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus, and Troy Johnson's Con Lima, and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso's Plum Ali, the 1-2 finishers in the Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont on June 3, are back again. Texas-bred Con Lima, trained by Todd Pletcher, is four of six this year, while the Christophe Clement-trained Plum Ali is seeking her first win of 2021. She captured the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont in 2020.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL071021USA-EQB.html#RACE7

4:21 p.m. ―$150,000 Grade 3 Selene Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

Three-year-old fillies are in the spotlight on Woodbine's all-weather surface Saturday in the Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Selene Stakes. Trainer Mark Casse, a Hall of Famer in both Canada and the U.S., has entered three of the seven starters: Gary Barber's California Lily, Live Oak Plantation's Florida-bred Our Flash Drive and D.J. Stable's Danger. California Lily, ridden by Rafael Hernandez from post 2, finished third by less than a length in Woodbine's Grade 3 Star Shoot Stakes on June 19. Our Flash Drive (Patrick Husbands, post 3) was a 3 ¾-length maiden winner earlier on the June 19 Woodbine card. Danger (Emma-Jayne Wilson, post 6) is making her first start since breaking her maiden at Turfway Park last December. William T. Harrigan's Gote Go is the 2-1 morning line favorite off a solid 2-length score in a 1 1/16-mile allowance turf race at Churchill Downs on June 5 for trainer Roger Attfield. Steven Bahen has the mount from post 1.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO071021CAN7-EQB.html

4:38 p.m. ―$150,000 Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont Park on FS2

Magnifico Stable and Hubert Guy's Louisiana-bred Australasia, unbeaten in six starts, leads a field of 3-year-old fillies going 6 ½ furlongs in the Grade 3 Victory Ride. Trained by Brad Cox, Australasia faces seven runners in her first graded stakes try. After four wins against state breds, Australasia won an allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs by two lengths on April 30, and the listed 6-furlong Jersey Girl Stakes by 1 length over Bella Sofia at Belmont on June 6. Joel Rosario has the mount from post 7. Michael Imperio, Vincent Scuderi, Sofia Soares, Gabrielle Farm, Mazel Stable Partners, and Matthew Mercurio's Bella Sofia will be making just her third start. Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Bella Sofia blew away the field when breaking her maiden at 6 furlongs by 11 ¼ lengths at Belmont on May 6 prior to the Jersey Girl. Manny Franco has the mount from post 1. Team D and Madaket Stables' Miss Brazil, third in the Jersey Girl, has won three of six starts for trainer Anthony Dutrow. Jose Ortiz will ride Miss Brazil from post 3.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL071021USA8-EQB.html

5:12 p.m. ―$1 million Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park on FS2

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Bolshoi Ballet leads nine runners in Saturday's 1 ¼-mile Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes on the turf for 3-year-olds. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, Bolshoi Ballet, a son of Galileo (IRE), has won two of three starts this year, including the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes on April 11 at Leopardstown. However, he followed up that performance with a disappointing seventh-place finish, with no surge in the final furlong, as the 7-5 favorite in the Group? 1 Kazoo Derby at Epsom on June 5. Ryan Moore will ride from post 2. From France comes Teruya Yoshida's Tokyo Gold (FR), a winner of three of six starts, including a four-length score in the Group 2 Derby Italiano Universita' Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (Italian Derby) at Capannelle in Rome on May 23. Trained by Satoshi Kobayashi, Tokyo Gold will be ridden by John Velazquez from post 7. The Bill Mott-trained Du Jour won the Grade 2, 1 1/16-mile American Turf presented by Derby City Gaming on May 1 at Churchill Downs for his third straight win this year. Owned by Natalie Baffert and Debbie Lanni, Du Jour will break from post 5 under Flavien Prat. Robert LaPenta, Augustin Stable and Madaket Stables' Hard Love is two for two this year, including a 1 1/8-mile allowance optional claiming win on June 5 at Belmont for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Manny Franco has the mount from post 6.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL071021USA9-EQB.html

5:15 p.m. ―$400,000 Grade 2 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on TVG

A field of seven is set for Saturday's Grade 2 Delaware Handicap for older fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles. Juddmonte's 4-year-old Bonny South, trained by Brad Cox, has been first or second in her last five starts, which includes a victory in Keeneland's Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes on April 16, and a second-place finish to Letruska, the No. 1 rated horse in the weekly NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll, in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont on June 5. Florent Geroux has the mount from post 5. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has entered the 5-year-old Queen Nekia (Sheldon Russell, post 2) and the 4-year-old Gibberish (Trevor McCarthy, post 1). Florida-bred Queen Nekia has won 10 races, including the Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park in February. Queen Nekia finished fourth in the Ogden Phipps. e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Gibberish, a four-time winner, finished second in the listed Lady's Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park last time out on June 6. Miracle International Trading's Dream Marie, trained by Matthew Wiliams and ridden by Joe Bravo from post 3, won the listed 1 1/16-mile Obeah Stakes at Delaware by 1 ¾-lengths over Cammarota Racing's Miss Marissa by 1 ¾ lengths. Miss Marissa, trained by Jim Ryerson, will be ridden from post 6 by Daniel Centano.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DEL071021USA9-EQB.html

Sunday, July 11

4:24 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Marine Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

San-Som Farm's Canadian homebred Tidal Forces is two for two this year leading six runners in a wide-open field of 3-year-olds in the 1 1/16-mile Marine Stakes on the all-weather surface at Woodbine. Trained by Gail Cox and ridden from post 1 by Emma-Jayne Wilson, Tidal Forces came from off the pace to score by a half-length in a 1 1/16-mile optional allowance claiming race at Woodbine on June 19. Breeze Easy Stable's Easy Time is making his first start since Feb. 12, when he finishing second in an optional allowance claiming race at Gulfstream Park by a neck for trainer Mark Casse. Rafael Hernandez has the mount from post 3. Casse is also starting Gary Barber's Frosted Over, who broke his maiden at 7 furlongs at Woodbine on June 20. Kazushi Kimura rides from post 2.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO071121CAN7-EQB.html

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This Side Up: Grass Looking Greener on the Other Side

I don't know which is the greater compliment, the one extended across the continent or the one across the ocean. Putting them together, however, the hosts of the GI Belmont Derby Invitational can feel confident they must be doing something right.

This race has now obtained such stature that the most exciting turf sophomore in the land has had to join the recent defections from the Bob Baffert barn in order to take part–even though Du Jour (Temple City) represents a partnership comprising Debbie Lanni and Baffert's own wife, Jill. With Baffert suspended by NYRA, the significance of this colt's transfer to Bill Mott won't be lost on anyone locally. Very few, however, will be aware of quite how seriously the maturing East Coast turf program is being taken by the most powerful stable in Europe.

It is barely a month since 'TDN Rising Stars' Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) arrived at Epsom as reputedly the premier 3-year-olds of their sex at Ballydoyle. In the event, both proved disappointing and others in the yard have meanwhile advanced through the ranks. Nonetheless both retain a credibility that will focus much European attention on their performances on Saturday–just as NYRA hoped, when inaugurating the Belmont Derby and Oaks in 2014, and the Turf Triple a couple of years ago.

The kudos vested in any colt that starts at such short odds for the Derby can certainly survive a single performance (not least over such an idiosyncratic track) that transparently fell short of his rehearsals. Indeed, it is often better to run unequivocally below form than to settle for the kind of supporting role that might expose a horse's limitations. But the stakes for Bolshoi Ballet are clearly high.

Santa Barbara, for her part, began her campaign under an awful burden of expectation for a filly that had contested a single maiden. In the meantime her remarkable dam had produced a second consecutive Breeders' Cup winner, and Santa Barbara was clearly reckoned to be cut from similar cloth to Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}). Making her favorite for Classics on only her second and third starts proved too extravagant, though she was beaten only a neck by a much more seasoned rival in another Group 1 since Epsom. Shipping here, with just 10 days between races, suggests that Santa Barbara is now really being put through the boot camp after her leisured adolescence.

To hope for two such important reputations to be renewed here is a tribute to the way these races have bedded down since their launch, shortly after the arrival of Martin Panza at NYRA.

Heritage is the lifeblood of our sport, and around the world we've all seen it discarded by marketing folk without cultural antennae, clumsily conflating tradition with stagnation. And not every innovation in New York's historic race program is going to work this well. Plenty of people, for instance, grieve the absorption of the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. into a mega-card capped by the GI Belmont S.; while donating the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup to Saratoga feels like Robin Hood robbing the poor and giving to the rich. But this regeneration of the turf program was an exceptionally far-sighted response to a growing need.

Everyone in our business talks a good game about turf racing. Racetracks are doing their bit, not just at the apex but through the pyramid. But the American bloodstock industry is not responding where it counts, at ringside. The commercial market's terror of turf stallions is a massive problem. Even proven ones are undervalued and newer ones, however eligible, tend to be dismissed with contempt. As a result, we have a roaring trade in European imports–and nowadays not just proven runners but also yearlings–to farm inflating U.S. purses.

I'm always complaining about the obtuseness of European breeders about dirt blood, but it's a two-way street and cynical, fast-buck trading across the freshman sire window is no way to build a sustainable breed. Let's not forget that turf tends to be a less punishing surface; nor that the welfare of each individual racehorse is increasingly entwined with the viability of our whole sport.

That was the key message drawn this week by colleague Dan Ross in an outstanding two-part interview with the reliably uninhibited Dr. Rick Arthur, who has just retired as California's equine medical director (Click here for Part 1, here for Part 2). It seems to me that too many horsemen employ vets as a pharmaceutical bag-of-tricks, in effect as a means of pushing the margins of regulation. Vets should enter the barn for one reason, and one reason only: to protect the horses housed there.

Baffert, inevitably, featured in several questions and Dr. Arthur indicated a fairly candid distaste for his aggressive works, not least when emulated by others with lesser stock. The world certainly looks a different place since Baffert saddled not only Medina Spirit in the Derby but also Du Jour on the undercard.

Several powerful owners have meanwhile removed horses from his care, but we should not put words in their mouths and Baffert's prohibition from NYRA tracks is doubtless a pragmatic consideration for some, regardless of any other disquiet they may have. To see Du Jour join the exodus to fulfil his potential reminds us that this whole drama is not just playing out in headlines and courtrooms. Human lives are being lived by human beings, out of that limelight but never out of that shadow. At some point, over a coffee or a glass of wine, a husband and a wife and a friend have addressed a dilemma on the margins of the professional and the personal. Du Jour's granddam, remember, is a half-sister to Ghostzapper and City Zip: there's a place at stud in play here.

But then it only looks essential for Du Jour to run at Belmont because NYRA recognized that their turf program needed an overhaul. Doing that has, in turn, incentivized the breeding industry to behave in a fashion that will better serve the welfare of the Thoroughbred. That's the ultimate imperative, after all. And, guess what, it's the same one that requires those who push the boundaries to be policed and punished.

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Santa Barbara Headlines Belmont Oaks

Every year the GI Belmont Oaks and Derby attract an intriguing mix of European invaders and America's best sophomore turf horses and this year is no exception. The Coolmore contingent, Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore have a strong shot at taking their second renewal of this race with 'TDN Rising Star' Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who enters this race of a narrow runner-up in Group 1 company. A debut winner at the Curragh in September, the bay was fourth in the G1 QIPCO One Thousand Guineas May 2 at Newmarket. A well-beaten fifth in the June 4 G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom, Santa Barbara missed by just a neck in the G1 Pretty Polly S. back at the Curragh June 27.

“Every race she's had this year has been a Group 1 and she's been running very well in them,” said O'Brien's traveling assistant T.J. Comerford. “I suppose the ground was bad at Epsom when she ran in the Oaks. Quicker ground suited her better taking on the older fillies [in the Pretty Polly] and she ran well.”

Roger Varian also made the trip across the pond with a strong contender in Nazuna (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). The bay was second in a Doncaster handicap Sept. 10 and completed the exacta in the G2 Rockfel S. 15 days later. Failing to fire in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 6, she was second last out in the Princess Elizabeth S. at Epsom June 5. Varian called on Belmont expert John Velazquez to guide Nazuna here.

Rounding out the European trio is Group 3 winner Cirona (GB) (Maxios {GB}). Following an allowance win with runner-up efforts in the G3 Priz des Reservoirs and Criterium du Languedoc last term, the dark bay opened 2021 with a victory in the G3 Prix de la Grotte in April and missed by a head in the Prix Saint-Allary May 24. She enters off a non-factor 10th in the G1 Prix de Diane Longines June 20. Cirona will be saddled by Christophe Ferland here, but part-owner Pete Bradley indicated she would be transferred to Chad Brown after this race.

“A filly like this is right in Chad's wheelhouse,” said Bradley. “It doesn't look like there will be firm going up there. I don't think some cut in the ground ever hurts with 90% of European horses. I don't see where the turf will be problematic regardless of what it is this week.”

The top two from the local prep for this event, the GIII Wonder Again S., return here in Con Lima (Commissioner) and Plum Ali (First Samurai). Only off the board once in 11 starts, the dark bay scored a decisive victory in the Honey Ryder S. May 1 and followed suit with a half-length defeat of Plum Ali in the Wonder Again June 3. Winner of this venue's GII Miss Grillo S. last term, Plum Ali was third in the GII Appalachian S. prior to the Wonder Again.

“She shows up and runs well every time,” said Todd Pletcher. “She finished up the mile and an eighth really well last time and being a daughter of Commissioner, you'd think the mile and a quarter would be within her scope. We're happy with the way she's doing and looking forward to giving her a shot.”

The first two home in the GIII Regret S. also return here in Gam's Mission (Noble Missioon {GB}) and Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}). Gam's Mission has a lifetime record of three-for-four and stakes winner Spanish Loveaffair has been a consistent performer in graded company.

Rounding out the field is a horse making her first start in graded company, but who hails from a barn that can't be ignored in a turf stakes. The Chad Brown-trained Higher Truth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won a pair of 10-furlong events over this course Apr. 22 and June 10.

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Half-Sister To Two Breeders’ Cup Winners, Santa Barbara Headlines $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational

An international field led by the Aidan O'Brien-trained Santa Barbara will assemble for Saturday's $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park.

The Belmont Oaks is one of three stakes on the final Saturday of the Belmont spring/summer meet, including the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares.

Inaugurated in 2019, the Turf Triple series for fillies begins with Saturday's 1 1/4-mile (2,000 meters) test on the Belmont inner turf. The series continues at Saratoga Race Course on August 8 with the $700,000 Saratoga Oaks, held at 1 3/16-miles (1,900 meters) on the Saratoga lawn; and concludes with the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks at 1 3/8-miles (2,200 meters) on the Belmont turf on September 18.

A winner at first asking in September at the Curragh, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Santa Barbara entered the Group 1 Thousand Guineas as the mutuel favorite, finishing fourth over one-mile of good going at Newmarket in May.

Santa Barbara was a distant fifth traveling 12 furlongs in the Group 1 Epsom Oaks over good-to-soft going on June 4, but showed grit and determination last out when a willing second in the Group 1 Pretty Polly defeated a head to 4-year-old Thundering Nights, who missed by a nose when second to multiple graded-stakes winner Mean Mary on June 4 in the Grade 2 New York at Belmont.

“Quicker ground suited her better taking on the older fillies [in the Pretty Polly] and she ran well,” Comerford added. “She came here on the back of that. It doesn't seem to have fazed her at all. She looks magnificent. She looks like a colt, actually.”

The regally-bred Santa Barbara, by Camelot and out of the Danehill mare Senta's Dream, is a half-sister to 2019 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf-winner Iridessa and 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile victor Order of Australia.

Comerford said Santa Barbara has the potential to match the ability of her accomplished siblings.

“They're Breeders' Cup winners and I suppose there's no reason why this one can't be of the same mold as those two,” Comerford said. “She obviously has a lot to live up to, but at the same time she's doing all the right things. Aidan thinks a lot of her. Her work at home has been all good. She probably is just running in tough races and getting all the experience from running in them.”

Santa Barbara, who will exit post 5 under Ryan Moore, is following a similar path to the O'Brien-trained Athena, also by Camelot, who finished third in the 2018 Pretty Polly and wheeled back on six-days rest to post a 2 1/2-length score in the Belmont Oaks under Moore.

“Aidan is very keen on her, so hopefully she doesn't disappoint,” said Comerford. “We did it before with Athena where it was only a week from when we ran her at the Curragh in the Pretty Polly. Athena came back and ran super at Belmont, so we're hoping to see the same from this one. She's coming here in good shape.”

Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron, Kent Starr, Sara Starr and Gary Finder's Cirona, trained by Christophe Ferland, captured the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte in April at Longchamp traveling a prominent trip over one-mile of firm footing.

The British-bred daughter of Maxios followed with a narrow head defeat to Incarville after carving out the fractions in the 10-furlong Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary on soft turf in May at Longchamp.

Last out, Cirona failed to make the lead and never saw daylight when 10th, defeated just 3 1/4-lengths, in a 17-horse field in the 1 5/16-mile Group 1 Prix de Diane on June 20 at Chantilly.

Cirona will emerge from post 2 under Jose Lezcano.

Local hopes will be carried by the one-two finishers of last month's nine-furlong Grade 3 Wonder Again in Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus and Troy Johnson's Con Lima and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso's Plum Ali.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Con Lima sat a stalking trip in the Wonder Again under Flavien Prat, prevailing by a half-length over the Christophe Clement-conditioned Plum Ali, who rallied wide from last-of-9 under Joel Rosario.

Con Lima, a Texas-bred daughter of Commissioner, was elevated to victory in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in February at Gulfstream Park after Belmont Oaks-rival Spanish Loveaffair, who crossed the wire first, was disqualified and placed fourth.

“She shows up and runs well every time,” said Pletcher. “She finished up the mile and an eighth really well last time and being a daughter of Commissioner, you'd think the mile and a quarter would be within her scope. We're happy with the way she's doing and looking forward to giving her a shot.”

Boasting a consistent record of six wins and four seconds from 11 starts, Con Lima will exit the inside post under Prat.

“I'd like to see her prominent early, possibly on the lead. She seems to run effectively that way,” said Pletcher.

Plum Ali, a Kentucky-bred daughter of First Samurai, won her first three starts, culminating in a 2 1/4-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Miss Grillo in October at Belmont. She completed her campaign with an even fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf won by Aunt Pearl in November at Keeneland.

The talented chestnut entered the Wonder Again from a close third in the Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland in her seasonal debut.

Clement said the wide, late-running trip last out was due to exiting the outermost post 9 and he expects a different trip this time when Plum Ali leaves post 7 with Rosario in the irons.

“She can be wherever she wants,” said Clement. “The other day she was drawn on the outside, which is why she was so far back in the race. With a good draw, there's no reason for her to be so far back.”

Clement said the added furlong shouldn't be an issue.

“She finished well going a mile and a furlong, so we'll give her another eighth of a mile and see what happens,” said Clement. “She's been a little bit unlucky, but hopefully she can put it all together.”

The French-born conditioner said he relishes the opportunity to take on a field laden with European talent.

“This is what happens in these kind of races with big purses,” said Clement. “The competition doesn't get easier, it gets tougher. Welcome to New York. My filly is nice too, we'll take them on.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Hernon and Gary Barber's multiple graded-stakes placed Spanish Loveaffair enters from a narrow runner-up effort as the mutuel favorite to Belmont Oaks-rival Gam's Mission in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Regret, contested over good going on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Karakontie bay captured the Sharp Susan in August at Gulfstream ahead of a good second to Aunt Pearl in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Jessamine in October at Keenland.

“There was some give in the ground last time and I think she'd prefer it a little firmer,” Casse said of the Regret effort. “She had a minor throat issue, so she missed some time. I thought, given the layoff, it was a really good effort. I was very pleased with her last start.”

Casse said Spanish Loveaffair required treatment following her sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Appalachian at Keeneland in her start prior to the Regret.

“In her start at Keeneland, we discovered a kind of fungus afterwards that she had,” said Casse. “It was a weird deal; our vet said he hadn't seen it in 15 years. So, she had to go through some therapy and treatment but she recovered from it and ran well in the Regret.”

Casse said he is hopeful Spanish Loveaffair can take another step forward on Saturday.

“She'll have to be good, it's a tough field. She should build off her last race,” said Casse.

Tyler Gaffalione retains the mount from post 4.

Gam's Mission, a Lazy F Ranch homebred trained by Cherie DeVaux, has won 3-of-4 career starts. The Noble Mission bay graduated at second asking in a key 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on firm Fair Grounds turf in March and followed with a neck score in a 1 1/16-mile Churchill Downs allowance in May.
Last out, she closed from fifth to win her stakes debut in dramatic fashion by three-quarters of a length.

Adam Beschizza retains the mount from post 8.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle allowance-winner Higher Truth in search of extending his Belmont Oaks record to six wins after previous scores with Samitar [2012], Alterite [2013], Minorette [2014], Lady Eli [2015] and New Money Honey [2017].

Michael Ryan, Jeff Drown and Team Hanley's Higher Truth, an Irish-bred daughter of Galileo, has won her last two starts going 10-furlongs on firm Belmont turf. The lightly-raced bay graduated on April 22 and followed with an allowance score over older fillies and mares on June 10.

Jose Ortiz will guide Higher Truth from post 3.

Nazuna, an Irish-bred daughter of Kodiac, is trained by Roger Varian for his wife, Hanako.

Following a runner-up effort in the seven-furlong Group 2 Rockfel in September at Newmarket, Nazuna made her North American debut with a 10th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to close out her 2-year-old campaign in November.

Nazuna made her seasonal debut with a runner-up effort in the 1 1/16-mile Group 3 Princess Elizabeth on June 5 at Epsom.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride Nazuna from post 6.

The Belmont Oaks is slated as Race 7 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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