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Mean Mary Ekes Out A Win In The New York Stakes

A torrential downpour might have delayed racing for 30 minutes at Belmont Park Friday afternoon, but the rain couldn't dampen the parade for Mean Mary. The Graham Motion trainee and daughter of Scat Daddy broke fast to take a two-length lead and then held off a fast closing Thundering Nights (IRE) to win the Grade 2 New York Stakes at a mile and a quarter on the turf.

Winner of the 2020 edition of the New York, Mean Mary faced a field of eight others, including co-favorite Harvey's Little Goil, after Micheline, Always Shopping, and Antoinette scratched. Breaking from post position six, this 5-year-old mare broke flying under jockey Luis Saez on a yielding Belmont turf course, opening up a length and a half between her and Traipsing. Virginia Joy and Harvey's Little Goil ran in third and fourth for the first six furlongs.

With fractions of :25.09 for the first quarter and :50.31 for the first half, Mean Mary held an easy lead throughout, keeping the pace slow and saving enough for her stretch run. Out of the final turn, Thundering Nights, trained by Joseph O'Brien, was set down for a furious stretch run by Johnny Velazquez, but was unable to catch Mean Mary. Only a nose separated the two at the wire.

Owned by Alex Campbell Thoroughbreds, Mean Mary is a daughter of the late Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) out of the Dynaformer mare Karlovy Vary. She is two for two in 2021, with a victory in the G3 Galorette in her first start of the year at Pimlico on Preakness Stakes Day. She ran the mile and a quarter New York Stakes in 2:04.68. My Sister Nat and Virginia Joy finished third and fourth, with Harvey's Little Goil, Mutamakina, Magic Attitude, Civil Union, and Traipsing rounding out the field.

Trainer Graham Motion was pleased with his repeat victor's performance even with the short margin between her and Thundering Nights.

“I was really anxious when I saw [No. 9, Thundering Nights] closing so fast, but I had felt pretty confident to that point.” Motion told the NYRA press office. “She was really running. She came out of the gate like a rabbit. I'd never seen her break like that. She really does love it. She's such a cool filly.”

Jockey Luis Saez was pleased with Mean Mary's run on the yielding turf.

“She got a great trip, broke out of there so well.” Saez said after the race. “She always breaks pretty well, but today was better than ever. She controlled the pace. The track was a little soft, but she handled it. She tried pretty hard the whole time.”

Mean Mary, co-favorite at 3-1, paid $7.40, $4.80, and $4.20. Thundering Nights (4-1) paid $5.40 and $4.50. My Sister Nat (18-1) paid $6.90 to show.

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Estilo Talentoso Splashes Home On Top In Bed O’ Roses

Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Little Red Feather Racing, and BlackRidge Stables' Estilo Talentoso took advantage of her outside draw to capture Friday's Grade 3, $300,000 Bed o' Roses Stakes at Belmont Park, defeating Lake Avenue by a neck on the wire. Following a weather delay when a deluge hit the Elmont, NY track, the 4-year-old daughter of Maclean's Music splashed over the sloppy, sealed main track to cover seven furlongs in 1:22.96 under Javier Castellano.

Estilo Talentoso marks the first graded stakes winner for trainer Juan Arriagada, and was off as the 5-2 second choice in the field of six.

“I feel like I'm blessed,” Arriagada said. “To be in Belmont today and to win with her, it's one of the more beautiful things that could happen in my life right now. I appreciate the owners giving me the opportunity.”

Race-favorite Victim of Love (9-5) broke on top, as expected, and was pressured by Pacific Gale through fractions of :22.90 and :45.87. Bayerness and Lake Avenue were also close to the pace early. Castellano kept Estilo Talentoso out in the clear going in the center of the course, though at the back of the compact field down the backstretch.

Lake Avenue got a perfect rail trip to challenge for the lead at the head of the lane, but Castellano had already moved Estilo Talentoso into contention while staying widest of all. Lake Avenue grabbed a brief advantage while Bayerness made a run up the rail, but Estilo Talentoso was able to get her neck in front in the final sixteenth of a mile.

“It went well,” Castellano said. “That's what I was looking for today. Everything worked out perfect, the way it was set up. The two speed horses [went to the front] and I tried to keep track of the third horse, outside, because there seemed to be a lot of puddles on the rail, but my horse helped me to handle the situation very well. When I asked her, she responded very well and did it very well.”

Lake Avenue had to settle for second, while Bayerness checked in third. Pacific Gale was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Mile High Bloodstock, Estilo Talentoso is out of the unraced Afleet Alex mare Bazinga Baby. A $77,000 yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall sale, the filly later brought just $15,000 when selected by Arriagada at the OBS June sale. Estilo Talentoso began her career with four straight second-place finishes, and finally broke her maiden in her sixth start. She was stakes placed next out, and won the Escena Stakes at Gulfstream in August of her sophomore season. Since then Estilo Talentoso has twice hit the board in Grade 1 company, and the Bed o' Roses improves her overall record to 3-8-3 from 14 starts for earnings of over $430,000.

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Firenze Fire Repeats In The True North

Dashing out to a fast start, Firenze Fire dueled with Flagstaff for a half-mile and pulled away in the stretch to repeat in the Grade 2 True North Stakes at Belmont Park. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Firenze Fire broke cleanly from post position one, took a short lead in the opening strides, and was quickly joined by Lane's End's Flagstaff, with American Power and Wicked Trick trailing.

The two leaders set fast early fractions, going :22.71 for the first quarter and then :45.39 for the half-mile. As the field of seven turned for home, Firenze Fire pulled away from Flagstaff to win by a length and a half in 1:15.52 for the six-and-a-half furlongs. American Power finished third with Wicked Trick in fourth. Phat Man, Looking at Bikinis, and Big Engine completed the field.

Owned by Mr. Amore Stable and trained by Kelly Breen, Firenze Fire is a Florida-bred 6-year-old horse by Poseidon's Warrior (Speightstown) out of My Every Wish (Langfuhr). Firenze Fire's previous victories include the Grade 3 Runhappy Stakes, the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes, and the 2020 edition of the G2 True North, all at Belmont Park.

See full chart here.

Jose Ortiz picked up the mount on Firenze Fire from his brother, Irad Ortiz, Jr., who is out for two weeks with an injury sustained on June 3. After the race, he shared what his brother had to say about the son of Poseidon's Warrior: “He [Irad] said he's a very nice horse and that he was going to break good. He told me he thought he was a better horse on the outside. But he got the rail and he jumped good and I didn't want to take anything away from him. I rode him like he was the best horse and he was the best horse.”

Trainer Kelly Breen was pleased with his horse's repeat victory in the True North.

“He's been training great. I think he's more even-keel now.” Breen told the NYRA press office. “I'm getting to know him even more than last year and maybe he's getting to know me, also. It's a pretty good combo right now. The first quarter was :22.3 and that's in his wheelhouse. I said we should be fine and I said that to Ron [Lombardi, the owner of Mr. Amore Stable]. That wasn't the original game plan, although we left the game plan up to Jose Ortiz. He came back and said he's a very nice horse. That's it. He's a class horse.”

Firenze Fire went off as the even-money favorite and paid $4.10, $2.60, and $2.30. Flagstaff (4-1) paid $3.70 and $3.10. American Power (15-1) paid $3.80 to show.

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The Haiku Handicapper Presented By Form2Win: 2021 Belmont Stakes

Time to analyze the 2021 Belmont Stakes field, in post position order, in the form of Haiku; a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.

To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.

#1 – Bourbonic
Thirteenth in Derby
Accurate barometer
Of his class level

#2 – Essential Quality
Practically ran this
Going wide in the Derby
Still head of his class

#3 – Rombauer
Shocked the Preakness field
Is it a long-term form jump
Or just a bubble?

#4 – Hot Rod Charlie
Belongs in this spot
But “play against” is safe when
O'Neill tries this race

#5 – France Go de Ina
アメリカで
ぶどうを食べた
頑張るよ

Thanks to Japan Triple Crown recruiter Kate Hunter for writing this haiku in Japanese, fitting it within the format's syllable parameters in that language. Here's how it reads in English:

In America
I ate a lot of grapes
I will try my best

#6 – Known Agenda
Substitute rider
Shouldn't harm his otherwise
Sterling credentials

#7 – Rock Your World
Derby woes aside,
Are we sure he has the gas
To last on the lead?

#8 – Overtook
The one thing he has
Over Known Agenda is
A higher sale price

Prediction
“Quality” holds sway
Over game Known Agenda
Three, four fill super

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