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‘Strong Piece Of Work’: Rebel’s Romance Records Third Breeze In Eight Days For Belmont Stakes

Godolphin's Rebel's Romance gave his connections just what they were looking for in his final piece of serious preparation for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, with a sharp six-furlong work in 1:14.29 over the Belmont Park main track on Wednesday morning.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival runs from June 3 through Saturday, June 5, and is headlined by the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. The festival will encompass 17 total stakes, including eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, capped by the “Test of the Champion” for 3-year-olds in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown.

Under partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70s, Rebel's Romance worked in company with stablemate Desert Peace, who is targeting the Grade 2, $300,000 True North on Friday, June 4.

The Charlie Appleby-trained pair took a walk through the paddock before heading out to the main track at 9:00 a.m. The two horses jogged clockwise in front of the grandstand and around the far turn before beginning their work down the backstretch.

Rebel's Romance, winner of the Group 2 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse last out, tracked to the outside of Desert Peace as clockers caught the duo through splits of 25.00, 36.80 and 1:00.58. Just past the quarter-pole, Rebel's Romance established a slight advantage over Desert Peace and was coaxed along approaching the wire, completing his move in 1:14.29 while Desert Peace finished up in 1:14.61.

Wednesday morning's workout was a third breeze in eight days for both horses. In their previous two works, Rebel's Romance was strategically placed right off Desert Peace, who would finish off ahead of his stable mate.

Sophie Chretien, travelling assistant for Appleby, said Wednesday morning's tactics were by design.

“The plan was to make him work a little bit harder and push to the line to really get that strong piece of work,” Chretien said. “I'm very happy with the horse. He's progressing very well. It's ten days before the race, so this was the big work for him, and he's going forward. They are moving well on the surface and they've been eating great.”

A son of Dubawi, Rebel's Romance is a four-time winner of five career starts with his lone defeat taking place when fourth in the Saudi Derby on February 29 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. The Irish homebred is out of the Street Cry mare Minidress.

Chretien expressed confidence in the horse's distance capabilities given his pedigree and his appearance.

“He's a big-framed horse and a big galloper, so distance will help him,” Chretien said.

Desert Peace, a son of Curlin out of the stakes-winning Flatter mare Stoweshoe – a full sister to Grade 1-winner Taris, will arrive at the True North off a victory at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

“I was very pleased with him; he's been very consistent. He's very focused,” Chretien said.

Chretien said she is hoping for a fast track next Saturday.

“I'm hoping we don't get too much rain,” Chretien said. “I've been looking at the forecast and we might get some rain through the weekend, but after that it should dry by the time we get to the Belmont. I'm not hoping for a sloppy track or anything like that.”

Appleby has conquered some of the largest races on a global scale owning three Breeders' Cup victories [Outstrip (2013 Juvenile Turf); Wuheida (2017 Filly and Mare Turf) and Line of Duty (2018 Juvenile Turf)], as well as an Epsom Derby with Masar and a Melbourne Cup win with Cross Counter, both in 2018. The British conditioner will be racing against history as he seeks his first American classic victory, as no foreign-based horse has won the Belmont Stakes since Go And Go conquered the 1990 'Test of the Champion' for Dermot Weld.

“It's something that's been in the back of his mind and I think Rebel is the horse that could bring it to us,” Chretien said. “Of course, it's great to have won big races all over the world, like the Melbourne Cup, and having much success in Europe and the Breeders' Cup here in the United States. To win a race like the Belmont would mean a lot.”

In addition to Rebel's Romance and Desert Peace, Appleby will also send out Althiqa and Summer Romance for the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Just a Game on June 5 going one mile for fillies and mares.

Althiqa, a gray or roan daughter of Dark Angel, has never finished off the board in nine lifetime starts and won the Group 2 Cape Verdi at the Just a Game distance before finishing third in the Group 2 Balanchine, both races were at Meydan Racecourse.

A winner of the Balanchine last out, Summer Romance bested her stable mate in the nine-furlong test, which she won by 2 ¼ lengths. Last July, the daughter of Kingman won the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth at Epsom.

Chretien said that both fillies will have their final work on Saturday morning during the designated time window for turf workers.

“They galloped on the grass the other day,” Chretien said. “They're training well and happy. They'll have another piece of work next Saturday and hopefully everything keeps going that way.”

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Mother Goose in Play for ‘Rising Star’ Always Carina

Three Chimneys Farm, trainer Chad Brown and a 'TDN Rising Star' 3-year-old filly.

Shades of GISWs and 'Rising Stars' Carina Mia (Malibu Moon) and Guarana (Ghostzapper) were on display at Belmont Park last week when Always Carina (f, 3, by Malibu Moon–Miss Always Ready, by More Than Ready) romped to 'TDN Rising Star' status for those same connections in an allowance optional claimer.

The aforementioned pair, of course, both enjoyed memorable wins at three in Belmont's GI Acorn S.

“Hopefully, she can step into those kind of shoes,” Three Chimneys Vice Chairman Doug Cauthen said. “We have always thought a lot of her from day one. It's encouraging seeing her show up like that.”

Cauthen continued, “We were getting excited that she could be an early filly that could be ready to run before Saratoga [last year], and by the way she was acting, we had dreams of 2-year-old stakes races. Chad thought last year that she was one of his better fillies and made similar comments this year as well.”

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and a minor setback last summer-Always Carina was up to multiple five-eighths breezes at Brown's Saratoga base in August-the Three Chimneys homebred debuted much later than originally anticipated.

She proved well worth the wait, however, dueling free to graduate first out sprinting in the Aqueduct mud Apr. 11. She handled the stretch to a mile with aplomb in her second go, romping by 9 3/4 lengths in front-running fashion despite stumbling at the start.

After earning very strong Beyer Speed Figures of 94 and 92 in her first two starts, respectively, a race like the GII Mother Goose S. going 1 1/16 miles around one turn in Elmont June 26 could be next.

“That's definitely on the radar,” Cauthen said. “It's clearly in her sights. Hopefully, she makes that and can perform well and heads on to Saratoga afterward. Malibu Moon, they can be fast and they can carry it, too. All options are open and Chad will just let her tell him what she's up to. There's two-turn races down the road if it looks like that's what she likes.”

A half-sister to the Brown-trained GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor (Palace Malice), Always Carina is also closely related to GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine More Than Real (More Than Ready). Always Carina's 'Rising Star' performance took place just two days after the untimely passing of her leading sire, Spendthrift stalwart Malibu Moon. The previously mentioned Carina Mia shares the same sire.

“It's a huge loss for Kentucky and obviously for all the people involved,” Cauthen said. “What an amazing sire he was starting from the bottom and making his way up. I've always had great respect for stallions like that because nothing was handed to them. In this mating, he added just a little bit of substance and strength to the physicality. We felt like she could handle what substance he usually would put in his progeny. We were lucky it worked out.”

Cauthen concluded, “It's nice to see her put it together in her races now. It's what every owner and breeder dreams of. Being a half a Structor, that was a big reason Chad was designated to get her. It's an important family to Three Chimneys, and, of course, with Structor being by [Three Chimneys stallion] Palace Malice, that's just the icing on the cake.”

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Knicks Go Re-Routed To Met Mile

Multiple Grade 1 winner Knicks Go had been targeting the May 31 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park for his first start back after finishing fourth in the Saudi Cup in February, but the 5-year-old son of Paynter has been re-routed to the Grade 1 Met Mile on June 5 at Belmont Park.

Trainer Brad Cox told the Daily Racing Form the reason behind the change is that Charlatan, second-place finisher in the Saudi Cup, will not appear in the Met Mile entry box. The Bob Baffert-trained colt was taken out of training for an unspecified issue earlier this month, and his trainer is currently banned from entering horses at NYRA racetracks.

Other likely entrants in the G1 Met Mile include: Mischevious Alex, Dr Post, Silver State, and Lexitonian. Possibles include Ny Traffic and Rushie.

Cox has several other contenders for the loaded Belmont Stakes Festival, including juvenile champion Essential Quality in the marquee event. Shedaresthedevil and Bonny South are pointing to the Ogden Phipps, Travel Column the Acorn, Caddo River the Woody Stephens, and Kinenos the Belmont Gold Cup.

Hard Love Stretches Out In Saturday’s Pennine Ridge

Hard Love proved stakes capabilities in his 2021 debut and will attempt to display his talent once more against eight others in Saturday's eighth running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge, a nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds over the inner turf at Belmont Park.

Owned by Robert V. LaPenta and George Strawbridge, Jr.'s Augustin Stable, Hard Love utilized tactical speed last out in the Woodhaven on April 17 at Aqueduct, where he tracked a half-length behind pacesetter Original along the rail before drawing off in the stretch to a 1 ¼-length victory.

Following a two-length first out debut win over the Widener turf course on October 10, the Kitten's Joy ridgling finished second to Never Surprised in the Central Park on November 28 at Aqueduct.

Hard Love will stretch out slightly in the nine-furlong Pennine Ridge, with all three of his starts having taken place going 1 1/16 miles. Trainer Jonathan Thomas, who saddled Catholic Boy to a Pennine Ridge triumph in 2018 for LaPenta, said the horse will relish any added distance that comes his way.

“My guess is that the further the races get, the closer to the pace he'll be,” Thomas said. “He seems to have pretty good tactical speed. I would imagine the further the run, the better he's going to get. His strength is his stamina.”

The Pennine Ridge is a local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational on July 10, which is the first leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series.

Thomas has the 10-furlong event in mind for Hard Love with a strong effort on Saturday.

“Each race is a test and a stepping stone to the next,” Thomas said. “We're trying to get to the Belmont Derby but the Pennine Ridge is no slouch of a race either. He's going to have to show up and run really well. Obviously, we have our dirt classics, but NYRA bringing this series to the forefront is great. There are some really good grass races and some really, really good turf horses. Each task gets taller as it goes on.”

Hard Love put the final touches on his Pennine Ridge preparations with a sharp half-mile work over the inner turf on Sunday morning in tandem with Burning Bright. The pair completed the four furlongs in 47.60 seconds.

“Overall, I thought the work was pretty good,” Thomas said. “I thought his last two five-eighths works were very good as well. From a preparation standpoint, he's dead fit and it will be a matter of trip and everything else.”

Hard Love will be reunited with Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano from post 4.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the inaugural Pennine Ridge with Gala Award in 2014, will seek his second win in the race when he saddles graded stakes-placed Sainthood and maiden special weight winner Shaftesbury.

Owned by WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, Sainthood will make his turf debut after an 11th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

A son of second crop sire Mshawish, a Grade 1- winner on dirt and turf also trained by Pletcher, Sainthood won at second asking in his two-turn debut at Fair Grounds Race Course, where he led at every point of call. He followed up with a late-closing second to Like the King in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 27 over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

Since the Kentucky Derby, Sainthood has worked twice over the inner turf at Belmont Park. Pletcher said Sainthood has the potential to succeed on turf given his pedigree, being out of the turf stakes-placed Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Hero.

“He and Mshawish have similar physiques and like Mshawish, this one seems pretty versatile,” Pletcher said. “We've had turf in the back of our minds with this one all along. With him being out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare and being by Mshawish, his breeding suggested that. I thought his two works on the turf here were really good.”

Sainthood will break from post 5 under jockey Joel Rosario.

While Sainthood brings stakes experience to his next engagement, Shaftesbury will dive into deeper waters after making his fifth start a winning one travelling 1 1/16-miles on April 24 at Belmont Park.

Owned by Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, the bay son of Uncle Mo broke his maiden by 2 ¾ lengths after finishing behind solid runners such as dual stakes-winner Annex at second asking.

“He's held good company,” Pletcher said. “His last race was a good race and hopefully was a breakthrough race to lead us into some better things.”

Breaking from post 3, Shaftesbury will be ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Trainer Chad Brown will seek a record extending third Pennine Ridge triumph with Klaravich Stables' Public Sector.

The bay son of European champion Kingman earned black type when finishing second to Fire At Will in the Grade 2 Pilgrim on October 3 at Belmont Park, which came after defeating eventual graded stakes winner Scarlett Sky by two lengths on debut at Saratoga.

After a distant 12th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, Public Sector received a freshening and came back on May 2 to finish second beaten 2 ½ lengths to fellow Pennine Ridge rival Safe Conduct [post 8, Jose Lezcano].

Jockey Jose Ortiz has the mount from post 7.

Completing the field are Shawdyshawdyshawdy [post 1, John Velazquez], Step Dancer [post 2, Manny Franco], Minuteman [post 6, Luis Saez], and The Reds [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche].

The Pennine Ridge is carded as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race program at Belmont Park. First post is 1:00 p.m.

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