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Our Super Freak Takes On Red-Hot Lake Avenue In Sunday’s Ruffian

Multiple graded stakes-placed Our Super Freak, who has tackled the heaviest hitters in her division, seeks a breakthrough victory against an all stakes-winning field in Sunday's 43rd running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park.

The one-turn mile over the main track honors Stuart Janney, Jr.'s late dual champion filly, who is recognized as one of the greatest distaffers of all time. Her notable Grade 1-winning accomplishments include triumphs in the Spinaway, Mother Goose, Acorn, and Coaching Club American Oaks with most of her victories being earned by wide margins. Trained by Frank Whitley, Jr., Ruffian earned a spot in the Hall of Fame in 1976 and is buried in the infield at Belmont Park.

Owned by Paul Winandy's LBD Stable and David Ingordo, the husband of trainer Cherie DeVaux, Our Super Freak made both of her 2021 starts at Oaklawn Park, where she finished second in the Pippin on January 23 and against two-time champion Monomoy Girl in the Grade 3 Bayakoa on February 28.

“This is my first time running her a one-turn mile which is what I think she wants to do,” DeVaux said. “She can run the two-turn mile, since she has good position early and tactical speed, but I'm very interested to see how she handles the one-turn mile at Belmont.”

Originally campaigned on the Mid-Atlantic circuit by Jamie Ness, Our Super Freak notched her only stakes victory in the restricted Shine Again in September 2019 at Laurel Park, marking her final start for Ness.

“We're always looking for prospects that could be appealing as a broodmare and she has a really nice physical,” DeVaux said. “She already had some black type on her, and we were looking to see if putting a horse like her in our program would help increase her value. We looked at her physical and past performances and she checked all the boxes. She's a strong, gorgeous filly with some good form.”

Last season, Our Super Freak garnered graded stakes black type when finishing second to subsequent New Jersey Horse of the Year Horologist in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher in July at Monmouth Park and third to Letruska in the Grade 3 Shuvee in August at Saratoga.

“She's been unlucky having faced a lot of extremely nice fillies and mares like Letruska and Monomoy Girl,” DeVaux said. “She's faced a lot of good horses. We haven't backed down or been afraid of anyone. We're trying to find a spot to give her the best opportunity to get a graded stakes win.”

DeVaux said she is looking forward to possibly training a sibling of Our Super Freak in the near future, after her husband purchased the mare's dam Thatcher.

“When we had this filly, my husband found the broodmare. She was baren last year when we got her and they bred her to Catalina Cruiser, so she now has a beautiful Catalina Cruiser colt,” DeVaux said.

Breaking from post 3, Our Super Freak will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Our Super Freak's largest obstacle to victory comes from Godolphin homebred Lake Avenue, who has done no wrong in her pair of starts this season for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The 4-year-old daughter of Tapit out of Grade 1-winner Seventh Street broke a step slow in her 2021 debut going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park, but was nevertheless all class winning by 4 ½ lengths in a February 3 allowance optional claimer.

She displayed another open-length triumph when returning to stakes company with vigor in the Heavenly Prize Invitational on April 3 at Aqueduct. The pair of wins were the quite the turnaround for Lake Avenue, who had not tasted victory in four starts last year. During her juvenile campaign, Lake Avenue broke her maiden second out by 12 ¾ lengths at Aqueduct before a four-length win in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at the Big A, winning both races in frontrunning fashion.

Lake Avenue breaks from post 4 under Junior Alvarado.

Gibberish, a dark bay Lea filly trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., arrives at the Ruffian off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Royal Delta on February 20. Breaking alertly when second from the rail, Gibberish initially displayed her usual frontrunning tactics, but was challenged on the front end by graded stakes winner Mrs. Danvers and gave way around the far turn, just missing third by a half-length.

Gibberish won her three starts prior, with all victories taking place at different tracks. After a five-length triumph travelling the one-turn mile last September at Gulfstream Park, Gibberish won going the same distance at Gulfstream Park West before shipping to Delta Downs for a victory in the Treasure Chest on November 27 over a sloppy and sealed track.

Bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm, Gibberish was selected as a weanling from the St. George Sales consignment at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale, where she was bought for $230,000. She is out of the Pulpit mare Nippy, who is a half-sister to stakes-winners Economic Model, Your Love and Well Monied.

Gibberish, breaking from post 6, will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano who targets his third Ruffian win.

Rounding out the field is Water White [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a last out four-length winner of an optional-claiming mile, who captured the 2020 Busher Invitational at Aqueduct, Saguaro Row [post 5, Trevor McCarthy], a two-time stakes winner going one turn at the Big A, as well as stakes-winner Vault [post 1, Joel Rosario].

The Ruffian is slated as Race 8 on Sunday's nine-race card. First post is 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Racing From Belmont, Oaklawn

The New York Racing Association Inc. [NYRA] will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring three races from Belmont Park and two at Oaklawn Park.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Belmont will start the action in Race 7 at 3:48 p.m. Eastern with a seven-furlong allowance contest for New York breds 3-years-old and up on the Widener turf course. Trainer John Kimmel will send out the ultra-consistent Quickflash, who has a 1-5-2 record in nine career starts and has finished second or third in five of his last six starts dating to March 2020. Rudy Rodriguez will saddle 6-year-old veteran Bad Guy, who will be making his 48th career start overall. Bad Guy will be seeking his first win at Belmont in his 13th start but has finished second at the Elmont-based track on four occasions.

Oaklawn will host the second leg as an 11-horse maiden field will compete at 1 1/16 miles in Race 6 at 4 p.m. A slew of six-figured purchases will generate excitement at the Hot Springs, Arkansas track, including Hanks, who will be making his fifth career start and is entered off back-to-back runner-up efforts at Oaklawn. Hanks, a Runhappy colt purchased for $650,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton New York Select Sale, is trained by William Martin, who also will send out Quality Run, a $425,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale. Unraced until his 4-year-old year, Quality Run ran second in his debut in February at Oaklawn before running fourth last out going 1 1/16 miles on a muddy and sealed track. Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen will see Caerus, bought for $250,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, look to break his maiden at third asking.

Action alternates back to Belmont for Race 8 at 4:19 p.m. for a six-furlong maiden race for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up contesting over the inner turf. Trainer Christophe Clement saw Quick Conversation run second in her debut on March 12 at Tampa Bay Downs, and the sophomore will ship in to New York after continuing to train in Florida at Payson Park. Trainer Chad Brown will send out Crowding Out, a $230,000 purchase at the 2020 OBS Sale, for her first start. The Street Boss filly had also been training at Payson Park before trekking north.

A six-furlong starter allowance race on Oaklawn's main track will go off in Race 7 at 4:38 p.m. A dozen 4-year-olds and up includes Kitchen Fire, who earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure last year and has compiled 10 victories in 37 previous starts. The John Cox trainee will face a field that includes Westfest, whose career-high Beyer is 96 and is back in Asmussen's care after previously being transferred from the accomplished conditioner in 2020.

Belmont will close the sequence with a 6 1/2-furlong allowance optional claimer in Race 9 at 4:56 p.m. The race features some familiar faces on the NYRA circuit, with Three Technique entered for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. Three Technique competed in four stakes in 2020, running fourth in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn before running 10th in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens in August at Saratoga and making his turf debut next-out at the Spa with a sixth-place effort in the Grade 3 Saranac. Pete's Play Call, will run at Belmont after a successful winter at Aqueduct, where he won the Gravesend in January and ran second in the Grade 3 Toboggan and Caixa Eletronica.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available 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.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, May 1:
Leg A: Belmont– Race 7 (3:48 p.m.)
Leg B: Oaklawn – Race 6 (4:00 p.m.)
Leg C: Belmont – Race 8 (4:19 p.m.)
Leg D: Oaklawn – Race 7 (4:38 p.m.)
Leg E: Belmont – Race 9 (4:56 p.m.)

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Magic Attitude Back On Favorite Course For Sheepshead Bay

Lael Stables' Magic Attitude will seek a return to winning form over familiar ground, taking on an all-graded stakes-winning field in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay for older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf course at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Magic Attitude is the lone Grade 1-winner in the six-horse field, capturing her North American debut in last year's Belmont Oaks Invitational in September.

The daughter of prolific international sire Galileo rallied from last-of-5 in that race, displaying a powerful turn of foot in mid-stretch, crossing the wire a 2 1/2-length winner. The same late-running strategy was utilized next out in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 10 at Keeneland, but she could not replicate the winning push of her prior start, finishing third, 1 1/4 lengths back to Harvey's Lil Goil.

Magic Attitude arrives at the Sheepshead Bay off her 2021 debut in the Grade 2 Hillsborough on March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs, where she rode the rail throughout most of the journey, lacked racing room in upper stretch and made a late bid in between horses to finish a close seventh.

“She may have been a little short when we brought her back at Tampa,” Delacour said. “It didn't work out well as far as the trip was concerned. She was down and on the inside and never got relaxed. I'm also not sure she likes the tight turns at Tampa either. So, we just regrouped after that race and we wanted to go where she's been successful in the past to try and bring back her best form. We know she likes Belmont Park.”

Delacour noted that Belmont Park's wider turns could play to his filly's favor in the Belmont Oaks and hopes to see that play to her advantage on Saturday.

“She had a hard time with the tight turns. At Belmont, she had plenty of time to come gradually. She had balance and produced an explosive kick. We are looking for more stretch,” Delacour said. “The turns are wider at Belmont, and it was a slow pace when she won the Belmont Oaks, which gave her plenty of time to settle and come with a kick. We'll see what the pace scenario is like, but likely she'll take back and make one big run.”

Jockey Trevor McCarthy will pilot Magic Attitude from the inside post.

A victory in the Belmont Oaks qualified Magic Attitude for considerable bonus money should she win the Grade 2, $750,000 New York, going 1 ¼ miles on June 4 at Belmont; or the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl, at 1 3/8 miles on September 4 at Saratoga.

The “New York Stakes Turf Bonus” will provide $315,000 to the owner and $35,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of the filly Turf Triple series races – Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks or Jockey Club Oaks – who captures the 2021 edition of the New York.

Additionally, the “Flower Bowl Bonus” will provide $300,000 to the owner and $30,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of a filly Turf Triple series race who wins the Flower Bowl, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event offering a berth in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.

“The bonus is something that is definitely in the back of our minds,” Delacour said. “With a filly like her the main thing is to bring her back where she can win, and we know she loves Belmont Park. We'll see how she does on Saturday.”

Trainer Chad Brown seeks a fifth Sheepshead Bay win when he sends out My Sister Nat and Orglandes for their respective seasonal debuts.

“I think they're both very classy fillies with a lot of potential. Both have very bright futures,” said Brown's Belmont-based assistant trainer Dan Stupp. “They both wintered well, came up in great condition. They've trained well since they've been here.”

Owned by Peter Brant, My Sister Nat seeks a second graded stakes win in North America after winning the Grade 3 Waya going 1 1/2 miles on August 8 at Saratoga. The half-sister to 2018 Champion Turf Mare Sistercharlie trailed the field early on, inched her way into contention along the hedge midway down the backstretch and swung four-wide in upper stretch for the win.

Following two graded stakes runner-up finishes to Civil Union, My Sister Nat finished ninth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on November 6 at Keeneland in her last start.

Stupp recalled My Sister Nat's performance in the Grade 3 Long Island in November 2019 at the Big A, where she made up considerable ground only to miss a neck to Si Que Es Buena.

“When I first started working for Chad, she ran that huge race at Aqueduct where she just missed,” Stupp recalled. “After the race, we knew we were going to have a nice filly for next year. She continued to progress last year, just missing in the Grade 1 [Flower Bowl on October 3 at Belmont Park]. She's got a nice year ahead of her, she's just a late-blooming horse. She doesn't look like her sister. She's developed very nicely, it's just taken her awhile.”

While My Sister Nat seeks a return to winning form, Orglandes will look to pick back up where she left off after shipping to southern California for the Grade 3 Red Carpet on November 28 at Del Mar. The daughter of Le Havre made up considerable ground when traveling the 11-furlong distance to make a winning move in between horses in mid-stretch to win by a half-length.

A dual winner in her native France, Orglandes earned her first trip to the winner's circle in North America when travelling nine furlongs over the inner turf course on October 9 at Belmont Park.

“That race last year in California got us excited for the year ahead,” Stupp said. “She'll certainly be competing in the top stakes for older fillies on the grass throughout the year.”

Manny Franco has the call on My Sister Nat from the outermost post 6, while Orglandes will leave from post 3 under Eric Cancel.

Al Shira'aa Farms Mutamakina also will make her 2021 bow looking to build on her triumph in the Grade 3 Long Island on November 28 at Aqueduct.

The 5-year-old daughter of Nathaniel originally was campaigned in France by trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias, for whom she placed in two Group 2 events, including to eventual Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass. She made her North American debut on October 31 over a yielding outer turf course at Belmont Park in the 12-furlong Zagora, where she was a troubled third for trainer Christophe Clement.

Saving ground in third along the hedge, Mutamakina was shuffled back around the far turn in the Zagora but made up considerable ground in the stretch to finish third, beaten a half-length to winner Luck Money.

Mutamakina's Long Island effort again displayed stalking tactics, where she maintained position around the far turn and confronted pacesetting stablemate Traipsing in the final strides to secure her first stakes win in North America by three-quarters of a length.

“She's a very top class mare,” said four-time Sheepshead Bay winner Clement. “It's ambitious running her there first time out, but she's been doing very well. She ran a very good race in her North American debut, even though she got beat.”

Jockey Jose Lezcano will ride Mutamakina from post 2.

Repole Stables' Always Shopping will attempt to parlay her newfound affinity for turf marathon events when breaking from post 4 with Joe Bravo in the irons.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the daughter of Awesome Again out of graded stakes winner Stopshoppingmaria won the Grade 3 Gazelle on dirt at Aqueduct during her sophomore campaign in 2019, but a decline in winning form prompted her connections to give turf a try.

After a three-length win in the 1 1/8-mile Via Borghese in December at Gulfstream Park, she successfully stretched out to 1 ½ miles in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante at Gulfstream in January, winning by the same margin. Always Shopping arrives off a close second place finish in the Grade 3 Orchid on March 28 at Gulfstream.

“She always breezed well on the dirt and when her progression sort of plateaued, we made the change to turf and it appears to have paid off,” said Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes.

Rounding out the field is Godolphin's Antoinette, for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The homebred daughter of Hard Spun made her 2021 debut a triumphant one when maintaining command the whole way around and drawing off to a 2 ¼ length win in the Grade 3 The Very One on February 27 at Gulfstream Park going 1 3/16 miles. Antoinette displayed similar frontrunning tactics when capturing the Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 8 at the Spa, which she won by a half-length.

Through an 11-4-1-4 record, Antoinette boasts the field's highest bankroll with earnings of $608,750.

Like fellow Sheepshead Bay contender Magic Attitude, Antoinette also qualifies for both the “New York Turf Bonus” and the “Flower Bowl Bonus.”

Breaking from post 5, Antoinette will be piloted by Edgard Zayas.

The Sheepshead Bay is slated as Race 10 on Belmont's 11-race Saturday program, which also features the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester at one mile over the main track and the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy for older horses going nine furlongs over the inner turf. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Take Two: Mr. Buff Looking For First Graded Victory In Westchester

Mr. Buff's path to a potential first career graded stakes win took a slight detour earlier in April when having to scratch out of the Grade 3 Excelsior at Aqueduct Racetrack. But the veteran 7-year-old will get another opportunity to check that box when he competes in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester for 4-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Chester and Mary Broman New York homebred has amassed 17 career wins in 44 starts dating to 2016, becoming a mainstay on the NYRA circuit for trainer John Kimmel. Mr. Buff, who already has secured millionaire status, has compiled 11 career stakes wins and will continue his quixotic quest for a graded stakes win in the six-horse Westchester, which will mark his sixth career start at that caliber.

A half-length winner of the Stymie going the Westchester distance over a sloppy and sealed track at the Big A on February 27 marked Mr. Buff's last start. The Friend Or Foe gelding was the 4-5 morning line favorite in the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior on April 3 at Aqueduct before being scratched after showing signs of colic.

After a brief respite, Kimmel said Mr. Buff is ready to run at a Belmont track in which he has posted a 5-2-3 record in 15 career starts.

“He's doing quite well and we're looking forward to getting him back in since we are now eight weeks since his last race,” Kimmel said. “He's good and he's ready to go.”

Mr. Buff has won the last two editions of the Empire Classic over Big Sandy and has trained well on that Belmont main track, breezing four furlongs in 49.09 seconds on April 21.

“He's training great. He hasn't missed a beat,” Kimmel said. “He's won the Empire Classic twice there, so he handles the track and he's been breezing on the main track, so he's ready.”

Edgard Zayas will pick up the mount, breaking from post 5.

St. Elias Stable's Dr Post will be making his first start in nearly eight months, with his 4-year-old bow marking his first start at Belmont Park since running second to eventual New York-Bred Horse of the Year Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes last June.

The Todd Pletcher trainee has not run since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in September at Saratoga Race Course. The Quality Road colt earned black type in two prestigious races for sophomores, following his runner-up effort in the third leg of the Triple Crown with a third-place finish behind Ny Traffic and winner Authentic in the Grade 1 Haskell in July at Monmouth Park.

Dr Post, 2-1-1 in six starts with earnings of $370,635, will pick up the services of jockey Manny Franco, breaking from the outermost post 6.

Novak Stable's Limonite will again link up with Mr. Buff after running second to him in the Stymie, finishing a half-length back in his first stakes appearance since 2019. The 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for the second consecutive race in that effort, matching the number earned for his five-length score against optional claimers going 1 1/8 miles on February 8 at the Big A.

Trained by Amira Chichakly, Limonite returned to graded stakes company last out in the Grade 3 Excelsior, finishing third in a race won by Modernist. In his 23rd career start, Limonite will be making his Belmont debut, drawing post 4 in tandem with regular rider Eric Cancel.

Wicked Trick also has graded stakes experience at Belmont, running fourth in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 True North last June at Belmont. Trainer Linda Rice, who co-owns the 6-year-old son of Hat Trick along with Stephen Cooper, will stretch him out to one mile for the first time in six starts, with his previous route resulting in a fifth-place effort in the Stymie in March 2020 at Aqueduct.

Jose Lezcano will be in the irons from the inside post.

Phipps Stable's Top Seed will be making his stakes debut in his seventh career start, having compiled three wins in that stretch for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. He made his first start of his 5-year-old campaign in April at Keeneland, running fifth against optional claimers going 1 1/16 miles. But the son of Orb will look to recapture the form he showed in 2020, when he won his debut that February at Gulfstream Park and added optional claiming wins at Tampa Bay Downs and Churchill Downs, respectively.

Top Seed will look to win a race at a fourth track when he ships to New York for the first time, drawing post 3 with Trevor McCarthy set to ride.

Charles Hallas' Backsideofthemoon, fourth in the Grade 3 Excelsior last out, will be looking for his first win since coming into the care of trainer Robert Klesaris earlier this year. The winner of the Queens Colony last December is winless in 15 starts at Belmont but will be looking to buck history, breaking from post 2 with Joe Bravo aboard.

The Westchester is slated as Race 3 on the 11-race program, with the slate's other stakes being the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay for older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles in Race 10 and the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the turf in Race 5. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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