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Mean Mary Leads All The Way In New York Stakes For Fourth Straight Win

Alex G. Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary broke sharp from the outside post, led the six-horse field through every point of call and extended her lead in the stretch for a front-running 5 1/4-length score in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 New York for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trainer Graham Motion saw Mean Mary start her 4-year-old campaign with consecutive graded stakes wins at Gulfstream Park, starting with the Grade 3 La Prevoyante in January and the Grade 3 Orchid on March 28.

The Scat Daddy filly improved to 3-for-3 in her 2020 campaign, with Luis Saez sending her to the front, where she posted comfortable fractions of 25.11 seconds for the quarter-mile, 51.55 for the half and three-quarters in 1:16.28 on the inner turf course labeled firm even after a slight rain shower earlier.

Out of the far turn, Saez kept Mean Mary driven as she pulled away from the field, completing the 1 ¼-mile course in a final time of 2:01.85.

Mean Mary won for the fourth straight time overall and improved to 5-1-0 in seven career starts. Saez has been aboard for every start during the winning streak.

“I had a lot of confidence in her today,” Saez said. “She always does everything right. Today, she was just galloping. The track feels good today and I think the rain helped her. She was super relaxed, even more so than her last race. She feels better now than she did last time.”

Off at 6-5, Mean Mary returned $4.40 on a $2 win wager. The Kentucky homebred improved her career earnings to $396,160.

“You always wonder a little bit about Florida; did she just suit that course? But this is so different than running at Gulfstream,” Motion said. “The way she did it was pretty impressive. I worried a little bit. You always worry a little bit with that much time away and I wanted to keep her fresh, but she also had to be fit.

“The course took a little bit of rain, but it's so different than what she had been running on,” he added. “I think she might be one of those horses where you don't have to make too many excuses.”

My Sister Nat, one of two entrants for trainer Chad Brown, edged the Christophe Clement-trained Feel Glorious by a neck for second after rallying from sixth. That marked the second straight race the French-bred daughter of Acclamation finished as the runner up, following her North American graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Long Island in November at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Call Me Love, also trained by Clement, ran fourth, followed by the Brown-conditioned Fools Gold and Valiance to complete the order of finish. Mrs. Sippy was scratched.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Bouwerie for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on Belmont's Big Sandy in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.

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Victim Of Love Upsets Come Dancing In Belmont’s Vagrancy

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Victim of Love, expertly handled by Jose Lezcano, used a prominent trip to upset Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Vagrancy, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Vagrancy was the first of four graded stakes on a loaded 11-race card that also includes the Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game for fillies and mares going one mile on the Widener turf; the Grade 2, $150,000 True North, for 4-year-olds and up going 6 ½ furlongs; and the Grade 2, $250,000 New York at 1 ¼ miles on Belmont Park's inner turf.

Trained by Todd Beattie, two-time stakes winner Victim of Love headed into Saturday's test making just her second attempt in a graded event, having previously run second in the Grade 3 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie two starts back in February at Laurel Park.

Jakarta took command out of the gate as a heavy rain commenced at Belmont Park with Victim of Love, longest shot on the board at 27-1, urged into contention at her hip through an opening quarter mile in 22.47 seconds on the fast and harrowed main track.

Grade 1-winner Come Dancing, the 4-5 mutuel favorite, settled in fourth position in the early running as Jakarta continued to dictate the pace, posting a half-mile in 45.29 under constant pressure from Victim of Love.

Lezcano put Victim of Love to the lead late in the turn as Come Dancing launched a wide bid with Pacific Gale following suit. Come Dancing surged into contention but Victim of Love continued to find more as Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano angled the favorite for an inside run to no avail. Confidently handled and much the best, Victim of Love made the grade by 1 ¾-lengths in a final time of 1:16.27.

Come Dancing held second by 4 ¼-lengths over Pacific Gale. Jakarta, Royal Charlotte and Chalon rounded out the order of finish. Mother Mother was scratched.

Lezcano said Victim of Love was engaged throughout.

“The trainer told me to break and try to keep her busy. She broke a little bit behind, but with a tap on the shoulder, she jumped right there on the bridle,” said Lezcano. “When I asked her, she really took off. My filly kept going the whole way around and never stopped. She gave me everything she had.”

Castellano, who guided Come Dancing to victory in the 2019 Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga, said he was pleased with his mare's effort.

“It was her second start of the year. I'm not disappointed. The horse on the lead was much the best today. I think that the track is playing a little bit to speed. The rain didn't bother her at all. I'm looking forward to a big race next time.”

Victim of Love, a $160,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, captured the Island Fashion at Sunland Park last year and the What A Summer in January at Laurel Park. Out of the Grade 2-winning mare Spacy Tracy, Victim of Love is a full-sister to Grade 2-winner Benner Island.

Bred in Kentucky by Daniel J. Burke, Victim of Love banked $55,000 in victory while improving her record to 15-5-2-2. She paid $56 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Bouwerie, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomore fillies in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.

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Officials Place Barn 37 At Belmont Park Under Quarantine After Suspected Equine Herpesvirus Case

Officials at the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) have placed Barn 37 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., under a precautionary quarantine after a suspected case of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) developed in that barn.

Freudnme, a 4-year-old colt trained by Chris Englehart, exhibited fever and neurological symptoms on Saturday morning and has started treatment under the care of a private veterinarian.

Freudnme last raced at Finger Lakes Racetrack in the Ontario County Stakes on June 24, 2019, where he finished 2nd. He has a series of recorded workouts at Belmont beginning on Feb. 24, 2020.

Overseen by Dr. Anthony Verderosa, Director of NYRA's Veterinary Department, and in consultation with the NYSGC, the quarantine of Barn 37 is effective immediately with standard precautions and biosecurity measures now implemented throughout the barn. The length of the quarantine will be determined following the return of test results.

All 37 horses stabled in Barn 37 will be monitored daily for fever and other signs of illness. During the initial quarantine period, these horses will not be permitted to enter races or train among the general horse population.

Afebrile/asymptomatic horses stabled in Barn 37 will have isolated training hours following the closure of the training track.

At this time, no other horses in the quarantined barn have developed fever or exhibited symptoms.

NYRA will provide additional updates as necessary.

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Diamond King Putting His Versatility To The Test In True North

Cash is King and LC Racing's Diamond King will turn back in distance for Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 True North, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for 4-years-old and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by John Servis, the 5-year-old Quality Road bay won the one-mile Stymie in March at Aqueduct Racetrack but was off-the-board last out in the one-mile Blame on May 23 at Churchill Downs.

Diamond King last breezed on June 9 at Parx when he posted a swift half-mile in 47.44 seconds. He will again have the services of regular pilot Kendrick Carmouche when he exits the inside post in Saturday's test, which also features Grade 1-winners Promises Fulfilled and Firenze Fire.

Servis said the cut back in distance won't be a problem for the versatile Diamond King, who has won at distances ranging from 5 1/2-furlongs to 1 1/8-miles.

“It's not that big a turnback, he's going from a mile to six and a half,” said Servis. “I'd like it a lot better if we didn't have the one hole.”

Servis said he expects Diamond King to be forwardly placed

“Being in the one hole, it doesn't give you a whole lot of choices. We'll see how it plays out,” said Servis.

Last weekend, Servis saddled multiple graded-stakes winner Mischevious Alex to a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens, captured by the free-wheeling No Parole.

Servis said Mischevious Alex, who captured the Grade 3 Swale in February at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Gotham in March at the Big A, has come out of the even effort in good order and he has not yet finalized plans for a possible next start.

“I was a little disappointed with the way he ran. I'm just putting a line through it,” said Servis. “He came out of the race super and we're considering a number of options for his next start.”

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