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Bella Sofia Starts Anew in Vagrancy

Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot), last year's dominant GI Longines Test S. victress, will make her 4-year-old debut as the 123-pound highweight and probable odds-on favorite in Saturday's five-horse GIII Vagrancy H. at Belmont.

Opening her account with an eye-popping 11 1/4-length rout going six furlongs over this track last May, the $20,000 OBS June bargain buy was second in the Jersey Girl S. a month later before cruising to a 6 1/2-length allowance victory here July 11. Pressing the pace in the Test Aug. 7 at Saratoga, the dark bay ran away to a dazzling 4 1/4-length score and followed that up with another easy, open-length triumph in the track-and-trip GII Gallant Bloom H. She couldn't quite carry that momentum into the Breeders' Cup, retreating to fourth in the GI Filly & Mare Sprint, but returns with a trio of bullet works over this track for trainer Rudy Rodriguez and drew advantageously in the outermost stall.

“We're just trying to get her back and see if she is the same filly as last year,” Rodriguez told the NYRA notes team. “We thought the key was to get her started back here at Belmont. She's been training very good. She looks bigger and stronger, so we just hope she's at least the same as–and hopefully a little better than–last year.”

Miss Brazil (Palace Malice) looks to spring the upset in her second start as a 4-year-old. A facile winner of the Ruthless S. last February at Aqueduct, the $170,000 Keeneland September purchase added stakes placings in the Busher Invitational S. and Jersey Girl before closing her sophomore campaign with a disappointing fifth in the GIII Victory Ride S. The Tony Dutrow pupil returned off a nine-plus month layoff with an allowance/optional claiming success Apr. 22 at Aqueduct.

Rounding out the field are six-time stakes winner Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief), last-out GIII Distaff H. runner-up Kept Waiting (Broken Vow) and longshot Assertive Style (Nyquist), who was claimed by Flying P Stable and Tom Morley for $80,000 out of a runner-up finish sprinting on the Fair Grounds turf Mar. 25.

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Yibir Returns to America in Man O’ War

Godolphin's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), named last year's Eclipse champion turf male off of a fast-finishing score in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, will make his first Stateside start since that effort as the likely favorite in a six-horse renewal of the 1 3/8-mile GI Man O' War S. Saturday at Belmont.

Showing just a single Group 3 win in his first nine starts in Great Britain, the chestnut gelding had his breakout performance with a victory in the G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur S. last August at York and validated that run with a convincing success in the local Jockey Club Derby Invitational S. before rallying from 13th to get up by a half-length in the Breeders' Cup. Making his 4-year-old debut in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, he closed furiously from last of 15 to just miss, finishing second by a neck. He followed that with a mildly-disappointing runner-up finish as a 1-4 chalk in the G2 Betfair Exchange Jockey Club S. last out Apr. 29 at Newmarket. Regular rider William Buick flies in for the mount.

“We were delighted with his first run back as a 4-year-old in the Sheema Classic. He was a fast-finishing second,” trainer Charlie Appleby told the NYRA notes team. “We know the tracks he loves are the more conventional flat galloping track likes Meydan and Belmont. The American tracks seem to suit him. The race at Newmarket was a prep to come to America. I know he was a beaten favorite on the day, but our European tracks don't seem to suit him so much. We were pleased that we got a run into him and he came out of the race well. I've spoken to the team at Belmont on a daily basis and they're happy with the way the horse has shipped and trained so far.”

Though favored at even-money on the morning line, Yibir has a major rival in Otter Bend Stables' narrow 7-5 second choice Gufo (Declaration of War), who will look to make amends for the worst race of his career behind Yibir in the Breeders' Cup. A hard-fought winner of the GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer S. last summer at Saratoga, the chestnut made a huge, early move in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. before flattening out to third over this course Oct. 9, and finished out of the trifecta for the only time in his 15-race career thus far when 10th at Del Mar. Removing blinkers for his 5-year-old bow in the GII Pan American S. Apr. 2 at Gulfstream, the Christophe Clement trainee scored an eye-catching two-length triumph, his sixth black-type conquest.

Second that day was Abaan (Will Take Charge), the only other horse in single digits on the morning line. Prior to that run, the Todd Pletcher pupil picked up back-to-back Gulfstream stakes victories in the two-mile H. Allen Jerkens S. and 12-furlong GIII W. L. McKnight S. before running fourth at 3-5 with a troubled trip in the GII Mac Diarmida S.

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Rougir Debuts for Brown in Beaugay

French Group 1 winner Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), who beat elders to capture the prestigious G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines last fall, will look to give trainer Chad Brown his fourth GIII Beaugay S. in the last five years and record fifth overall as a strong favorite in Saturday's renewal of the 1 1/16-mile turf test at Belmont.

Victress of the G3 Prix de Reservoirs in her 2-year-old finale at Deauville in October of 2020, the chestnut finished off the board in her first three sophomore starts before a trio of agonizingly close finishes, running second by a head in the G3 Prix Chloe, fourth by a neck in the G1 Prix Rothschild and third by a neck in the G2 Prix de la Nonette. Undeterred, bettors made her an 11-5 favorite against 13 rivals in the Prix de l'Opera and Rougir obliged, finally ending up on the right side of a photo and getting up by a nose in the last jump. Shipped to Del Mar in her final start for trainer Cedric Rossi, she was seventh with a troubled trip in the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

“She's been training very well,” Brown told the NYRA notes team. “We took the winter to get her acclimated and such and she's been coming along nicely. We know that she has some good form last year and it looked like maybe she needed a break after a long campaign. We gave her extra time and brought her along slow. Her last string of works have been impressive and she has a nice turn of foot. [The Beaugay] might be a touch short for her, but it's a starting point.”

Should Rougir falter, Brown brings backup in last year's Beaugay runner-up Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass). Victress of The Curragh's G2 Kilboy Estate S. at three in 2020, the dark bay came up a half-length short off the bench in the Beaugay, earning a 100 Beyer, but failed to build on that in two more starts as a 4-year-old, checking in last of eight in the GI Diana S. and running a non-threatening third in the GI Beverly D. S.

“This filly has come along well. She got sick on us after the Beverly D.,” Brown said. “When she returned home from Arlington she had to go to the shelf for a while, so we took our time and brought her back and she's another one that's been training well.”

Fringe contenders are headlined by Plum Ali (First Samurai), who goes for her third straight stakes victory. Undefeated in three starts to begin her career, including a score in the local GII Miss Grillo S., the chestnut then went seven starts without a trip to the winner's circl before getting back on track with a tally in the Winter Memories S. in her 3-year-old finale Nov. 14 at Aqueduct. Given the winter off by trainer Christophe Clement, she returned with a half-length triumph in the Big A's Plenty of Grace S. Apr. 16.

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NYRA Hosting Series of Job Fairs for Belmont Stakes Racing Festival

The New York Racing Association will hold a series of jobs fairs to fill temporary employment positions in support of the 2022 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which will take place at Belmont Park from Thursday, June 9 to Saturday, June 11. To fill the approximately 700 temporary positions required to support the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival operation, NYRA will hold three job fairs at Belmont Park from May 12 to May 14 to hire betting clerks, white caps, cashiers, hospitality team members, ticket scanners, program sellers, ushers and supervisors. Betting clerks and cashiers must be at least 18 years of age, present a current resume and have a minimum of three years of cash-handling experience. The job fairs will all be held on the fourth floor of the Belmont clubhouse, from 4-7 p.m. May 12, from 12-6 p.m. May 13 and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 14.

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