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Belmont Park: Friday’s Card Features $44,798 Pick 6 Carryover

The Pick 6 on Friday will be bolstered by a $44,798 carryover as the multi-race wager went unsolved on Opening Day of the Belmont Park fall meet

The $1 Pick 6 returned $574 to bettors who selected 4-of-6 winners correctly.

Thursday's Pick 6 kicked off in Race 4 with O'Gotten Girl [No. 1, $11] winning a six-furlong maiden special weight for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on the Widener turf for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

Amore Fire [No. 1, $16.60] prevailed in Race 5, a six-furlong maiden claiming sprint for juvenile fillies on Big Sandy. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano engineered the winning trip for conditioner Wayne Potts.

In Race 6, jockey Kendrick Carmouche guided the Brittany Russell-conditioned Adelaide Miss [No. 8, $26.20] to a narrow score over Evvie Jets [No. 9] in a one-mile allowance optional-claiming event on the Widener turf for sophomore fillies.

Alcools [post 2, $10] won Race 7, a $40,000 claiming sprint for 3-year-olds and up, under jockey Jose Ortiz for trainer Chris Englehart; and Temple [No. 2, $16.20] continued a difficult sequence by winning Race 8, a 10-furlong inner turf allowance optional-claiming event for 3-year-olds and up.

The carryover was already confirmed heading into the Race 9 finale with four horses – Mill Stone Creek (No. 3), Elegant Laoban (No. 6), Angeloverthepulpit (No. 7) and Killoean Rose (No. 12) – uncovered in the Late Pick 5.

Mondeuse [No. 2] set the pace in the 1 1/16-mile maiden claiming tilt on the Widener turf for state-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, but Constitutionalrage [No. 1, $18.40] enjoyed a perfect ground-saving trip under Jose Lezcano before angling out to launch her winning bid in the stretch run for trainer Bruce Brown.

The Late Pick 5 returned $20,353.50 on the $0.50 wager.

Friday's Pick 6 kicks off in Race 4 at 2:34 p.m. Eastern and includes the $100,000 Allied Forces in Race 7 and the $100,000 Christiecat in Race 8. First post on the nine-race card 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 fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at http://www.NYRABets.com.

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‘Hard-Running’ Step Dancer Should Appreciate Extra Distance In Jockey Club Derby

Hayward Pressman, Diamond M Stable and Donna R. Pressman's New York-bred Step Dancer will step into elite company in Saturday's $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational, a 12-furlong test on the Widener turf at Belmont Park.

The Jockey Club Derby, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $4 million Longines Turf in November at Del Mar, is the final leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for males that commenced with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby [won by Bolshoi Ballet] in July and continued with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby [won by State of Rest] in August at historic Saratoga Race Course.

The Jockey Club Derby is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's lucrative 11-race card which will also feature the 1 3/8-mile $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks, the concluding leg of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-old fillies, in Race 9; and the 1 5/8-mile $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational in Race 4.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, Step Dancer showed promise as a juvenile posting a 24-1 debut win traveling 1 1/16 miles on the Saratoga turf last September before finishing third in the Grade 2 Pilgrim in October at Belmont Park. The War Dancer bay completed a solid campaign with a three-quarter length score against open company in the 1 1/16-mile Awad over yielding Belmont turf on October 31.

Tagg said he appreciates Step Dancer's willingness to compete.

“I've watched a lot of horses over the years. Everything you see about him in the morning gives you confidence. He's an athlete,” said Tagg.

Bred in the Empire State by Sugar Plum Farm and Richard Pressman, Step Dancer launched his sophomore campaign in March with an off-the-board effort in the Cutler Bay at Gulfstream Park ahead of a close third in a 1 1/16-mile New York-bred allowance optional claimer on May 13 at Belmont Park.

Step Dancer was a late-closing second in the seven-furlong NYSSS Spectacular Bid on June 19 at Belmont and will enter Saturday's test on a high note after overcoming a troubled start in the one-mile NYSSS Cab Calloway on July 28 at the Spa, rallying four-wide down the lane to defeat his fellow eligible New York-sired rivals.

Tagg said he wasn't surprised by the game effort.

“He's a hard-running horse. He likes to do it,” Tagg said. “I don't know if he's a great horse or not, but I have a lot of confidence in him. He tries every time.”

Tagg said Step Dancer should appreciate the significant stretch out in distance.

“I've never felt like he couldn't run long. I might change my mind this coming Sunday, but not yet,” Tagg said with a laugh. “He's always seemed like he could go a distance. Anything you ask him to do, he does it. He loves his sport. Some horses are just like that.”

Jockey Dylan Davis has never finished off the board in five starts piloting Step Dancer and will retain the mount from post 5 in a field headlined by European raiders Bolshoi Ballet and Yibir.

The veteran conditioner said he will let Davis work out a sensible trip.

“It all depends on the pace of the race as you go along. You can be laying fifth and it might be just like taking him back in another race,” Tagg said. “Dylan's a good rider. He's intelligent and fearless. He's ridden very well for me.”

Tagg has enjoyed great success with New York-breds in his career, capturing two-thirds of the 2003 Triple Crown [Kentucky Derby and Preakness] with Funny Cide, and completing the set last year with Tiz the Law's popular score in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

Step Dancer, who will look to add another New York-bred moment to Tagg's impressive ledger, posted an easy five-furlong breeze in 1:01.85 Sunday on the Belmont inner turf in his final preparation for Saturday's test.

“He went fine. I don't think they have to go out there and show off every time they breeze. He's done everything we've asked him to do,” said Tagg.

Regardless of the result on Saturday, Tagg said he appreciates Step Dancer's winning spirit.

“He's a very honest horse. Tried and true,” Tagg said. “They're [good horses] hard to find but he is one and no matter how he runs on Saturday, he's alright by me.”

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The Mean Queen Overtakes Snap Decision In Lonesome Glory

Buttonwood Farm's The Mean Queen bested the boys for a second consecutive Grade 1 start, ending Snap Decision's nine-race winning streak in a gritty stretch duel in Thursday's $150,000 Lonesome Glory, a 2 1/2-mile steeplechase event for older horses on Opening Day of the Belmont Park fall meet.

Trained by Keri Brion, the 5-year-old Doyen mare entered from a 4 3/4-length victory in the Grade 1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard on August 18 at Saratoga Race Course.

With Richard Condon up, The Mean Queen, the 7-5 second choice, tracked in third position as Bodes Well led the seven-horse field through the first circuit of the Belmont turf course with Amschel in second and 4-5 favorite Snap Decision, under Graham Watters, settled near the back of the pack in fifth.

Bodes Well attempted to sprint away from the field in the final run down the backstretch as Snap Decision advanced into third position beside The Mean Queen. The two rivals found their best run midway around the final turn easily overtaking Bodes Well to set up a memorable stretch duel.

Snap Decision, carrying a field-high 164 pounds, loomed large with his outside position turning for home but The Mean Queen, assigned 157 pounds, continued to find more, powering through the wire a two-length winner in a final time of 4:37.83.

“I thought the race would pretty much go exactly like that, but I didn't know if that would be the outcome,” Brion said. “She's so tough and I said to Richie, 'If you can just get her a neck in front of him, that's our best chance because she'll never let him pass.' That's how she works in the morning. Everything she works with, even if they're going slow, she's just like, 'No. You're not getting past me.'

“Snap came up to her and she kept that neck around the bend,” added Brion. “I knew at the eighth-pole she wasn't going to let him get past. She's just something else.”

The Mean Queen has provided Brion with a number of memorable moments this year, including a victory in April at Ireland's Wexford Racecourse that made her the first U.S.-based trainer to win an Irish hurdle race.

Condon was full of praise for The Mean Queen and her formidable foe.

“They are the two best [steeplechase] horses in America at the moment. The public were really watching this race and the hype between the two horses was really immense,” Condon said. “To get the ride in such a big race against a horse like Snap Decision was just great, and full credit goes to Keri and the mare herself. That was a serious performance.”

Condon said he was a little bit concerned about racing room approaching the stretch run.

“I knew he [Snap Decision] was there, and he made an attempt to keep me in behind Bodes Well,” Condon said. “I made a move sooner than I had planned, but I was delighted to have the rail to guide me to the wire with a top notch animal underneath me.

“That was a proper Grade 1 by American standards,” Condon added. “Snap Decision lost nothing in defeat. I think the two of them are proper Grade 1 horses and they would be able to compete in Grade 1 races in Ireland and England. That's the caliber of horse they are. America is lucky to have them.”

Bruton Street's Snap Decision posted a nine-race win streak dating to 2019 and entered from a Grade 1 win in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois in June at Percy Warner for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher.

Snap Decision's pilot said he is hopeful of turning the tables in the Grand National at Far Hills, should the two foes meet again.

“He was carrying seven pounds more than her. Lucky enough at Far Hills, in four weeks' time, we'll all go off at level weights,” Watters said. “You'd like to think judging off the weights, he'd be able to beat her by open lengths. I thought I was a winner turning in, but the closer we got to the line I could feel that weight getting to me more and more.”

Redicean completed the trifecta with Amschel, Bodes Well, Brianbakescookies and Galway Kid rounding out the order of finish.

Bred in Ireland by Kevin Purfield, The Mean Queen banked $90,000 in victory while improving her career ledger to 8-6-1-0. She returned $4.90 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing returns Friday at Belmont with a nine-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Allied Forces in Race 7 and the $100,000 Christiecat in Race 8. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Sept. 17 Insights: Half to Princess Noor Debuts in Intriguing Belmont Sprint

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

6th-BEL, $90k, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 3:38 p.m. ET

Seven horses make their career debut in this potential-laden nine-horse field, headed by PROTONIC POWER (Protonico), part of an uncoupled entry for the Todd Pletcher barn. Owned by Sumaya US Stable, who campaigned his sire, the colt is out of Grade III winner Sheza Smoke Show (Wilko), making him a half to 2020 OBS April topper and subsequent Grade I winner Princess Noor (Not This Time). The bay stayed home at Belmont for the summer and shows an upbeat worktab, highlighted by a half-mile gate breeze in :48 2/5 (5/66) over the main track Aug. 28. The other half of the Pletcher duo is Al Shaqab Racing's narrow morning-line favorite Afjan (Uncle Mo). The homebred is the second foal to race out of GSW/MGISP Scarlet Strike (Smart Strike), following this year's British G3 Supreme S. hero Toro Strike (Toronado {Ire}). Scarlet Strike is also a half-sister to Grade I winners Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song) and Visionaire (Grand Slam). Afjan most recently breezed a sharp five furlongs from the gate over the local training track in 1:00 3/5 (2/28) Sept. 10. Cairama (Cairo Prince) turned heads at OBS March when breezing a furlong in :9 4/5 before hammering for $525,000, 35 times her sire's stud fee and debuts from the rail for the red-hot Steve Asmussen barn. Pegged as a 15-1 longshot on the morning line in his career bow for Nick Zito, Atlantic Thoroughbreds' Atlantic Dancer (American Pharoah) is a half-brother to last year's GII Tampa Bay Derby hero and GI Arkansas Derby runner-up King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) and hammered for $400,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. TJCIS PPs

—@JBiancaTDN

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