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Grade 1 Woodward Returns To Belmont Park’s Fall Stakes Schedule

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 28-day fall meet at Belmont Park, which will include 20 graded stakes among 47 total stakes worth $11.15 million in purses.

The fall meet, which will run from Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, October 31 will offer four Grade 1 races and five “Win and You're In” qualifiers to the Breeders' Cup in November at Del Mar.

The highlight of the meet will be the return of the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes on Oct. 2. The Woodward has been run at Saratoga since 2006, but had previously been held at Belmont Park and makes it's return to the Elmont track this year.

The first two stakes will come during the meet's second day, with a pair of $100,000 six-furlong turf sprints on Friday, September 17, with the Allied Forces for sophomores and the Christiecat for 3-year-old fillies. The following day will feature the first Breeders' Cup qualifier on the docket with the $1 million Jockey Club Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 1/2 miles on the turf in the final leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series that will commence with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby in July and continue with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby in August at historic Saratoga Race Course.

September 18 will also see the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks, the concluding leg of the Turf Triple for 3-year-old fillies, held at 1 3/8 miles, with the card bolstered by the 1 5/8-mile $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational.

The weekend of September 25-26 will encompass the meet's first graded stakes races, with that Saturday offering the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the main track and the Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia for fillies and mares 3-years-old competing at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The following day will see fillies and mares 3-and-up sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in the Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom, with the undercard rounded out by the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard for New York-bred juveniles going seven furlongs.

Seven graded stakes will comprise the weekend of October 2-3, with a pair of Grade 1s highlighting the Saturday card with the $500,000 Woodward for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn 1 1/8 miles on Big Sandy and the $500,000 Champagne for 2-year-olds running one mile in a prestigious race affording a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile to the winner. The Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo will see juvenile fillies running 1 1/16 miles on turf that day, along with the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the grass.

Sunday, October 3 will continue the high-level action, with the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies at one mile with a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies up for grabs. The day will also include the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim for juveniles going 1 1/16 miles on the turf and the Grade 3, $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya at 1 3/8 miles in a turf route for fillies and mares 3-and-up.

The following weekend will again provide a chance to see top-caliber racing, with Saturday, October 9 showcasing the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic for 3-year-olds and up in a marathon 1 1/2-mile turf competition, with the Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh, a six-furlong “Win and You're In” event for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, bolstering the undercard along with the Grade 3, $150,000 Matron for juvenile fillies.

October 10 will offer the fall meet's final Breeders' Cup qualifier with the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity for 2-year-olds going six furlongs on the turf providing a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Juvenile Turf Sprint. Also on tap that day will be the Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame at nine furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Closing weekend on October 30-31 will see a packed Saturday that will offer eight stakes for New York-breds on Empire Showcase Day, led by the $300,000 Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. A trio of $250,000 stakes includes the Empire Distaff, Sleepy Hollow and Maid of the Mist. Also on tap will be two $200,000 contests in the Mohawk and Ticonderoga, along with a pair of $150,000 stakes in the Iroquois and Hudson.

Closing Day on Sunday, October 31 will conclude the meet with five stakes: the $150,000 Zagora for fillies and mares 3-and-up; the Pumpkin Pie for the same division going seven furlongs; the $100,000 Awad for juveniles at 1 1/16 miles on the turf and the $100,000 Chelsey Flower for 2-year-old fillies going the same distance.

Three stakes have been added to the fall schedule, starting with the $100,000 Glen Cove for sophomores fillies sprinting seven furlongs on the turf on October 15. The $100,000 Carle Place, for 3-year-olds also going seven furlongs on the turf, will be held October 22, while the $100,000 Oyster Bay for 3-year-olds and up going seven furlongs on the turf will be run on October 29.

For the complete Belmont Park fall meet stakes schedule, please visit NYRA.com/stakes

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Grade 1 Winner Gufo Stretches out, Add Blinkers For Monday’s Grand Couturier

Otter Bend Stables' Grade 1-winner Gufo will stretch out in distance for Monday's inaugural running of the $150,000 Grand Couturier, a 12-furlong Widener turf test for older horses at Belmont Park.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the 4-year-old Declaration of War chestnut won 4-of-6 sophomore starts, including victories in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Kent at Delaware Park and the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational.

Clement said Gufo will add blinkers following late-running losses in his last three starts, including narrow defeats in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby by a neck in November at Del Mar; and the Grade 1 Man o' War by a nose in May at Belmont.

Last out, Gufo raced from 17 lengths off the pace before closing to finish third in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Manhattan on June 5 at Belmont.

“He's always way, way out of it and we're just trying to get him closer,” said Clement regarding the equipment change. “He's not going to be on the pace, but it would be great to have him not too far out of it. He's doing well and training well and I love the idea of running him back at Belmont.”

Clement said the Grand Couturier could serve as a steppingstone to the 12-furlong Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer, slated for August 28 at Saratoga, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar.

“The plan is to get to the Sword Dancer at Saratoga. That's our main summer goal,” said Clement.

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 6.

Woodslane Farm's multiple graded stakes winner Sadler's Joy will make his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Pan American on March 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, the $2.6 million earner, who captured the 2017 Grade 1 Sword Dancer, is in search of his first win since the 2019 Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct. The 8-year-old Kitten's Joy chestnut did cross the wire first in the last year's Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga, but was disqualified and placed fourth.

Jose Ortiz has the call from post 3.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle a pair of contenders in Summer Wind Equine's Moon Over Miami and Trinity Farm's Red Knight.

Red Knight, a New York-homebred, captured the Grade 3 Sycamore in October at Keeneland going the Grand Couturier distance. The 7-year-old Pure Prize gelding boasts a record of 24-8-8-1 with four of those scores arriving on the Belmont turf, including the 2019 Point of Entry at 12 furlongs.

Moon Over Miami, a Kentucky homebred, closed from 15 lengths back to finish third, defeated a neck, last out in the Grade 1 Man o' War going 1 3/8-miles on the Belmont turf. The 4-year-old Malibu Moon colt captured the Dueling Grounds Derby at 1 5/16-miles on the Kentucky Downs turf in September.

Junior Alvarado will pilot Moon Over Miami from post 5, while Manny Franco will guide Red Knight from the inside post.

Three Diamonds Farm's Tide of the Sea, a 5-year-old son of English Channel bred in Kentucky by Juddmonte Farms, will look to make amends after finishing last-of-9 last out in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup contested at two miles over yielding turf.

Trained by Mike Maker, Tide of the Sea captured the 12-furlong Grade 3 William L. McKnight in January at Gulfstream Park and followed with a close second in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at the same track.

Tide of the Sea will emerge from post 7 under Luis Saez.

Rounding out a talented field are Fantasioso [post 2, Javier Castellano], Epic Bromance [post 4, Joe Bravo], Burning Bright [post 8, Eric Cancel], Shamrocket [post 9, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], and Kinenos [post 10, Jose Lezcano].

The Grand Couturier is slated as Race 6 on Monday's nine-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Firenze Fire Chases Breeders’ Cup Berth In Sunday’s John A. Nerud

Through a 33-race career, nine-time graded-stakes winner Firenze Fire has asserted his talent over seven different racetracks, but it's no secret that the veteran son of Poseidon's Warrior has an affinity for Belmont Park. He will seek an eighth triumph over Big Sandy on Sunday in the 13th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 John A. Nerud going seven furlongs for 4-year-olds and upward.

The John A. Nerud, a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Del Mar, will be televised live on NBCSN as part of a show airing from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.

The event is named in honor of the late Hall of Famer whose 44-year tenure as a trainer included campaigning fellow Hall of Fame inductees Dr. Fager, Gallant Man, and Ta Wee. Following his retirement in 1978, Nerud assisted John Gaines in developing the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, for whom he was marketing committee chairman in its early years. As an owner, Nerud campaigned 1985 Champion Turf Horse Cozzene as well as influential stallion Fappiano. Nerud passed away in August 2015 at the age of 102.

Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire, trained by Kelly Breen, brags a consistent 10-7-1-0 record at Belmont Park and lifetime earnings of nearly $2.5 million. The accomplished 6-year-old sprinter has won both of his starts this season, notching repeat stakes conquests over the local strip in the Grade 3 Runhappy on May 8 and Grade 2 True North on June 4. In the latter, Firenze Fire battled down the backstretch to the inside of multiple graded stakes-winner Flagstaff through swift opening fractions, but kicked clear of his foe to notch a 1 ½-length victory.

The True North came just minutes before the track was deluged with rainfall. Firenze Fire was beaten by double-digit lengths in his three starts over a track rated sloppy.

“That was heart attack material because by the time we got back to the test barn it was a downpour,” Breen's assistant John Attfield said. “Someone was watching out for us that day.”

Owner Ron Lombardi expressed a similar sense of relief regarding the weather.

“It was unbelievable, that was great,” said Lombardi. “We would have run anyway, but at that point there wasn't much you could do. What a godsend that the rain held off.”

Firenze Fire commenced his love affair with Big Sandy in his fourth career start when capturing the Grade 1 Champagne in October 2017 over subsequent Champion 2-Year-Old Good Magic. He has won at least one stakes race at Belmont Park for the past five seasons, registering a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure during his sophomore campaign when returning to Belmont with a nine-length romp in the 2018 Grade 3 Dwyer.

Following a successful 2019 campaign, which included a victory in the Runhappy at Belmont, Firenze Fire made his debut for Breen in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter in June 2020, finishing a distant fourth prior to capturing the Grade 2 True North and the Grade 2 Vosburgh at Belmont three starts later.
After closing the curtain on his 5-year-old season when third in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector on December 19 at Gulfstream Park, Firenze Fire remained in training but did not start until capturing the Grade 3 Runhappy on May 8 two starts ago.

“One of the biggest advantages of this year was for the first time in his career, he had five months off. We gave him the winter off without running him, he was still training a little bit, but he's come back great,” Attfield said.

Elsewhere, Firenze Fire has conveyed his aptitude against graded stakes company at Saratoga, Parx Racing and Laurel Park. Following last year's Grade 2 Vosburgh triumph, he finished a good third to accomplished sprinters Whitmore and C Z Rocket in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint on November 6 at Keeneland.

With a start in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Sprint in mind, Lombardi is hopeful that Firenze Fire can maintain his winning form throughout this season. A start in this year's Sprint would be a fifth straight Breeders' Cup appearance for Firenze Fire.

“I think he's at the top of his game at the moment,” Lombardi said. “He's always had the MO where he comes out of the race unbelievably. After a race he's eating, perky and he doesn't miss a beat. The next morning he's ready to go. Typically horses of his caliber wait more than four weeks, but he recovered so greatly. He didn't miss a beat, but he did take some time off in the winter. He has two stakes under his belt so far this year and it will be his fifth year in a row going to the Breeders' Cup.”

Firenze Fire's name is influenced by the Italian word for the city of Florence, Italy.

“My daughter designs shoes and has them made in Italy,” Lombardi explained. “We were over there six years ago in Florence, and I needed to name the horse. At the time, Tom Hanks was filming the movie Inferno in Florence so that's where the 'fire' comes from.”

Lombardi said owning a horse like Firenze Fire has been a dream come true for a lifelong racing fan.

“Especially being a homebred makes it that much more special,” Lombardi said. “It's been great. It really is a dream come true. My dad owned a horse in 1948 had it for a year and a half. All my aunts and uncles every Saturday went to Monmouth.”

A Florida homebred, Firenze Fire is out of the Langfuhr mare My Every Wish, whose other progeny include stakes-placed Firenze Freedom as well as a full-brother to Firenze Fire in Just Leo, who is training towards a July debut.
Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has been aboard for nine of Firenze Fire's 14 lifetime victories and returns to the irons from the inside post.

Dual Grade 1-winner Mind Control will make his debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher seeking a return to winning form.

Owned by Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable, Mind Control has gone winless in eight starts since capturing the Grade 3 Tom Fool last March at Aqueduct for former trainer Gregg Sacco.

Red Oak Stable racing manager Rick Sacco said he is hoping to see the son of Stay Thirsty recapture his previous form which earned him elusive Saratoga triumphs in the Grade 1 Hopeful in 2018 and the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial in 2019.

“We went through a few races where he didn't win, and we knew there were no races for him at Monmouth,” Sacco said. “We just thought it was a change of scenery that would do him some good. Todd is on our team, and he has horses for us. My brother Gregg won him a couple of Grade 1 races and did a fantastic job, but we figured we would change things up, send the horse over to Todd and try to win a race with him. It's a hard lens to look through to move a horse. We're just trying to get him back on track. He's sound and training super.”

Mind Control and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will vie for their sixth stakes triumph together from post 2.

Trainer Rob Atras earned his first overall graded stakes triumph when American Power won the Grade 3 Toboggan on January 30 at Aqueduct, and will seek his first Belmont graded stakes-triumph when saddling the son of Power Broker for the Nerud.

Owned by Sanford Goldfarb, Irwin Goldfarb and the Estate of Ira David, American Power replicated his winning form at seven furlongs when capturing the Caixa Eletronica on March 20 following the Toboggan. Last out, he finished third in the Grade 2 True North.

American Power has placed in six of seven starts since being claimed by Atras last July.

Breaking from post 3, American Power will be ridden by Joel Rosario.

Three Diamonds Farm's Doubly Blessed will see a cutback in distance from 1 1/16 miles when seeking a sixth career win for trainer Mike Maker. The son of Empire Maker out of graded stakes winner Via Villaggio earned a career best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out in an allowance optional claiming tilt on May 29 over a sloppy and sealed track at Belmont Park, which he won by 1 ½ lengths.

Jockey Luis Saez, who was aboard for his last out triumph, retains the mount from post 7.

Rounding out the field are Top Seed [post 4, Jose Ortiz], Wicked Trick [post 5, Jose Lezcano] and Three Technique [post 6, Manny Franco].

The John A. Nerud is carded as the finale on Sunday's 10-race Independence Day program. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Equibase Analysis: Mystic Guide Likely To Best Happy Saver In Suburban

Although this Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban Stakes drew just six entrants, it is still likely to prove to be a very exciting race because of two horses – Happy Saver and Mystic Guide. Both 4-year-olds and lightly raced, Happy Saver won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last October and returned to the races at the end of May for a big win, while Mystic Guide returns from three months off after having won the Grade 1, $12 million Dubai World Cup in March, having finished second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup the only time he faced Happy Saver previously.

The contention does not end there, with Informative entering the race off a 79 to 1 upset in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile Stakes last month. Moretti finished third in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Stakes last month following 10 months away from the races and finished second in last year's Suburban so appears to fit here. Max Player and Prioritize round out the field and appear off form, with Max Player coming into the race off a poor sixth place effort in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special and with Prioritize having finished fifth in the same race.

Assuming Mystic Guide is ready to run following a bit over three months off, I think he is more probable to win than Happy Saver based on his win in the Dubai World Cup near the end of March. Now with a record of 4-2-2 in eight career starts, Mystic Guide won the Jim Dandy Stakes last summer as a 3-year-old in only the fifth start of his career, before stretching out to 10 furlongs in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont last October. In that race, Mystic Guide rallied to make the lead by a head with an eight of a mile to go over Happy Saver but was beaten three-quarters of a length at the end, earning a then career-best 104 ™ Equibase® Speed Figure in the process.

Taking four and one-half months off to mature, Mystic Guide made short work of six other horses in the Razorback Stakes in his 2021 debut in February with a 108 figure, before easily defeating 11 other horses in the Dubai World Cup at the distance of the Suburban. The World Cup effort earned a 115 figure, and considering the Suburban will be his third start of the year we can expect even better. Having put in a nice series of workouts since returning to North America, including a best of 33 drill one week ago at the distance of a half-mile, Mystic Guide gets a slight edge over a very worthy opponent in Happy Saver.

Happy Saver actually earned the best ™ figure of his career in his second career start, last July at Saratoga at nine furlongs. The 116 figure was tremendous being as he had only run once before, winning his debut by five lengths in June at the distance of seven furlongs. Easily winning the Federico Tesio Stakes in September, Happy Saver set his sights on the Jockey Club Gold Cup at this 10 furlong trip and put away Mystic Guide in the final yards to earn a 109 figure. Rested nearly eight months, Happy Saver returned to beat a non-descript field of allowance foes as expected at the end of May with a 99 figure. Considering how well he ran in his second career start last July, we can expect Happy Saver to improve markedly off his 2021 debut and that is why the second match between him and Mystic Guide can be expected to be one to behold.

Informative was disregarded at 30 to 1 two races back when finishing second in an allowance race and earning a career-best 103 figure, then one month later ran even better. In the Salvator Mile Stakes at Monmouth on June 12, Informative rallied from last of 10 to win by a length when completely dismissed by bettors at 79 to 1 odds. The 110 figure appears legitimate and as it is as good as the 108 figure Mystic Guide earned winning the Razorback Stakes and the 109 figure Happy Saver earned winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and considering it could be improved upon as Informative is a 4-year-old like the other two contenders, this upstart can't be dismissed as a contender in this race.

The rest of the field, with their best ™ Equibase Speed Figures, is Max Player (99), Moretti (106) and Prioritize (107).

Win Contenders:
Mystic Guide
Happy Saver
Informative

Suburban Stakes – Grade 2
Race 10 at Belmont Park
Saturday, July 3 – Post Time 5:44 PM E.T.
One Mile and One Quarter
Four Year Olds and Upward
Purse: $400,000

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