The 4-year-old son of Kingman went a half-mile in company with multiple graded stakes-placed Rockemperor, completing his four-furlong move in :49.75 over the firm turf.

“He worked in company with Rockemperor just stretching his legs,” Brown said. “He went an easy half-mile and I just wanted to get him out there and assess him. It was a very routine work. He looks super.”

Prior to capturing the Manhattan over good turf on June 5, Domestic Spending dead-heated for victory with Colonel Liam in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

In the Manhattan, Domestic Spending was 11 lengths back on the backstretch before displaying a devastating turn-of-foot to gun down graded stakes-winning stablemate Tribhuvan, winning by 2 3/4-lengths.

Brown said Domestic Spending remains on target for the Grade 1, $600,000 Mister D Stakes, formerly known as the Arlington Million, on August 14 at Arlington Park.

Also on the work tab was Master Piece, who finished a late-closing sixth in the Manhattan and went a half-mile in :48.62.

“He's looking for firm ground. I'm thinking about running him in the [$500,000 Grade 1] United Nations [on July 17 at Monmouth Park].”

Brown said he will be hoping for a better performance next out from Juddmonte's Pocket Square, who finished fifth as the beaten favorite in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game Stakes on June 5.

The daughter of Night of Thunder blitzed through a half-mile with a bullet work in :48.05 – the fastest of 18 recorded works at the distance. She will be pointed for the $500,000 Grade 1 Diana Stakes on July 17 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, Ny.

“Going into the Just a Game, she missed her final work with the rainstorms. I wasn't able to get a few horses there that weekend,” Brown said. “In hindsight, it really affected her. She was flat in her race, and I think it was because of missing a work. I'm inclined to draw a line through that race and point her to the Diana.”

Brown would be targeting a sixth straight Diana victory having won the past five with Dacita [2016], Lady Eli [2017], Sistercharlie [2018-19], and Rushing Fall [2020].

Michael Dubb, Sandford Goldfarb, and Samuel Abraham's Devamani logged his first work since capturing the Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes on June 5, traveling a half-mile in :48.75. He made his 2021 debut off nearly seven month's rest, running fourth in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy Stakes on May 1 at Belmont Park.

Brown said the $100,000 Oceanport Stakes on August 8 at Monmouth Park is among a number of potential targets.

“He's the kind of horse who benefits from a race to kind of get in form,” said Brown. “He looks fine. Not exactly sure what we're going to do with him next. Going back to Monmouth for the Oceanport is one idea. We'll also look at some other spots.”

Brown said undefeated Chilean-bred Breakpoint is nearing a North American debut. The son of Constitution is a two-time Group 1 winner in his native country and worked five furlongs in 1:00.60.

“He's getting close to his first start,” Brown said. “We're looking for a spot with him. He's very close to getting started. He seems like a steady horse in his works.”

Bradley Thoroughbreds, Iris Smith Stables, and Rigney Racing's Minaun, an allowance winner going six furlongs on April 30, went five furlongs in 1:00.90 in preparation for the $100,000 Wild Applause on June 26 at Belmont Park.

The bay sophomore daughter of Zoffany won the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes last July in her native Ireland in her start prior to her first North American engagement.

“Her form looks good. She shouldn't have any trouble with the mile. She wouldn't mind some cut in the ground,” Brown said.

Brown noted that Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown, and Team Hanley's Higher Truth will target the Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies, on July 10.

The bay Galileo filly broke her maiden at 1 ¼ miles on April 22 over the inner turf, defeating next-out winner Community Adjusted, and then defeated winners at the same distance on June 10.

“She's got a pair of mile-and-a-quarter wins,” Brown said. “She doesn't have any stakes credentials so she's going to have to get into the field. If she does, I think she fits with those horses.”

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The Fort Marcy is slated as Race 5 on Saturday's 11-race card, which also includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester in Race 3 and the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay in Race 10.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael E. Kisber and Bethlehem Stables' multiple Grade 1-placed Rockemperor will exit post 2 under Manny Franco in search of his first graded score.

The 5-year-old Holy Roman Emperor horse has hit the board in a trio of Grade 1 events, including a third in the 2019 Belmont Derby, a second in the Manhattan in July at Belmont and a third two starts back in the Turf Classic in September at Churchill Downs.

Rockemperor wintered at Payson Park in Florida before shipping to New York, where he breezed a half-mile in 50.03 seconds on the Belmont dirt training track on April 24.

“He breezed here once and looked great,” said Brown's New York-based assistant Dan Stupp. “Just by watching him gallop around, it appears that he's awfully full of himself. He's been galloping very forwardly and it looks like he's doing very well.”

Sanford J. Goldfarb and Samuel Abraham's Devamani, a 7-year-old French-bred son of Dubawi, captured the Grade 2 Knickerbocker in October over yielding Belmont turf to close out his 2020 campaign, earning a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

With a record of 25-5-8-5 and purse earnings of $401,239, the experienced Devamani posted a career-best 102 Beyer when second to Instilled Regard in last year's Fort Marcy.

Tribhuvan, a 5-year-old French-bred son of Toronado owned by Dubb, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables, captured the Prix du Bras d'Or at Compiegne and the Prix de la Chambre de Monsieur at Chantilly in 2019 for his former conditioner Henri-Alex Pantall.

The bay made a trio of starts last year for Brown, including a nose score in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming event on the Belmont turf in July.

Devamani will exit post 1 under Jose Lezcano, while Tribhuvan, a first-time gelding, will emerge from post 3 with Eric Cancel up.

Augustin Stable homebred Wissahickon, a 6-year-old Tapit gelding, was a multiple stakes winner in England on turf and synthetic for his former conditioner John Gosden.

In February 2019, Wissahickon stepped up to win the Group 3 Winter Derby at Lingfield on synthetic footing. Transferred to the care of Jonathan Thomas last year, Wissahickon closed from 22 lengths off the pace to finish fifth, defeated 3 3/4-lengths, in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming event in July on the Saratoga turf.

Joe Bravo will pilot Wissahickon from the outermost post 5.

New York-bred City Man, a multiple stakes winner owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles, will leave post 4 in search of graded-stakes glory under Trevor McCarthy.

The 4-year-old Mucho Macho Man colt, bred by Moonstar Farm, captured the Gio Ponti by a nose traveling 1 1/16-miles on good Aqueduct turf in November for trainer Christophe Clement.

Last out, City Man broke through the gate in the Alex M. Robb in December at the Big A and was eased.

First post on Saturday is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Devamani, who ran second by a nose to Admiralty Pier in the G3 Tampa Bay in February and by a neck to Instilled Regard in the G2 Fort Marcy in June over the Belmont grass, fended off stablemate Olympico's late charge to complete the 1 1/8-mile journey over the yielding inner turf course in 1:51.78, giving trainer Chad Brown the exacta for the five-horse field.

Out of the gate, En Wye Cee broke sharp from post four and led the field through the opening quarter-mile in 25.66 seconds, the half in 51.13 and three-quarters in 1:15.58 with Devamani tracking in third position under jockey Joel Rosario.

Through the final turn, Devamani, who had plenty in reserve, pressed on from the outside, taking command in the final furlong and powering home to his first victory in six starts this year.

“He's a neat horse. He's a very well-bred horse. He's always been at the top of his game in his training, his looks and such,” said Brown, who took over training duties for the 6-year-old Dubawi gelding starting for the current campaign. “Obviously, he took to our program well right away and we had him running in stakes right away. He's a very useful horse and he'll be exciting to have as a 7-year-old here next year.

“This horse has a pedigree to get better when he gets older,” he added. “I'm not shy to run 6, 7 or 8-year-olds on the turf. Sometimes, they find their feet there. I'll talk to the ownership group and see, but this horse is running super. We may run him one more time [this year] or we may not. But I'm looking to run him as a 7-year-old.”

Off at 3-1, Devamani returned $8.80 on a $2 win bet. Out of the Group 1-winning Selkirk mare Daryakana, Devamani improved his career record to 5-8-5 in 25 career starts.

“He was just there for me and was able to go along early and he kept going,” Rosario said. “To be up a little closer with the slow pace, he was on his game. He always runs hard. He had been unlucky a couple of times and he got the job done today.”

Brown put blinkers on Devamani for the first time in his previous start when third in the Lure on September 7 at Saratoga and removed them for Sunday's contest.

“Joel really rode him perfect,” Brown said. “We got the position we were looking for with him. We put the blinkers on him because he was falling so far out of position in his races and it didn't really work out. He wasn't happy with them. When we took them off, what it left us with was a little sharper horse. Putting them on and taking them off, even though we took a defeat last time, might have been the final piece of the puzzle for this horse just to put him in the race a little bit.”

Fellow French-bred Olympico edged En Wye Cee by a neck for second, marking the second consecutive year he finished as the Knickerbocker runner up.

“He was second-best. The winner got a perfect trip,” said Olympico jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. “He ran a perfect race, he just got beat.”

Olympico was making just his third start of his 5-year-old campaign and posted his first overall on-the-board effort since last year's Knickerbocker.

“He was a little out of position. I thought he would be ahead of Devamani early, I was surprised they flip-flopped,” Brown said. “Irad thought he gave him a good run. Fortunately, he was able to squeak out second there.”

Breaking the Rules, the 2-1, favorite, finished fourth, with Seismic Wave completing the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Thursday with a nine-race card at Belmont with a first post of 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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The Knickerbocker was originally scheduled for the Monday, Oct. 12 holiday card but was moved to Sunday's third race at 1:28 p.m. Eastern due to inclement weather. That provided Olympico with a few days of extra rest as he makes his first appearance since running fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Lure on Sept. 7 at Saratoga Race Course.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Olympico made his 2020 debut off a nearly nine-month layoff, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch on July 26 at the Spa. That marked his first start since finishing just one length back to Lucullan in the 2019 Knickerbocker.

After arriving from his native France last year, the now 5-year-old son of Rajsaman won his North American debut by capturing the Grade 3 Fort Marcy in May 2019 over Belmont's softer turf at the Knickerbocker distance. After six straight winless starts, he will look to recapture that form, drawing post 1 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. retaining the mount.

His stablemate, Devamani, was also bred in France and stared his career there before making the cross-Atlantic trek. Since arriving in the United States in 2018, the Dubawi gelding has been competitive. With Brown taking over the training duties for his 6-year-old campaign, Devamani has finished on the board in four of his five starts, starting 2020 with back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay on Feb. 8 and the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on June 6 at Belmont.

He ran third last out in the Lure and will return to Belmont for his eighth race at the track, drawing post 3 with Joel Rosario in the irons.

Juddmonte Farms' Seismic Wave will return to stakes company for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The 4-year-old Kentucky homebred ran second in a 1 1/8-mile race moved off the turf last out on August 27 at Saratoga. Before that effort on a sloppy and sealed track, the son of Tapit had run in 11 consecutive stakes contests dating to 2019, including a win in the English Channel going one mile over the Belmont turf last October and a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Poker on July 4.

“I think for his style of running, a racetrack at Belmont is going to suit him better to get the trip he needs,” said Garrett O'Rourke, the general manager of Juddmonte Farms. “It's a spot worthy of taking a shot in. He's a sound horse and a good servant. He's been a fun horse to have around. Horses like him are good to have around because they're reliable and usually perform really well.”

Seismic Wave broke his maiden at the Knickerbocker distance on turf in his third career start in February 2019 at Gulfstream Park. A stakes win could also help his value at the upcoming sale next month, O'Rourke said. Seismic Wave is 3-4-2 in 15 career starts with earnings of $362,800.

“He's entered in the Keeneland November Sale [under the WinStar consignment], so we'll see how he runs and take it from there,” O'Rourke said.

Seismic Wave will break from post 2 under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano.

Phipps Stable's Breaking the Rules started his 5-year-old campaign with back-to-back wins against allowance company, besting a 10-horse field going 1 1/8 miles on June 20 at Belmont before following with a one-length score on July 29 at Saratoga Race Course.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey moved the dark bay son of War Front back up to stakes company last out in the Lure on Sept. 7 at the Spa, where he ran fourth in his first stakes appearance since an eighth-place performance in the Grade 3 Poker in June 2019.

Breaking the Rules did not start again after the Poker for 12 months but has registered Beyer Speed Figures of 90 or greater in all three starts back, including a personal-best 101 for his July victory.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, aboard for his two wins this year, will return to ride from post 5.

Waterford Stable's En Wye Cee has only one previous stakes race out of his six total starts to his credit – fourth in the Grade 3 Discovery last November at the Big A – but enters the challenge with momentum following a six-length win against optional claimers in a race taken over the turf on August 29 at Saratoga. The Todd Pletcher trainee's only previous start on grass was a third in a blanket finish on Aug. 1 at the Spa, finishing a neck behind King Cause. After earning a 93 Beyer, Pletcher will try the 4-year-old Declaration of War colt on turf again, retaining the services of jockey Jose Ortiz from post 4.

Sunday's 10-race card will feature a 12:20 p.m. Eastern first post. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Woodslane Farm's Sadler's Joy, a seven-time winner with a career bankroll in excess of $2.5 million, is part of an eight-horse field of 4-year-olds and up competing in the 1 ¼-mile contest on the inner turf in the Manhattan, which is part of a packed 11-race Independence Day card featuring five graded stakes on Runhappy Met Mile Day.

Highlighting the day is the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile, open to 3-year-olds and up, offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Also featured is the Grade 2, $200,000 Suburban, a 10-furlong test for 4-year-olds and upward; the Grade 3, $150,000 Poker, a one-mile turf test for older horses; and the Grade 3, $100,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies.

Sadler's Joy has come tantalizing close to a Manhattan win for trainer Tom Albertrani, finishing a neck behind Spring Quality as part of a blanket finish in 2018. The year prior, the son of Kitten's Joy ran third, 1 ½-lengths back to winner Ascend.

“I like the way he's coming into this race and he's run well in this race twice before, so with him, it's all about getting the right trip and hopefully he's up to it this year,” Albertrani said. “We feel pretty confident he should do pretty well.”

Sadler's Joy ended his 2019 year with a two-length win in the Grade 3 Red Smith in November at Aqueduct Racetrack and started his 7-year-old campaign against top-tier competition, running sixth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf in January at Gulfstream Park. Staying in the Sunshine State, he ran third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at 1 3/8 miles in February at the same track.

Off a three-month layoff, Sadler's Joy returned to New York to run third in the 1 3/8-mile Tiller on June 4 at Belmont. He earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, marking 25 consecutive races he earned a number in excess of 90 dating to his sophomore year in 2016.

“I think the Tiller was a good race for him being off a few months leading up to it,” Albertrani said. “I thought he ran well in there and came back sharper after the race. I think going forward, this one coming up, could be setting up quite nice for him.”

Sadler's Joy has already banked more than $2.5 million in career earnings as he enters his 30th start. He has won at least one graded stakes his previous three years, starting with the 2017 Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream, the 2018 Grade 2 Mac Diarmida and last year's Red Smith.

“He's always right there. We've had a couple of troubled trips in the past, but he's a tough horse on the day and hopefully everything works out this weekend,” Albertrani said. “We always felt he'd rather have firm turf, but he has run well of softer ground. We might get some rain, but I don't think it will make much of a difference.”

Hall of Famer and two-time Manhattan winner Javier Castellano, aboard for Sadler's Joy's last four starts, will have the return call from post 4.

Two-time Grade 1-winner Channel Maker will return to the site of his most recent win, when he bested Arklow by a neck to win the Grade 1 Man o'War in May 2019. After earning a personal-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort, Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott ran him back in last year's Manhattan, where he ran a competitive fourth in a race that saw Chad Brown train the trifecta in Bricks and Mortar, Robert Bruce and Raging Bull.

Channel Maker has finished off the board in his last four races, starting with the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Santa Anita, and is looking to bounce back off an eighth-place Tiller finish. The 6-year-old son of English Channel, who counts the 2018 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont among a career highlight, has finished second in three career Grade 1 contests, including the 2017 Hollywood Derby, the 2018 Sword Dancer at Saratoga Race Course, and last year's Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Manny Franco will be in the irons from post 6.

Brown has won the Manhattan four of the last six runnings and entered a troika of contenders for his bid to repeat after Bricks and Mortar's triumph last year. In the Manhattan, the first-and-second place finishers of the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on June 4 at Belmont will be sent out again, with winner Instilled Regard and the French-bred Devamani separated by just a neck.

OXO Equine's Instilled Regard is a graded stakes winner on dirt and turf, parlaying a successful run on the 2018 Triple Crown trail into a successful career on grass. As a sophomore, the son of Arch won the Grade 3 Lecomte before running fourth in that year's Kentucky Derby.

Brown moved Instilled Regard to turf in late 2018, resulting in a third-place finish in his debut on the surface in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. Since then, the now 5-year-old has won twice on the turf, including the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale in December.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will guide Instilled Regard from post 1.

Devamani has run second in each of his two starts since Brown took over training responsibilities, finishing a nose behind Admiralty Pier in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay in February before running back in the Fort Marcy, where he registered a 102 Beyer.

Arriving in North America in 2018, Devamani made 12 starts before stepping up to stakes company. He will go for his first stakes win with Joel Rosario set to ride from post 5.

After a seven-month layoff, the Brown-trained Rockemperor has run twice since March, earning blacktype by finishing third in the Grade 3 Muniz Memorial Classic at Fair Grounds. He crossed the wire second in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham in May at Santa Anita but was disqualified and placed third for causing interference last out.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, a 2013 Manhattan winner aboard Point of Entry, will go for a second victory in the race, drawing post 2.

Terry Hamilton's Spooky Channel will take the step up in class and run in his first Grade 1, following a win against optional claimers in which he earned a personal-best 99 Beyer for the 1 1/16-mile route on May 23 at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Brian Lynch ran Spooky Channel in five straight graded stakes before that, saddling him to a victory in the 1 ½-mile Grade 3 W.L. McKnight to start his 5-year-old year in January at Gulfstream.

Spooky Channel was shipped from his base in Churchill to Belmont on Wednesday, where Lynch said he will stay in Jimmy Jerkens' barn heading into the race.

“I was happy with the way he won that open allowance and I just felt we were prepared to roll the dice a little bit and see how he fits with this spot here in a Grade 1,” Lynch said. “The mile and three-eights is pretty appealing. He's a big, hearty-type of horse. He takes it all in. He's on a plane this afternoon and hopefully he settles in.”

Spooky Channel, 8-2-0 in 15 starts, will have the services of jockey Julien Leparoux from post 8.

“I thought it was a good field of horses he beat in the McKnight and even the open allowance was a good test for him with a good field of horses,” Lynch said. “He deserves a shot, and there's 400,000 reasons why he deserves a shot.”

Ten Strike Racing's Dot Matrix, who edged Sadler's Joy by a nose for second in the Tiller last month, will rematch his old rival. The Brad Cox trainee started his 7-year-old year with a win the 1 ½-mile Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup in January at Sam Houston, marking his first appearance since running third in the Red Smith, 1 ½ lengths back to Sadler's Joy.

Dot Matrix is 1-1-1 in three career starts at longer than 1 1/8 miles. The Freud gelding is a veteran on the Belmont turf, compiling a 3-3-2 record in 14 starts.
Florent Geroux, aboard for the Connally Turf Cup win, will make the trek to ride again, breaking from post 7.

Cross Border, owned by Three Diamonds Farm and trained by Mike Maker, will be looking for his first career stakes win. A son of English Channel, he was part of what Lynch said was a competitive McKnight field at Gulfstream, running second, just a neck behind Spooky Channel.

Jose Ortiz will pilot Cross Border, breaking from post 3.

America's Day at the Races will offer live coverage of Belmont Park stakes action from 1 – 5 p.m. and from 6 – 7 p.m. on FS1. NBC will provide live coverage of the Runhappy Met Mile from 5 – 6 p.m. Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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