GI Manhattan S. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Belmont Stakes Racing Festival to Feature 23 Stakes Worth $10.1 Million

Highlighted by the 156th edition of the GI Belmont S. on Saturday, June 8, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has revealed the stakes schedule for the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which will be held at Saratoga Race Course from Thursday, June 6 through Sunday, June 9.

The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 23 stakes races with purses totaling $10.1 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in 2014.

NYRA has increased the purse of the Belmont S. from $1.5 million to $2 million in 2024, which is the first significant increase since 2014. The 2024 Belmont Stakes will be contested at 1 1/4 miles in 2024 rather than the traditional 1 1/2 miles due to the configuration of Saratoga's main track.

In addition, NYRA has increased the purse of the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan from $750,000 to $1 million and boosted the GI New York from $600,000 to $750,000. As a result, the total purses offered at the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will exceed $10 million for the first time.

NYRA has also boosted the purse of the GIII Poker from $200,000 to $350,000 and added $100,000 to the purses of the GI Woody Stephens, the GI Jaipur and the GII True North. Accordingly, the Woody Stephens and Jaipur will offer a purse of $500,000, with the True North rising to $350,000.

Differences between the circumference of Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park will require slight distance adjustments to a number of races scheduled for the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. On the main track, four races previously run at a one-turn 1 1/16 miles on the main track (Acorn, Ogden Phipps, Commentator and Critical Eye) will be run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.

On the turf, the Manhattan and New York will be contested at 1 3/16 miles rather than the customary 10 furlongs. The Jaipur and $200,000 GII Intercontinental, which saw un upgrade from Grade III status last year, will each be run at 5 1/2 furlongs rather than the customary six furlongs.

The Festival opens with four stakes on Thursday, June 6 led by the $250,000 GII Belmont Gold Cup for older horses traveling two miles on the turf. The June 6 program will include the Listed $150,000 Jersey Girl for sophomore fillies sprinting six furlongs; the Listed $150,000 Tremont for juveniles sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs and the $150,000 Astoria at 5 1/2 furlongs for juvenile fillies.

Friday, June 7 will feature three Grade I events among four stakes topped by the New York for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up; the $500,000 Acorn for sophomore fillies and the $500,000 Just a Game at one mile on the turf for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. The GII Intercontinental for older fillies and mares rounds out the stakes action on the second day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

A blockbuster Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga awaits on Saturday, June 8 with a program to include six Grade I events among nine stakes races in total, culminating with the Belmont S. and featuring three Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifiers: the $1-million GI Metropolitan H. for 3-year-olds and up going one mile out of the Wilson Chute [Dirt Mile]; the $500,000 GI Ogden Phipps for older fillies and mares [Distaff]; and the $500,000 GI Jaipur for 3-year-olds and up [Turf Sprint]. In addition, the prestigious and historic Grade I races on Belmont Stakes Day will include the $1-million Resorts World Casino Manhattan for older horses, and the seven-furlong $500,000 Woody Stephens for sophomores.

Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga will be bolstered by the GII True North for older horses sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs; the GIII Poker for older horses at one mile on the turf and the $350,000 GII Suburban for older horses at 10 furlongs.

The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga will conclude on Sunday, June 9 when New York-breds take center stage for a special New York Showcase Day featuring six stakes exclusively for New York-breds.

For the complete Belmont Stakes Racing Festival stakes schedule, visit BelmontStakes.com/schedule.

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Veteran Channel Maker Wins The Grand Couturier S.

Though he hasn't displayed the form that saw him named champion turf male in 2020, Channel Maker is still showing he can be competitive on the track in his 8-year-old season. Given five months off following his fifth-place effort behind Yibir (Dubawi {Ire}) in last November's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, Channel Maker returned sharp off the layoff to take the GII Elkhorn S. at Keeneland Apr. 23. When last seen, he was never part of the race after blowing the start, coming in ninth in Belmont's GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. June 11.

Off as the 6-5 betting and sentimental favorite, the veteran got a better break this time and quickly found his way to the front, setting the tempo along the rail into the first turn with Highest Honors not far off in second. The pair raced one-two up the backstretch through unhurried fractions of :25.02 and :50.47. As the pace began to quicken into the far turn, Channel Maker had pressure from the outside as both Highest Honor and Solider Rising (GB) came running. Under a hard drive, he fought back against Soldier Rising who posed the more significant threat, sticking a head back in front inside the final sixteenth and just holding on to win by a neck.

“He always tries–that's him,” said winning jockey Luis Saez. “He's always waiting on other horses, and today he came to the top of the stretch and was fighting. He finally got the jump in the last bit. He fights and he doesn't win that impressively, but he can run in a little stake or a big stake the same. He just wants to be there first and he doesn't want to give in to anyone.”

Channel Maker is a full-brother to Canadian champion Johnny Bear and a half-brother to SW & GISP Court Return (Court Vision), who is his dam's last reported offspring. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Tribhuvan Steals Fourth Straight Manhattan for Chad

Dismissed at more than twice his morning line to be off at 19-1, TRIBHUVAN (FR) (g, 6, Toronado {Ire}–Mahendra {Ger}, by Next Desert {Ire}) provided trainer Chad Brown with his third Grade I victory of the afternoon, and fourth of the weekend, while also capping an exacta for the barn in Belmont's GI Manhattan S. Having gotten away to an easy early lead, the bay blew the race apart on the home bend with a move reminiscent of Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})'s 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Turf victory and never looked back as he cruised home some 3 1/2 lengths clear. Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) completed an exacta for overlapping owners. The winner stopped the clock in 1:59.24, and earned an automatic spot in the starting gate for this year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf in the process. Second in this race last year to stablemate Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Tribhuvan took last July's GI United Nations S. and most recently finished fifth in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. at Churchill on Derby day. Brown has now won the last four Manhattans, seven of the last nine and eight of the last 10 for a record number of victories in the event. Sales history: €30,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €58,000 RNA Ylg '17 AROYRG. O-Dubb, Michael, Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables and Caruso, Michael J. B-Jean Charles Haimet, Elza Petit & Hannah Petit (FR). T-Chad C. Brown.

Saturday, Belmont Park
RESORTS WORLD CASINO MANHATTAN S.-GI, $750,000, Belmont, 6-11, 4yo/up, 1 1/4mT, 1:59.54, fm.
1–TRIBHUVAN (FR), 122, g, 6, by Toronado (Ire)
                1st Dam: Mahendra (Ger), by Next Desert (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Minaccia (Ger), by Platini (Ger)
                3rd Dam: Maji (GB), by Shareef Dancer
(€30,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €58,000 RNA Ylg '17 AROYRG).
O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables &
Michael J. Caruso; B-Jean Charles Haimet, Elza & Hannah Petit
(FR); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Manuel Franco. $400,000. Lifetime
Record: 23-6-3-3, $1,119,954. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Adhamo (Ire), 118, c, 4, Intello (Ger)–Foreign Tune (GB), by
Invincible Spirit (Ire). (€250,000 3yo '21 ARARC). O-Madaket
Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, & Louis Lazzinnaro LLC;
B-Wertheimer et Frere (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $140,000.
3–Gufo, 122, h, 5, Declaration of War–Floy, by Petionville.
O-Otter Bend Stables, LLC; B-John Little & Stephen Cainelli
(KY); T-Christophe Clement. $75,000.
Margins: 3HF, 1, NK. Odds: 19.10, 4.40, 2.25.
Also Ran: Highland Chief (Ire), Rockemperor (Ire), Santin, L'Imperator (Fr), In Love (Brz), Channel Maker, Tokyo Gold (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Rubber Match for ‘Liam,’ ‘Spending’ in Manhattan

At the conclusion of the May 1 GI Old Forestor Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs there was no room to spare between Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) and Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending (Kingman {GB}) who crossed the wire in unison and the duo will attempt to separate themselves in Saturday's GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. at Belmont. Domestic Spending is trained by Chad Brown, who has won the 1 1/2-mile race on seven occasions, including the last two most recent renewals.

On the board in all five starts at three, including a win on the Saratoga Derby Invitational, Domestic Spending rounded out the year with a score in the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar in November. Given some time off, he returned to dead heat with Colonel Liam last time.

“He seems to be doing really well and came out of his last race super,” Brown said of the colt, who will break from post 4 with Flavien Prat back in the irons. “He's been breezing like a timepiece, so I think we're in good shape. He ran a faster race than the horse he dead-heated with in the Turf Classic. We're confident he'll run a good race.”

Brown also saddles Group 2 winner Master Piece (Chi) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), MGISP Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Tribhuvan (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}), winner of the May 1 GII Fort Marcy S.

Trying to take down Team Brown, Colonel Liam, who finished fourth behind Domestic Spending in last summer's Saratoga Derby, kicked off his winning skein in December with a confident victory in Gulfstream's Tropical Park Derby before eking out a win in the 9 1/2-furlong GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at that venue in January. Prior to his Turf Classic tie, he proved best in the GII Muniz Memorial Classic S. Fair Grounds in March.

“It's a very deep race and a very good race, arguably the strongest on the card,” said trainer Todd Pletcher of the Manhattan. “Colonel Liam is doing great and he's run well every time; we expect him to do the same again.”

He added, “I think he thought he had [the Turf Classic] won last time and he may have idled a touch when he got to the lead. Depending on the pace scenario, I don't see too much pace. He may find himself closer and possibly on the lead. We'll play it by ear and let him do his thing.”

Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the grey will break from Post 10.

Calumet Farm's Channel Cat (English Channel) comes into this off a career-high score in Belmont's GI Man O' War S. May 8. The 6-year-old was able to withstand the oncoming 2020 GI Belmont Derby winner Gufo (Declaration of War) by a nose at the wire.

“I'm only just getting to know the horse, but he seems to really be coming around in the short time I've had him,” said Jack Sisterson, who took over Channel Cat's training in late 2020. “He was second in the [GII] Elkhorn [S. at Keeneland Apr. 17] and we wanted to give him time to come back for the Manhattan, but he put on 50 pounds after the Elkhorn and his coat was coming around. If horses could talk, he was telling us he wanted to run again. So, we ran him back quick.”

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