Saturday’s Belmont Headliner is Brown’s ‘Game’ to Lose

Chad Brown saddles a trio so strong in Belmont’s GI Just a Game S. Saturday that it would be quite surprising if he does not take home his fourth straight renewal of the event. Leading the Brown contingent is Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), who makes her first start of 2020 after a championship 2019 season. Winner of the 2018 GI Matriarch S., the chestnut kicked off last term with a win in the Perfect Sting S. over course and distance June 29 and was third to the re-opposing Got Stormy (Get Stormy) when facing males in Saratoga’s GI Fourstardave H. in August. Returning to winning ways in Keeneland’s GI First Lady S. Oct. 5, Uni got the better of Got Stormy last tie with a 1 1/2-length score when facing the boys again in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita Nov. 2. Got Stormy won last year’s Matriarch, but is winless in three starts this season, most recently finishing fourth in Belmont’s GIII Beaugay S. June 3.

“She’s doing well,” Brown told the NYRA notes team in reference to Uni. “There’s a little uncertainty with the layoff, but she seems to be training well. She has a great turn of foot and we’ll just see how it plays out.”

Uni’s biggest competition will likely come from her own shedrow in Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). A perfect three-for-three during her 2019 juvenile seasonal capped by a win at the Breeders’ Cup, the bay was winless in 2019, starting with a pair of runner-up efforts in the GIII Edgewood S. and GIII Wonder Again S. Fading to ninth in the GI Belmont Oaks last July, she was subsequently shelved for the season and appeared back to her old self when next seen in the seven-panel GIII Intercontinental S. over a yielding course at Belmont June 6. Newspaperofrecord seemed to relish the cutback in trip last time–registering a 103 Beyer Speed Figure–after racing over distances from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/4 miles last season and a repeat of that performance would make her a strong contender here.

“She seems very settled in the mornings,” Brown said of Newspaperofrecord. “She went fast fractions last time, which wasn’t really what I wanted, but she doesn’t need to do that. She’s been pretty relaxed and settled.”

The third Brown runner Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) will likely be much higher odds than her two stablemates, but it would be no surprise to see her get a piece. The chestnut captured both the GIII Lake George S. and GII Lake Placid S. last summer, but could only manage sixth behind another stablemate Cambier Parc (Medaglia d’Oro) in the GI QEII Cup Oct. 12. She finished second to Newspaperofrecord last out in the Intercontinental.

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Just A Game: One-Turn Mile The Right Trip For 12-1 Chance Zofelle

Trainer Brendan Walsh said a one-turn mile is the right fit for stakes-winner Zofelle, which is why he will send the 4-year-old Zoffany bay to Belmont Park for Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game over the Widener turf course.

Owned by Heider Family Stables, Zofelle was third, beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Mint Julep on May 30 at Churchill Downs, where she broke from the outside, tracked the pace in third and maintained her position down the stretch while in pursuit, but was unable to hold off the late charge of Secret Message and stablemate La Signare.

Zofelle joined Walsh's barn last fall after racing in Great Britain for Hugo Palmer and won her first three North American starts for the trainer, two of which were at a mile, including a stakes win in the Pago Hop on December 28 at Fair Grounds.

“I think that in an ideal world, a mile is her trip,” Walsh said. “We drew wide last time and [jockey] Corey [Lanerie] had to work to put her in the race. The draw and having to use her early on didn't help us. It was the best race she's run since we got her. The one-turn mile is right up her alley. I think that suits her better and that's why I wanted to run her up there.”

Notching a victory in Saturday's race will be no easy task, as she will have to face Breeders' Cup winners Newspaperofrecord and Uni. Zofelle is 12-1 on the Just A Game morning line.

“It's a tough race, but it will suit her well. She's training well and I think that she'll run well,” Walsh said.

Bred in Ireland by Fullbury and Minch Bloodstock, Zofelle is out of the Galileo broodmare Height of Elegance, who is a half-sister to Group 1-winner Sequoyah – the dam of Irish champion Henrythenavigator. She also comes from the same family as 2013 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Magician.

Walsh said he plans on running La Signare, who won the 2018 Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont, in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland following a runner-up effort in the Mint Julep. The French-bred daughter of Siyouni beat Zofelle two starts back in the Sand Springs at Gulfstream Park.

“She's doing well, and we have the Jenny Wiley under consideration,” Walsh said. “We're lucky to have two very nice fillies. Hopefully, they can hold their own against Grade 1 company.”

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Brown Enters Three In Pursuit Of Fourth Straight Just A Game Victory

Trainer Chad Brown will bring a strong hand of cards to the table when he saddles turf champion Uni, Grade 1-winner Newspaperofrecord and two-time graded stakes winner Regal Glory in pursuit of a fourth consecutive win in the 27th running of Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park.

The one-mile event for fillies and mares is one of four graded stakes events carded for Saturday afternoon's action packed program at beautiful Belmont Park, which also features the Grade 2, $250,000 New York at 1 ¼ miles on Belmont Park's inner turf; the Grade 2, $150,000 True North, for 4-year-olds and up going 6 ½ furlongs, and the Grade 3, $100,000 Vagrancy for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up contesting at 6 ½ furlongs on the main track.

Brown has saddled Antonoe (2017), A Raving Beauty (2018) and Rushing Fall (2019) to victory in the past three editions of the Just a Game, which is named in honor of Peter Brant's six-time graded stakes winning filly who was named Champion Grass Mare in 1980.

Defending Champion Turf Mare Uni will make her 2020 debut in the Just a Game, having not raced since taking last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita, where she became the sixth female to score a win in the race.

Known for her devastating late kick, the 6-year-old daughter of More Than Ready made up 11 lengths in the Breeders' Cup, where she broke sharply, was taken back in the early stages and put her sweeping turn of foot on display around the far turn with a five-wide move and stormed to victory by 1 ½ lengths. The impressive triumph registered a career-best 106 Beyer and was the fourth triple-digit speed figure recorded by the talented chestnut mare.

Uni, whose last eight starts took place at the Just a Game's distance, is a three-time Grade 1-winner with all three victories at such caliber taking place over different surfaces. Following a win in the Grade 1 Matriarch in December 2018 at Del Mar, where she made up 19 lengths, Uni secured a victory in the Grade 1 First Lady in October at Keeneland en route to her Breeders' Cup Mile triumph.

“She's doing well,” Brown said. “There's a little uncertainty with the layoff, but she seems to be training well. She has a great turn of foot and we'll just see how it plays out.”

Uni began her career in France for former conditioner Fabrice Chappet and has placed in 11 of her 12 starts in the United States for Brown.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Robert LaPenta, Sol Kumin's Head of Plains Partners and Michael Caruso's Bethlehem Stables, Uni has won at six different tracks in the United States and boasts the highest amount of lifetime earnings in the field with $2,347,880.

Uni is bred in Great Britain by Haras D'Etreham and is out of the Dansili broodmare Unaided.

Jockey Joel Rosario has been aboard for her last six outings and will pilot once more from post 6.

Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, Newspaperofrecord arrives at the Just a Game off a wire-to-wire victory in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on June 6 over the Widener turf, where she recorded swift fractions but still had enough left in the tank to draw off to a four-length victory recording a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

The 4-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega made amends from a disappointing 3-year-old campaign where she went winless in three starts. Newspaperofrecord began her career with an unscathed 2-year-old campaign, which included victories in a Saratoga turf maiden event, the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs by a combined 20 lengths.

“She's doing fine,” Brown said. “She seems very settled in the mornings. She went fast fractions last time, which wasn't really what I wanted, but she doesn't need to do that. She's been pretty relaxed and settled.”

Favored in all seven of her career starts, Newspaperofrecord boasts a 7-4-2-0 record, with all four of her victories taking place over yielding turf courses.
Bred in Ireland by Times of Wigan, Newspaperofrecord is out of the Holy Roman Emperor broodmare Sunday Times.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has been aboard for all of her starts and will return to the irons from post 4.

Rounding out the Brown threesome is Paul Pompa, Jr.'s dual graded stakes-winner Regal Glory. The 4-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom was second to Newspaperofrecord in the Intercontinental last out in her first start of the year. Her summer at Saratoga last year was a prosperous one as she took the Grade 3 Lake George over stablemates Blowout and Dogtag and followed up with a win in the Grade 2 Lake Placid over good ground, where she dead-heated for victory alongside Varenka.

Regal Glory has never finished worse than second in eight of her nine career starts. Her lone off the board effort was when she stretched out to a mile and an eighth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland finishing sixth beaten four lengths to stable mate Cambier Parc.

“A mile is a good distance for her. It's a big step up for her, but hopefully can grab a piece of it,” Brown said.

A Kentucky homebred, Regal Glory is out of the dual turf graded stakes winning More Than Ready broodmare Mary's Follies who also produced multiple graded stakes-winner Night Prowler and unbeaten Japanese group stakes winner Café Pharoah.

Breaking from post 5, Regal Glory will be ridden by Manny Franco.

Looking to make amends after three losses in 2020 is Gary Barber's two-time Grade 1-winner Got Stormy who will attempt to put her best foot forward for trainer Mark Casse, who saddled 2015 Champion Turf Female Tepin to victory in the Just a Game five years ago.

The daughter of Get Stormy was a hard-fought second to Uni in the Breeders' Cup Mile and recorded six straight triple-digit speed figures last season, including a 109 from her victory in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga against males.

The chestnut mare arrives off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park, which came after finishing second beaten a neck in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita.

Jockey Luis Saez will be aboard Got Stormy from post 2.

Trainer Brad Cox sends out last year's runner-up Beau Recall who will try to move forward off a ninth-place finish in the Grade 3 Mint Julep on May 30 at Churchill Downs.

The daughter of Sir Prancealot won the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs and the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar last season.
Jockey Jose Ortiz will be aboard from post 1.

Rounding out the field are Valedictorian [post 3, Jose Lezcano] and Zofelle [post 7, Javier Castellano].

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Stephen Foster, Ohio Derby Take Center Stage On America’s Day At The Races Broadcast

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, returns this Thursday on FOX Sports and MSG+ for the start of four days of coverage and analysis of the best in thoroughbred racing from Belmont Park, Churchill Downs and Thistledown Racecourse.

The acclaimed national telecast will air Thursday through Sunday on FS1, FS2 and MSG+ for a combined 20 1/2 hours of television coverage, highlighted on Saturday by a blockbuster day of stakes races from around the country.

Stakes action takes centerstage on Saturday at Belmont Park, anchored by the 27th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Just a Game for 4-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) going one mile on the turf. Saturday coverage from Belmont will include a pair of Grade 2 races – the $250,000 New York for 4-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) at 1 ¼ miles on the turf and the $150,000 True North for 4-year-olds & up at 6 ½ furlongs on the dirt – as well as the Grade 3 $100,000 Vagrancy Handicap for 3-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) at 6 ½ furlongs on the dirt.

Also featured on Saturday's broadcast is the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown Racecourse for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles, which has been added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. The top-four finishers will receive points worth 20-8-4-2 for entry to the field for the Kentucky Derby, rescheduled for September 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Churchill Downs closes out its 38-day spring meet with two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” qualifying races, the Grade 2, $500,000 Grade 2 Stephen Foster for 4-year-olds & up going 1-1/8 miles, which offers an expenses-paid berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic to the race winner; and the Grade 2, $200,000 Fleur de Lis for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles, which grants a place in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. Both Breeders Cup races will be on November 7 at Keeneland.

Grade 1-winner Tom's d'Etat will take on multiple graded-stakes winners By My Standards and Owendale in Saturday's 39th running of the Grade 2 Stephen Foster.

Featured in the 45th running of the Fleur de Lis – which means “Flower of the Lily” and honors the French symbol incorporated into the city of Louisville's Flag – will be the U.S. return of 2019 Champion Older Female Midnight Bisou taking on 2019 Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress.

Closing day at Churchill Downs will also include the Grade 3, $100,000 Regret for sophomore fillies and the Grade 3, $100,000 Bashford Manor for juvenile sprinters.

The week's stakes schedule kicks off on Thursday at Belmont Park with the 8th running of the $80,000 Easy Goer for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. Looking to extend his two victories in his first two career starts in his stakes debut will be Calumet Farm's Casino Grande, a Kentucky homebred, trained by Christophe Clement.

Highlighting Friday's racing from Belmont Park will be the inaugural running of the $75,000 Hessonite for 4-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) going six furlongs on the turf. Sunday's stakes race at Belmont will be the 43rd running of the $100,000 Bouwerie for 3-year-old New York fillies going seven furlongs on the dirt.

This week's America's Day at the Races schedule:

(All times Eastern)

Thursday, June 25:
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (FS2)
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (MSG+)

Friday, June 26:
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (FS2)
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (MSG+)

Saturday. June 27:
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (FS2)
3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (FS1)
1:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (MSG+)

Sunday, June 28:
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (FS2)
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (MSG+)

America's Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA's YouTube channel, which boasts more than 40,000 subscribers. Fans can subscribe to NYRA's channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA's YouTube channel also hosts a number of race replays, special features, America's Day at the Races replays and more.

America's Day at the Races is presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy, and Claiborne Farm. This weekend's broadcast team includes Greg Wolf, Andy Serling, Maggie Wolfendale, Richard Migliore, Acacia Courtney and Jonathon Kinchen.

NYRA Bets is the official online wagering platform of the Belmont spring/summer meet available to customers across the United States. In addition to a host of weekly special offers, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 deposit match bonus to new members.

NYRA Bets provides fans the opportunity to wager on racing from tracks around the world at any time. The NYRA Bets app is available for download for iOS and Android at NYRA Bets App. Watch and wager on the best racing while earning points on every bet.

For further details on the new member bonus, visit NYRABets.com/#sign-up-bonus.

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.

The 2020 Belmont spring/summer meet continues through Sunday, July 12. Live racing is offered Thursday through Sunday with a first post of 1:15 p.m. The 25-day meet features 22 graded stakes and 40 stakes races in total worth $7 million in purses.

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