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Althiqa Completes Godolphin, Appleby Exacta In Just A Game Stakes

It was clear in the stretch of the Grade 1 Just A Game Stakes that a gray horse under the Godolphin blue from the yard of trainer Charlie Appleby was going to end up in the winner's circle. After slipping past her stablemate through a tight rail seam, Althiqa took the honors over pacesetter Summer Romance.

Althiqua, a 4-year-old British-bred daughter of Dark Angel, was tucked in near the back of the pack by jockey Mike Smith during the opening jumps, while Summer Romance shot out to a multi-length lead. Zofelle followed Summer Romance from the inside post, along with New York Girl, but the leader was ahead by several lengths after the opening quarter in :23.43 seconds.

Summer Romance remained unchallenged through the next quarter-mile, and she set an opening half in :46.90 seconds as she led the field into the turn. In the meantime, Smith still sat chilly on the rail with Althiqa in eighth.

Summer Romance was still comfortably in the lead heading into the stretch, but many of the horses that had kept Althiqa tucked in through the early goings of the race fanned out wide, leaving the inside path wide open. Althiqa in the mid-stretch, and split between Zofelle and Always Shopping to take aim on her stablemate.

Jockey Luis Saez kept Summer Romance to task, but he left the rail open for Althiqa to slip through with about a sixteenth to go. Althiqa took advantage of the opening, and kicked away to win by three-quarters of a length over Summer Romance. Daddy Is a Legend ran evenly to finish third, 1 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up.

Althiqa finished the one-mile race in 1:33.90 over a turf course labeled as good, and she paid $16.80 to win.

Saturday's win improved Althiqa's lifetime record to five wins in 10 starts for earnings of $466,213.

The Just A Game was the first North American start for the Godolphin homebred, who was bred in Great Britain, out of the Shamardal mare Mistrusting. She spent the spring in Dubai, winning the Group 2 Cape Verdi Stakes over Summer Romance and finishing third to her stablemate in the G2 Balanchine prior to the Just A Game. She raced in Great Britain and France in 2020, earning Group 3 placings in both countries.

Summer Romance, an Irish-bred Kingman filly, also made her first North American start in the Just A Game. She raced primarily in England last year, highlighted by a win in the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes.

To view the Equibase chart, click here.

G1 Longines Just a Game Quotes, Courtesy of the NYRA Press Office

Charlie Appleby, winning trainer of Althiqa (No. 8, $16.80) and runner-up Summer Romance (No. 9): “We're obviously delighted with it and we knew we had two competitive fillies. It's one of those days when we prepped well, I was confident they would run a big race and they justified it. They are two fillies who ran well over the winter in Dubai in Group 2s—one won the Balanchine and the other won the Cape Verdi—and they came out there to America and put it to the sword again. It's a great effort by the team there and we might think about leaving them there for Saratoga. Althiqa hit the line strong enough and she wasn't stopping. It was an opportunity to get a Group 1, and luckily we did.

“Mike [Smith, aboard Althiqa] gave us our first Grade 1 in the Breeders' Cup with Outstrip, so it's great to team up again. With Rebel's Romance [developed an infection and had to drop out of consideration for the G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets] earlier this week and this, it's just the ups and downs of it all. We've seen it here in the UK and you just have to roll with the punches.

“We'll definitely consider the Diana [Grade 1, $500,000 on July 17 at Saratoga Race Course] for both of our fillies.”

Sophie Chretien, traveling assistant to Charlie Appleby: “Things were not easy the last couple of weeks [after Rebel's Romance's situation] and we had to stay focused on our two fillies. They both have big hearts and I know they had a chance to run big. Everything turned out great. Sometime after the bad, you have the good, and here it is.”

Mike Smith, winning jockey aboard Althiqa (No. 8): “We laid midpack. She's got a big heart and she's very, very honest, so she's going to run good. You're just going to have to make a trip when it's time to move on. I was actually going to tip out, but she kind of leaned in like she wanted to drop to the fence, so I just let her. It was a small hole but [Appleby] told me she had a big heart, and she got on through there. She might suit American racing really well. We might want to keep her here.”

Luis Saez, jockey aboard runner-up Summer Romance (No. 9): “She ran pretty hard. I thought we were going to win. She never gave up. She came into the stretch running, and then Mike Smith came really fast. We just got caught. She never gave up and she tried to the wire.”

Manny Franco, jockey aboard third-place finisher Daddy is a Legend (No. 3): “I had a great trip; we never got stopped. I got the trip I wanted. I wanted to wait a little longer to make my move and that's what I did. The two fillies who beat me are nice and she made a good run.”

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Mean Mary Ekes Out A Win In The New York Stakes

A torrential downpour might have delayed racing for 30 minutes at Belmont Park Friday afternoon, but the rain couldn't dampen the parade for Mean Mary. The Graham Motion trainee and daughter of Scat Daddy broke fast to take a two-length lead and then held off a fast closing Thundering Nights (IRE) to win the Grade 2 New York Stakes at a mile and a quarter on the turf.

Winner of the 2020 edition of the New York, Mean Mary faced a field of eight others, including co-favorite Harvey's Little Goil, after Micheline, Always Shopping, and Antoinette scratched. Breaking from post position six, this 5-year-old mare broke flying under jockey Luis Saez on a yielding Belmont turf course, opening up a length and a half between her and Traipsing. Virginia Joy and Harvey's Little Goil ran in third and fourth for the first six furlongs.

With fractions of :25.09 for the first quarter and :50.31 for the first half, Mean Mary held an easy lead throughout, keeping the pace slow and saving enough for her stretch run. Out of the final turn, Thundering Nights, trained by Joseph O'Brien, was set down for a furious stretch run by Johnny Velazquez, but was unable to catch Mean Mary. Only a nose separated the two at the wire.

Owned by Alex Campbell Thoroughbreds, Mean Mary is a daughter of the late Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) out of the Dynaformer mare Karlovy Vary. She is two for two in 2021, with a victory in the G3 Galorette in her first start of the year at Pimlico on Preakness Stakes Day. She ran the mile and a quarter New York Stakes in 2:04.68. My Sister Nat and Virginia Joy finished third and fourth, with Harvey's Little Goil, Mutamakina, Magic Attitude, Civil Union, and Traipsing rounding out the field.

Trainer Graham Motion was pleased with his repeat victor's performance even with the short margin between her and Thundering Nights.

“I was really anxious when I saw [No. 9, Thundering Nights] closing so fast, but I had felt pretty confident to that point.” Motion told the NYRA press office. “She was really running. She came out of the gate like a rabbit. I'd never seen her break like that. She really does love it. She's such a cool filly.”

Jockey Luis Saez was pleased with Mean Mary's run on the yielding turf.

“She got a great trip, broke out of there so well.” Saez said after the race. “She always breaks pretty well, but today was better than ever. She controlled the pace. The track was a little soft, but she handled it. She tried pretty hard the whole time.”

Mean Mary, co-favorite at 3-1, paid $7.40, $4.80, and $4.20. Thundering Nights (4-1) paid $5.40 and $4.50. My Sister Nat (18-1) paid $6.90 to show.

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Pletcher Double Tough in Wonder Again

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher offers a two-pronged attack–Con Lima (Commisioner) and Jouster (Noble Mission {GB})–in Thursday's GIII Wonder Again S. at Belmont. Drawing the two hole in the nine-furlong event, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus and Troy Johnson's Con Lima will attempt to collect her fourth stakes victory of the season after placing in a pair of blakc-type tests last term. The Texas-bred kicked off 2021 with a score in Gulfstream's one-mile Ginger Brew S. Jan. 2 before finishing runner-up to White Frost (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GIII Sweetest Chant S. in Hallandale Jan. 30. Second across the wire but promoted to first via the disqualification of Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) in the GIII Herecomesthebride S. Feb. 27, she tired to fourth while trying the dirt in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 27 but rebounded to win when returning to the sod for the May 1 Honey Ryder S.

“She trains and runs consistently well,” said Pletcher. “She's better on the turf, but handles dirt OK, also. We'll see how she handles the mile and an eighth and how it all plays out for her.”

Jouster, campaigned by Starlight Racing and Glen Hill Farm, returns to the Empire State fresh off a victory in Keeneland's GII Appalachian S. Apr. 3. Earlier this season, she won a pair of 8 1/2-furlong tests at Gulfstream before getting nosed out in Tampa's Florida Oaks Mar. 6.

“She's a naturally fast filly and it seems like she's starting to settle a bit,” said Pletcher. “It's sort of a pivotal race for us in terms of which direction we go with her. If she can handle a mile and an eighth, we may look at some of those races that are a little longer. If not, we'll cut back in distance. We're eager to find out how she does.”

Jockey Luis Saez will ride Jouster, who exits from Post 5.

Also offering a pair of runners for this renewal is Chad Brown, who saddles Head of Plains Partners' Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}) and Klaravich Stables' Technical Analysis (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). Victorious in the Selima S. last fall, Fluffy Socks rounded out the season with a victory in Del Mar's GIII Jimmy Durante S. before returning this term with a second in Aqueduct's Memories of Silver S. Apr. 18.

“She's doing really well,” said Brown who will attempt to win his fourth Wonder Again following scores by Lady Eli (2015), New Money Honey (2017), and Cambier Parc (2019). “After she won late last year at Del Mar, we tucked her away for a little bit and just planned on focusing on this turf series for 3-year-old fillies. She doesn't seem to have any distance limitations–longer the better–and a real, true mile and a quarter filly. When you look at the top and bottom of her pedigree, it fits, and she's coming in really well.”

Lightly-raced Technical Analysis debuted with a third at Belmont in November before winning her next two, including the most recent going 8 1/2 panels in an optional claimer here Apr. 29.

“I keep looking at that [damsire] Sea The Stars and thinking, even though she's been keen in her races, she's a beautiful, big, scopey horse and, if we can keep working with her and Jose [Ortiz] to get her to settle a little bit, she'll have no problem with the distance,” said Brown.

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Essential Quality Draws Post Two, Installed As 2-1 Favorite For Belmont Stakes

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality, just a length from being undefeated in his career, drew post position two and was installed as the 2-1 morning line choice for Saturday's Belmont Stakes. Trained by Brad Cox, the 3-year-old son of Tapit suffered his first loss in six starts when fourth in the Kentucky Derby, but the juvenile champion and jockey Luis Saez are all set to return for the third jewel of the Triple Crown.

Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer returns for the Belmont, albeit with John Velazquez picking up the mount for trainer Michael McCarthy. Flavien Prat was aboard Rombauer for his victory at Pimlico, but Prat opted to remain with Derby third-place finisher Hot Rod Charlie (Doug O'Neill) for the Belmont Stakes.

Other Grade 1 winners in the Belmont field include Known Agenda (Florida Derby) and Rock Your World (Santa Anita Derby). Wood Memorial winner Bourbonic is back for the Belmont, as is the graded stakes-placed Overtook, both trained by Todd Pletcher.

The wildcard in the field remains France Go De Ina, the Japan-trained colt who ran seventh in the Preakness Stakes.

Another expected foreign entry, UAE Derby winner Rebel's Romance, was removed from consideration early Tuesday morning by trainer Charlie Appleby due to an infection in the colt's hind leg.

The full field for the Belmont Stakes is as follows:

Bourbonic – Kendrick Carmouche, Todd Pletcher – 15/1
Essential Quality – Luis Saez, Brad Cox – 2/1
Rombauer – John Velazquez, Michael McCarthy – 3/1
Hot Rod Charlie – Flavien Prat, Doug O'Neill – 7/2
France Go De Ina – Ricardo Santana, Jr., Hideyuki Mori – 30/1
Known Agenda – Irad Ortiz, Jr., Todd Pletcher – 6/1
Rock Your World – Joel Rosario, John Sadler – 9/2
Overtook – Manny Franco, Todd Pletcher – 20/1

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