Quality Road’s Bleecker Street Comes Flying Late to Take the New York

For a brief few moments in the stretch it looked like Chad Brown, represented by odds-on Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}); six-for-six second choice Bleecker Street; and 9-2 third choice Virginia Joy (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB})–not to mention pacesetter Flighty Lady (Ire)–might not actually get his record-tying fourth New York S. trophy. But depth like that, and all for Peter Brant, is nearly impossible to beat, and Bleecker Street, perhaps the most unsung unbeaten horse in the country, flew home in last-to-first fashion to reach a new high.

Stretching out to 10 furlongs for the first time off of consecutive nine-furlong scores in the GII Hillsborough S. at Tampa Mar. 12 and as part of a productive weekend for Brown and Brant at Churchill in the May 6 GIII Modesty S., Bleecker Street was content to trail early as Flighty Lady was hard ridden to the first turn, but then only posted somewhat un-rabbit-like fractions of :24.54, :50.76 and 1:16.48. Family Way tracked a couple lengths behind that one and further clear of the rest of the field. Family Way took over heading for home, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. had a fistful of horse on Bleecker Street as he guided his mount to the far outside for clear sailing. Family Way still looked like a winner to midstretch as nobody near her really kicked it in, but Bleecker Street–sporting a red cap to distinguish herself from her three stablemates–zoomed home to be up in time.

“Her closing kick, especially with those slow fractions, was nice,” said Ortiz, who had also piloted newly named 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate) as well as GII True North S. runner-up Sound Money (Flatter) for Brown on the card. “Not too many horses can go around a slow pace, slow fractions, like that. I made a wide move to go around and she still got there. She gave me a good kick. She's very nice. They were backing up into me a little bit and they were a little slow and then everybody was sprinting home, so it was hard to catch them. But she got the job done.”

This was Ortiz's first time riding the winner–Flavien Prat hopped off her for Rougir.

“I had never ridden her before so I talked to Flavien and he gave me some tips, like she's pretty easy to ride and she's not too fast out of the gate,” Ortiz said. “I tried to find out everything I can about her. She was undefeated and I wanted to keep going with her. Now she's 7-for-7 and everything worked out perfect. Thank God.”

Brown, whose three prior wins in this event also include a 2019 score for Brant, said of the winner, “What a remarkable horse. I wasn't sure about a mile and a quarter. She finished her races like she would get it, but as you know, handicapping doesn't always work out that way. Just because they're closing and you keep on stretching them out, sometimes it has to do with pace, when they make their move and how long their move is. This filly does everything we put at her. What a remarkable horse–where she started and where she came from. She's moving up in the ranks of one of the better ones I've had.”

Bleecker Street began her career as a member of Brown's perceived “B team,” winning first out at Monmouth and clearing her first-level allowance condition at The Meadowlands. She was entered and withdrawn from last year's Keeneland November sale.

As for Rougir, last year's G1 Prix de l'Opera winner and most recently an impressive victress of the G3 Beaugay S. going shorter here, Brown said, “She just didn't fire today. She was in a good spot, always ahead of Bleecker Street. We didn't have any excuse. We'll go back to the drawing board. Maybe the softer ground in her form suggested [she prefers softer turf], but she certainly trained really well at Belmont.”

Friday, Belmont Park
NEW YORK S.-GI, $735,000, Belmont, 6-10, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 2:02.58, fm.
1–BLEECKER STREET, 122, f, 4, by Quality Road
                1st Dam: Lemon Liqueur (SP), by Exchange Rate
                2nd Dam: Limoncella, by Lemon Drop Kid
                3rd Dam: Trip Around Heaven, by Halo
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($400,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Branch Equine, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $400,000. Lifetime Record: 7-7-0-0, $834,700. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Family Way, 120, m, 5, by Uncle Mo
                1st Dam: Susie's Baby, by Giant's Causeway
                2nd Dam: Mekko Hokte, by Holy Bull
                3rd Dam: Aerosilver, by Relaunch
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($775,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; €150,000 3yo '20 ARQDEC). O-Fergus Galvin, Debra L. O'Connor, & Marc Detampel; B-Diamond Creek Farm (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $140,000.
3–Flighty Lady (Ire), 118, m, 5, by Sir Percy (GB)
                1st Dam: Airfield (GB), by Dansili (GB)
                2nd Dam: Emplane, by Irish River (Fr)
                3rd Dam: Peplum, by Nijinsky II
(21,000gns Ylg '18 TAOCT). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Tally Ho Stud (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $75,000.
Margins: HF, NK, NK. Odds: 2.85, 10.00, 51.25.
Also Ran: Virginia Joy (Ger), Rougir (Fr), Core Values, Lovely Lucky.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Bleecker Street becomes the 14th Grade I winner for Quality Road, and second for Brown and Brant, following in the hoofsteps of Dunbar Road. This is the first highest-level winner in North America out of a mare by Danzig's son Exchange Rate (he has three in South America).

Dam Lemon Liqueur (Exchange Rate) was a debut winner and stakes-placed juvenile for owner/breeder My Meadowview Farm and the late Rick Violette. She was acquired by Ben Berger's Branch Equine for $75,000 in foal to Honor Code at the 2016 Keeneland November sale and RNA'd at that auction two years later for just $19,000 after not being bred back following the foaling of Bleecker Street. Bleecker Street has a 2-year-old half-sister named Red Lemonade (Always Dreaming) who was bred by Delia Nash, a yearling filly by Flatter and an Apr. 6 foal colt by Not This Time.

The post Quality Road’s Bleecker Street Comes Flying Late to Take the New York appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Blue Grass Stakes Resumes Grade 1 Status; Secretariat, Flower Bowl Downgraded For 2022

The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association today presented its listing of U.S. Graded and Listed Stakes Races for February 2022 through January 2023, the results of its annual grading session conducted Jan. 26 and 27.

The Committee reviewed 891 U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, and assigned Graded status to 449 of them, four more than were graded in 2021, and Listed status to 204 races. Eight Graded races were upgraded; three new Grade 1 and five new Grade 2 races were named; 13 new Grade 3 races were identified. Twenty new Listed races and two new Listed-Restricted races were upgraded from non-Listed Black Type status.

Three races were upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland and New York S. at Belmont Park.

The Blue Grass Stakes was last run as a Grade 1 in 2016. The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint is being upgraded to Grade 1 status for the first time since its debut in 2018.

Two races were downgraded from Grade 1 to Grade 2 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Secretariat S. at Arlington Park and Flower Bowl S. at Saratoga.

Five races were upgraded to Grade 2 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Lukas Classic S. at Churchill Downs; Wonder Again S. and Bed o' Roses S. at Belmont Park; Fanduel Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs; and Shuvee S. at Saratoga.

Four races were downgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 3 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Falls City S. at Churchill Downs; Best Pal S. at Del Mar; and Adirondack S. and Bernard Baruch H. at Saratoga.

Thirteen races were upgraded to Grade 3 status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Jockey Club Derby Invitational S., Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. and Pebbles S. at Belmont Park; Street Sense S. at Churchill Downs; Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. at Del Mar; Bryan Station S. at Keeneland; Dueling Grounds Derby and Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon S. at Kentucky Downs; Essex H., Hot Springs S. and Oaklawn Mile S. at Oaklawn Park; and Surfer Girl S. and Zuma Beach S. at Santa Anita Park.

Nine races were downgraded from Grade 3 to Listed status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Excelsior S. at Aqueduct; Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs; Longacres Mile H. at Emerald Downs; Gulfstream Park Sprint S. at Gulfstream Park; Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S. at Laurel Park; Los Alamitos Derby at Los Alamitos Race Course; Parx Dash S. at Parx Racing; and Astra S. and Lazaro Barrera S. at Santa Anita Park.

Twenty races were upgraded to Listed status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Awad S. and Winter Memories S. at Aqueduct; Blame S., Kelly's Landing S., Mamzelle Overnight S., Mighty Beau Overnight S., Opening Verse Overnight S., Shawnee S., and Unbridled Sidney S. at Churchill Downs; Marie G. Krantz Memorial S. at Fair Grounds; Limestone Turf Sprint S., Palisades Turf Sprint S., and Perryville S. at Keeneland; Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. and Music City S. at Kentucky Downs; Temperence Hill S. at Oaklawn Park; Prince George's County S. at Pimlico; Baffle S. and Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita Park; and Galway S. at Saratoga.

Two races were upgraded to Listed-Restricted status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Oceanside S. at Del Mar and One Dreamer S. at Kentucky Downs.

Nine races were downgraded from Listed to non-Listed Black Type status for February 2022 through January 2023: the Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington Park; Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park; Indiana General Assembly Distaff S., Indiana Grand S. and Mari Hulman George Memorial S. at Indiana Grand; Dave's Friend S. at Laurel Park; Satin and Lace S. at Presque Isle Downs; She's All In S. at Remington Park; and Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park.

All Graded and Listed races from 2021 maintained their eligibility for February 2022 through January 2023.

Following is a summary breakdown of all grade levels and a complete list of all upgraded and downgraded U.S. races for the period from February 2022 through January 2023 as well as the complete list of February 2022 through January 2023 Graded and Listed stakes.

2022-23 Gr.  Stakes     Number     % Graded    %Eligible     Change from 2021

Grade I                             101                        22.5%                                      +1

Grade II                           135                         30.1%                                         –

Grade III                          213                         47.4%                                      +3

All Graded                       449                                              50.4%

Listed                              192                                              21.5%

Listed – Restricted              12                                            1.3%

Non-Listed Eligible          238                                             26.7%

All Gr., L & NLE Races   891

TOBA American Graded Stakes Committee Summary of Decisions Made at January 26 and 27, 2022 Grading Session

RACES UPGRADED FOR FEBRUARY 2022 through JANUARY 2023:

Two-Year-Old Fillies

Surfer Girl S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) Listed to Grade III

Three-Year-Old Fillies

Wonder Again S. (T) (Belmont Park) Grade III to Grade II

Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. (T) (Belmont Park) non-Listed Black Type to Grade III

Pebbles S. (T) (Belmont Park) Listed to Grade III

Winter Memories S. (T) (Aqueduct) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Mamzelle Overnight S. (T) (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Limestone Turf Sprint S. (T) (Keeneland) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Music City S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Galway S. (T) (Saratoga) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Older Fillies and Mares

New York S. (T) (Belmont Park) Grade II to Grade I

Shuvee S. (Saratoga) Grade III to Grade II

Bed o' Roses S. (Belmont Park) Grade III to Grade II

Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) Listed to Grade III

Shawnee S. (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Unbridled Sidney S. (T) (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Marie G. Krantz Memorial S. (T) (Fair Grounds) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

One Dreamer S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed-Restricted

Two-Year-Olds

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (T) (Breeders' Cup) Grade II to Grade I

Street Sense S. (Churchill Downs) Listed to Grade III

Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. (T) (Del Mar) Listed to Grade III

Zuma Beach S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) Listed to Grade III

Awad S. (T) (Aqueduct) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Speakeasy S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Three-Year-Olds

Toyota Blue Grass S. (Keeneland) Grade II to Grade I

Jockey Club Derby Invitational S. (T) (Belmont Park) non-Listed Black Type to Grade III

Bryan Station S. (T) (Keeneland) non-Listed Black Type to Grade III

Dueling Grounds Derby (T) (Kentucky Downs) Listed to Grade III

Perryville S. (Keeneland) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Palisades Turf Sprint S. (T) (Keeneland) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Baffle S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Oceanside S. (T) (Del Mar) non-Listed Black Type to Listed-Restricted

Older Horses

Lukas Classic S. (Churchill Downs) Grade III to Grade II

Fanduel Turf Sprint S. (T) (Kentucky Downs) Grade III to Grade II

Essex H. (Oaklawn Park) Listed to Grade III

Oaklawn Park Mile S. (Oaklawn Park) Listed to Grade III

Hot Springs S. (Oaklawn Park) Listed to Grade III

Blame S. (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Temperence Hill S. (Oaklawn Park) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Opening Verse Overnight S. (T) (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Prince George's County S. (T) (Pimlico) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Kelly's Landing S. (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

Mighty Beau Overnight S. (T) (Churchill Downs) non-Listed Black Type to Listed

RACES DOWNGRADED FOR FEBRUARY 2022 through JANUARY 2023:

Two-Year-Old Fillies

Adirondack S. (Saratoga) Grade II to Grade III

Three-Year-Old Fillies

Bourbonette Oaks (Turfway Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type

Indiana Grand S. (T) (Indiana Grand) Listed to non-Listed Black Type

Older Fillies and Mares

Flower Bowl S. (T) (Saratoga) Grade I to Grade II

Falls City S. (Churchill Downs) Grade II to Grade III

Astra S. (T) (Santa Anita Park) Grade III to Listed

Mari Hulman George Memorial S. (Indiana Grand) Listed to non-Listed Black Type

She's All In S. (Remington Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type

Indiana General Assembly Distaff S. (T) (Indiana Grand) Listed to non-Listed Black Type

Satin and Lace S. (Presque Isle Downs) Listed to non-Listed Black Type

Two-Year-Olds

Best Pal S. (Del Mar) Grade II to Grade III

Bashford Manor S. (Churchill Downs) Grade III to Listed

Arlington-Washington Futurity (Arlington Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type

Three-Year-Olds

Secretariat S. (T) (Arlington Park) Grade I to Grade II

Los Alamitos Derby (Los Alamitos) Grade III to Listed

Lazaro Barrera S. (Santa Anita Park) Grade III to Listed

Mystic Lake Derby (T) (Canterbury Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type

Older Horses

Bernard Baruch H. (T) (Saratoga) Grade II to Grade III

Excelsior S. (Aqueduct) Grade III to Listed

Longacres Mile H. (Emerald Downs) Grade III to Listed

Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S. (Laurel Park) Grade III to Listed

Gulfstream Park Sprint S. (Gulfstream Park) Grade III to Listed

Parx Dash S. (T) (Parx Racing) Grade III to Listed

Dave's Friend S. (Laurel Park) Listed to non-Listed Black Type

The post Blue Grass Stakes Resumes Grade 1 Status; Secretariat, Flower Bowl Downgraded For 2022 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

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.

The post Mean Mary Ekes Out A Win In The New York Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mean Mary Back For More Mayhem In Friday’s New York Stakes

A top-class field of turf fillies and mares has assembled for Friday's Grade 2, $750,000 New York at Belmont Park, a 1¼-mile inner turf test that has been won by the likes of Soaring Softly and Perfect Sting en route to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and year-end championships.

The New York is one of five stakes on Friday's card, Day Two of the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival [June 3-5] that culminates with the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

The festival will encompass 17 total stakes, including eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, capped by the “Test of the Champion” for 3-year-olds in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown.

Friday's diverse 11-race offering kicks off with a 12:50 p.m. Eastern first post and also features the Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup for turf marathoners; Grade 2, $300,000 True North for dirt sprinters; Grade 3, $300,000 Bed o' Roses for filly and mare sprinters; and $150,000 Tremont for juveniles.

Looking to defend her New York title will be the popular Graham Motion-trained mare Mean Mary, who is owned by Alex G. Campbell, Jr. and will be ridden by Luis Saez from post 7. The daughter of Scat Daddy seeks her seventh career victory in her 11th start and enters off an impressive gate-to-wire victory three weeks ago in Pimlico's Grade 3 Gallorette, her first start since finishing seventh in November's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. A dominant 5¼-length winner of last year's New York, she faces an arguably tougher field in 2021 and the possibility of more cut in the ground.

“I nominated her to both the New York and the Manhattan,” Motion said. “It's coming back a little quick, but I felt she had an easy go of it last week and we can use that as more of a prep to get us to this race. Her win was impressive, although we sort of had it handed to us. For me, it was perfect for her to have an easy go of it in her first race back. It worked out really well.”

Last year's New York runner-up My Sister Nat is one of two runners owned by Peter Brant and trained by Chad Brown, with the other being recent German import Virginia Joy. My Sister Nat, a half-sister to champion Sistercharlie and Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass, is making her second start of her 6-year-old campaign, following a fourth in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay on May 1. She was second in last fall's Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational over this course and distance and—despite solid form at the top level—has one win in 10 stateside starts.

“With a bunch of other horses retiring, Mr. Brant wanted to give her another year to come back because she's been lightly campaigned, so far,” Brown explained. “It was a tough beat in the Flower Bowl, just missing a Grade 1 for this wonderful family, so we wanted to try again in a Grade 1 at some point this year. In her past, she has needed a race to get going and seems to get better as the year goes on. I'm not totally surprised by her last effort that she sort of needed one. She's come back and worked well and is going to move forward, but she's going to need to.”

Virginia Joy was eye-catching in her American bow, a course and distance allowance win. Last year, she was third in the Group 1 Henkel-Preis der Diana (German Oaks) and won the Group 3 Mehl-Mulhens Trophy—both over 11 furlongs.

“She's doing well,” Brown said. “She ran really well here in April in her first start, winning over a mile and a quarter. She is talented.”

My Sister Nat breaks from 4 under Jose Ortiz, while Virginia Joy will have Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons from post 2.

The first three home in last year's Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup—Estate of Harvey A Clarke's Bill Mott-trained Harvey's Lil Goil (post 5, Junior Alvarado), Godolphin's Mike Stidham-conditioned Micheline (post 3, Florent Geroux) and Lael Stables' Arnaud Delacour-trained Magic Attitude (post 1, Trevor McCarthy)—meet again and all three boast graded victories this season.

Magic Attitude, in particular, has proven potent over the local turf, landing last year's Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, part of NYRA's Turf Triple series for fillies, and May's Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay in her two Belmont runs. Group 1-placed in France for initial trainer Fabrice Chappet before transferring mid-2020 to Delacour, she has impressed her connections coming into the New York.

“She is in very good order right now,” Delacour said. “It's been an uneventful prep and she came back very well from the Sheepshead Bay. She's on schedule, training very well and I'm very happy with how she's coming up to the race. There's a question mark on the ground if it is too soft and I always feel that a fast track is what she prefers.

“A lot depends on the pace scenario,” he added. “Mean Mary and Harvey's Lil Goil will be very tough, but our filly likes Belmont and is comfortable there because she's very European in the way she runs, still. She needs a long stretch to get balanced and if we can get good or good-to-firm turf, I think she's going to be OK. It's definitely a good race.”

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf third-place finisher Harvey's Lil Goil is one of two entered for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, joined by Godolphin's Antoinette, and enters off a smart tally in the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 8. Antoinette won last August's $500,000 Saratoga Oaks, a Turf Triple series event last August, and enters off a fifth in Magic Attitude's Sheepshead Bay.

Fellow Godolphin color-bearer Micheline seeks to rebound from a lackluster sixth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland on April 10, one race after defeating Magic Attitude in Tampa Bay Downs' Grade 2 Hillsborough.

The in-form yard of Christophe Clement seeks its fifth New York with a pair of runners, Al Shira'aa Farms' Sheepshead Bay runner-up Mutamakina (post 11, Javier Castellano) and Stone Farm's local allowance victress Traipsing (post 10, Kendrick Carmouche). While Traipsing arguably must step up her form to factor, Mutamakina had strong class lines in Europe prior to joining Clement in the fall, chasing home the aforementioned Arc winner Sottsass, Group 1 English Oaks winner Anapurna and Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Audarya.

“When they're running in New York and they're training well, don't make it too complicated—just run,” Clement said. “Both of them are training well. Mutamakina was very unlucky in her first race with the trip she got, but she ran well the last time. I think she's really improved since then. Traipsing has been an unlucky filly, but she's training well. She did not do all that well in Florida this winter. A filly like her, there aren't any conditions. We are shortening up a little bit to a mile and a quarter, but I do think that she is a wonderful galloper.”

Shipping in from Ireland is Shapoor Mistry's Joseph O'Brien-trained Thundering Nights, a daughter of Night of Thunder who enters off a strong second to Broome in the Group 3 Alleged Stakes over 1¼ miles at The Curragh. Broome went on to win the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes and finish second in last week's Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, backing up the form.

“She's a really nice filly,” O'Brien said. “Night of Thunder has been a great stallion in Europe. She ran a really big race at The Curragh last out. She's performed well on heavy surfaces and soft ground, as well, so she's quite versatile from a ground standpoint.”

Thundering Nights will exit post 9 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Todd Pletcher-trained Repole Stable homebred Always Shopping seeks a return to form after failing as the favorite in the Sheepshead Bay, but picks up the services of in-demand rider Flavien Prat from outermost post 12.

Joseph Allen homebred Civil Union returns to the course and distance of her greatest triumph, last October's Flower Bowl, in her second race of the season. The Shug McGaughey pupil was a disappointing fifth in the Beaugay, her first run since finishing a close fifth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Joel Rosario rides from post 6.

Both Antoinette and Magic Attitude are eligible for the “New York Stakes Turf Bonus” which will provide $315,000 to the owner and $35,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of the Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks or Jockey Club Oaks, who captures the 2021 edition of the Grade 2 New York, which is slated as Race 9 at 5:15 p.m. on Friday's card.

The post Mean Mary Back For More Mayhem In Friday’s New York Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights