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Terranova: Time Is Right To Pitch Dream Friend Into Stakes Company

Dream Friend has been a bit of a late-bloomer, breaking his maiden late in his 3-year-old year in November 2018. But after finishing in the money in his last six starts, trainer John Terranova is moving the son of Ghostzapper up to stakes company for the first time in 10 starts in the Grade 3, $150,000 Poker on Saturday, Met Mile Day, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Owned by Eric Fein, Christopher McKenna, Harris Fein, Guri Singh and Jerry Walia, Dream Friend returned off a seven-month layoff to run third in an optional claimer on June 3 over the Belmont turf.

“He's doing really well. We were potentially looking at a couple of allowance spots, but it didn't materialize,” Terranova said. “It just seemed like a good time. He's doing well coming out of that first race off the layoff. Hopefully he'll take a bit of a jump forward and stay competitive at this level.”

Dream Friend has been the pacesetter in five of his last six starts and was in second position in the other, a runner up effort in September in a one-mile turf route at Belmont. The Poker, contested at one mile on the Widener turf course, could allow Dream Friend to be forwardly placed again.

“He has been consistent. Pace wise, he has speed. The race doesn't look like it has too many frontrunners in there,” Terranova said. “We'll see what happens weather wise tonight if everyone stays in or not. He's ready and doing really well, hopefully we'll have a big effort out of him again.”

Nine horses entered the Poker, with one main-track only entrant, led by 5-2 Value Proposition. Dream Friend, listed at 8-1, drew the inside post with Jose Lezcano, who was aboard last month.

“He's always good from the gate so hopefully that continues. He's a speedy type of horse so if he gets away cleanly, hopefully things will go well,” Terranova said.

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Report: Maximum Security Pointing To Grade 2 San Diego Handicap

According to the Daily Racing Form, Eclipse Award winner Maximum Security will make his first start since February in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 18.

Bob Baffert, who took over training Maximum Security following the arrest for former trainer Jason Servis for charges related to doping Maximum Security and others, told the From's Steve Andersen the horse “looks fantastic.”

The colt is scheduled to work this weekend in preparation for the race.

Maximum Security was most recently seen in the $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 29, which he won. Racing officials in Riyadh later announced they were holding the purse in that race pending the results of their own investigation following the arrest of Servis and more than two dozen others. That investigation was said to rely on getting details from FBI and others, which had gathered evidence for the U.S. federal case. That investigation remains active, according to statements by the U.S. Attorney in a status conference earlier this week.

Servis has entered a not guilty plea to the charges against him.

Weekend Lineup: Met Mile Again Brings Marquee Names Together

Throughout the year, the NTRA will provide a guide to the best stakes races in North America and beyond. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). Full previews when available can be found through the link for each race.

The Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, which offers a berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November at Keeneland, headlines a stellar card offering five graded stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park. Slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race card, the Met Mile will be featured live on NBC from 5 – 6 p.m ET. Saturday's one-hour program will also include the G3 Poker Stakes, featuring Eclipse Award finalist Got Stormy.

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, returns on FOX Sports and MSG+ for holiday coverage and analysis of the best in Thoroughbred racing from Belmont Park. The national telecast will air through Sunday on FS1, FS2 and MSG+, highlighted by the blockbuster Met Mile card.

TVG will be live on site for opening weekend at Monmouth Park and will feature holiday racing from across the country including the Grade 3, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby on Saturday. On both Saturday and Sunday morning, fans of international racing can tune in for world class racing from England featuring the return of champion Enable (GB) who will try to defend her title in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes. Post time is 10:35 a.m. ET.

Saturday July 4

2:24 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park on FS1

Two-time winner Reagan's Edge will make her stakes debut against four other sophomore fillies in the 18th running of the Victory Ride going 6 ½ furlongs. Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Reagan's Edge was a runaway nine-length debut winner going six furlongs on September 24 at Indiana Grand Race Course defeating next-out winners Competitive Fire and Pranked. Following a six-month layoff, the chestnut daughter of second crop-sire Competitive Edge was third beaten 5 ½ lengths in her seasonal bow before defeating winners with a last-to-first rally in a first-level Churchill Downs allowance race on May 16.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL070420USA3-EQB.html

4:45 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 3 Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park on TVG

Graded stakes winner Comical seeks to end a seven-race losing skid when she breaks from the rail in a field of eight for the 1 1/16-mile Delaware Oaks. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Comical last visited the winner's circle when she captured the G3 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga last July. The daughter of Into Mischief most recently finished second in the Gardenia Stakes at Oaklawn Park May 1.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DEL070420USA-EQB.html#RACE8

4:46 p.m.—$175,000 Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

The Eclipse, run at 1 1/16 miles on the Toronto oval Tapeta, has attracted seven hopefuls for the 65th running of the stakes for 4-year-olds and up. Three-time stakes winner Cooler Mike, a 5-year-old son of Giant Gizmo, goes after his first graded stakes title. Bred and owned by father and son duo Mike and Nick Nosowenko, the gelding is one of the most consistent competitors on the Woodbine grounds, having assembled a 6-4-5 record from 21 career starts.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO070420CAN8-EQB.html

5:13 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park on NBC

Gary Barber's Got Stormy will once again take on the boys as she looks for the first win of her 2020 campaign in Saturday's Poker Stakes, a one-mile turf test for older horses. In August, Got Stormy became the first filly to win the G1 Fourstardave, in its 35th running, besting the boys at one mile over a firm inner turf in a track record 1:32 flat at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Got Stormy would face males in her next two starts finishing second in both the G1 Woodbine Mile, over soft going, and G1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL070420USA8-EQB.html

5:15 p.m.—$125,000 Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park on TVG

Otter Bend's Gufo tops the G3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park, a 1 1/8-mile grass affair which has attracted a field of eight 3-year-olds. Gufo will try to extend his current winning streak to four. The Kentucky-bred trained by Christophe Clement, started his career with a third in an Aqueduct turf maiden on Nov. 17 and followed with three successive turf victories all at Gulfstream Park. In his most recent, he won the $75,000 English Channel Stakes on May 2.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DEL070420USA9-EQB.html

5:47 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on NBC

An eight-horse field boasting a combined 20 graded stakes victories, led by Grade 1-winning multimillionaires Code of Honor and McKinzie, make up a talented group assembled for Saturday's 127th running of the Grade 1 Met Mile. Code of Honor, a $2.4-million earner and winner of last year's Grade 1 Travers Stakes and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, continued to build on his graded stakes winning form in his 2020 bow when scoring a victory in the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes on June 6. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, McKinzie was a troubled second beaten three-quarters of a length to eventual champion Mitole in last year's running of the Met Mile, where he lacked racing room down the stretch, found a hole to the inside of runners and made a late move to complete the exacta.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL070420USA9-EQB.html

6:20 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park on FS1

Sadler's Joy has twice finished in the money in the Grade 1 Manhattan and will look to earn a trip to the winner's circle in the race's 119th edition on Saturday. 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. Off a three-month layoff, Sadler's Joy returned to New York to run third in the 1 3/8-mile Tiller Stakes on June 4 at Belmont.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL070420USA10-EQB.html

6:28 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby at Los Alamitos on TVG

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert has two of the five entrants in the 1 1/8-mile Los Alamitos Derby including graded stakes winner Thousand Words. Thousand Words won his first three starts and earned his first graded victory when he prevailed in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity last December. The bay colt is winless in three starts this year.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/LRC070420USA6-EQB.html

6:51 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Suburban Stakes at Belmont Park on FS1

Saturday's Suburban Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile test, will feature the one-two-three finishers of last year's G1 Belmont Stakes as Sir Winston, Tacitus and Joevia renew their rivalry. Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, was a 10-1 upset winner of the 2019 Belmont Stakes, outkicking Tacitus for a one-length win. Sir Winston made a successful seasonal debut with a 2 ¼-length score in an optional-claiming mile at Aqueduct Racetrack on Jan. 31. After traveling for the Dubai World Cup, which was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sir Winston made his belated return on June 11 on a sloppy Belmont strip in the 1 3/8-mile Flat Out, running second by 5 ¼-lengths to Suburban rival Moretti.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL070420USA11-EQB.html

7:28 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos on TVG

Multiple Grade 1-winner Bellafina headlines a field of seven entered for the 6 ½-furlong Great Lady M. Stakes. Trained by Simon Callaghan, Bellafina enters off a victory in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita Park on May 17. That win was the first for the daughter of Quality Road since her triumph in the 2019 G1 Santa Anita Oaks.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/LRC070420USA8-EQB.html

Sunday July 5

8:35 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows on TVG

The Steve Asmussen-trained Strong Flag and stakes winner Dynasty of Her Own head up a field of seven entered for the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Oaks. Dynasty of Her Own, trained by Jonathan Wong, won the California Oaks in her most recent start on May 31 while Strong Flag seeks her first victory since breaking her maiden at Oaklawn Park on March 15.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/PRM070520USA9-EQB.html

9:02 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows on TVG

Night Ops, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, aims to get back on track following a ninth-place run in Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on May 2. Trained by Brad Cox, Night Ops won the Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park on March 14 after scoring an allowance victory earlier in the meet. Sir Anthony won last year's Cornhusker Handicap but is winless in four starts since.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/PRM070520USA10-EQB.html

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‘Better Now Than She’s Ever Been’: Champion Monomoy Girl Readies For Next Saturday’s Ruffian

Eclipse Award-winning mare Monomoy Girl will kick off her 2020 graded stakes action in attempt to make a case for Champion Older Mare in next Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Ruffian on July 11 at Belmont.

The daughter of Tapizar arrived at Belmont Park on Wednesday alongside Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile contender Warrior's Charge for trainer Brad Cox. Following a sensational 3-year-old campaign in 2018, which included five Grade 1 victories in the Ashland at Keeneland, Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, Acorn at Belmont Park, Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga and the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs, Monomoy Girl missed the entirety of her 4-year-old season.

She was sent to WinStar Farm last spring after a mild case of colic and suffered an injury to her hamstring last fall when preparing for a potential comeback.

Despite being forced to twice delay her long-anticipated return to action, Monomoy Girl put her winning ways on display last out, going a one-turn mile in a Churchill Downs allowance event that featured stakes winners Talk Veuve To Me and Fashion Faux Pas.

In her first start since defeating older fillies and mares in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Distaff, Monomoy Girl tracked the pace over a sloppy main track sitting a close fifth early on and received her cue from jockey Florent Geroux around the far turn before drawing off to a 2 ¾-length victory.

“She's doing awesome. It would help if we could have run a week or two earlier but it's a great spot to jump off her last effort,” said Liz Crow of BSW/Crow Bloodstock who manages Monomoy Girl on behalf of owners Monomoy Stable, Michael Dubb, the Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables.

Although the talented chestnut mare's career highlights have taken place in the two-turn Kentucky Oaks and Breeders' Cup Distaff, Crow said she can thrive going a one-turn mile. She owns victories going the distance in the Grade 1 Acorn in June 2018 as well as the Rags to Riches at Churchill Downs during her 2-year-old campaign.

Crow indicated a second victory in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 7 at Keeneland Race Course is the end goal.

“She's deadly going a one turn mile,” Crow said. “Her speed figures in the Acorn, Rags to Riches and her last start were great. But from here, she'll see a mile and a sixteenth to a mile and an eighth. The Personal Ensign is a little quick back after the Ruffian, but we do know that the Breeders' Cup is definitely the long term.”

Crow, who signed the ticket for Monomoy Girl when she went through the sales ring at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, was purchased for $100,000.

“It's amazing how much she's changed,” Crow said. “If you look at her you could mistake her for a colt. Her hips have widened, her shoulders have deepened, and looking her now as a 5-year-old she just doesn't look like the same horse. She's better now than she's ever been.”

Monomoy Girl has accumulated just over $3 million in lifetime earnings and has never finished worse than second in a dozen starts, 10 of which were victories.

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