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Grade 1 Winner Got Stormy Takes On Males Again In Poker Stakes

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 Grade 3, $150,000 Poker, a one-mile turf test for older horses on Runhappy Met Mile Day July 4 at Belmont Park.

The Grade 3 Poker is one of five graded stakes on a loaded card headlined by the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile, open to 3-year-olds and up, offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile; along with the Grade 1, $400,000 Manhattan for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/4-miles on turf; the Grade 2, $200,000 Suburban, a 1 1/4-mile test on Big Sandy; and the Grade 3, $100,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies.

Slated as Race 8 at 5:13 p.m. Eastern on Saturday's 11-race card, which offers a first post of 1:15 p.m., the Poker will feature live on NBC from 5 – 6 p.m. Eastern.

In August, Got Stormy, a 5-year-old daughter of Get Stormy, became the first filly to win the Grade 1 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 Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, over soft going, and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita. She completed a stellar season with a win in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar.

Winless in three starts this season, Got Stormy's best effort came when second by a neck to River Boyne in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 7 at Santa Anita. Last out, she ran fourth in the Grade 3 Beaugay when chasing frontrunning winner Rushing Fall off a near three-month layoff on June 3 at Belmont.

“The California race was very good. Her last race was disappointing, but we took her out of her element,” said Casse. ” There was no speed in the race and we tried to keep her closer and that was to her demise. We won't do that again, we'll let her settle.”

Got Stormy scratched out of last Saturday's Grade 1 Just a Game after persistent rainstorms soaked the Belmont green. Casse said he made the call after watching Monkeyseemonkeydo win a seven-furlong turf maiden in 1:24.15.

“After watching them run seven-eighths in 24 and change, I said this turf is not for us,” said Casse. “She didn't get really good until last summer and her best races are on hard ground. I think the soft turf got her beat in the Woodbine Mile and she was just beat by a better horse at the Breeders' Cup.

“We're just trying to find her top form and I believe it has to do with a harder turf course,” added Casse. “She won't get it this weekend at Belmont, but she also likes the sharper turns at Saratoga and Santa Anita because she has a quick turn of foot when you ask her to go.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who piloted Got Stormy to victory in the 2018 Wild Applause at one-mile on the Belmont turf, will be legged up on the talented chestnut for just the second time from post 7.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, leading trainer at the Belmont spring/summer meet, will saddle the formidable duo of Grade 1-winner Valid Point and the improving Value Proposition.

Owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Michael J. Ryan, Valid Point won his first three career starts topped by a one-length score in the Grade 1 Secretariat in August at Arlington Park. The 4-year-old Scat Daddy colt completed his campaign with an off-the-board effort in October in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.

Klaravich Stables' Value Proposition, a dark bay son of Dansili, garnered a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out when capturing an optional-claiming turf mile on June 3 at Belmont Park.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will pilot Valid Point from post 2 while Value Proposition will exit post 9 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia, trained by Todd Pletcher, offers a consistent record of 14-3-4-5 with purse earnings of $847,210. The 4-year-old Street Boss colt ran second here last year in Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational over 1 ¼-miles on the Widener turf to kick off the Turf Triple series. Social Paranoia was an even fourth in the Saratoga Derby Invitational, second leg of the Turf Triple, before winning the Dueling Grounds Derby at 1 5/16-miles at Kentucky Downs.

Social Paranoia made the grade in his seasonal debut with a rousing last-to-first charge in the Grade 3 Appleton, a one-mile turf test on March 28 at Gulfstream Park. He arrives at the Poker from an off-the-board effort in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy contested over nine furlongs on a Belmont inner turf rated good.

Jose Ortiz has the call aboard Social Paranoia from post 5.

Juddmonte Farms homebred Seismic Wave, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, captured the English Channel at one-mile on the Widener turf to close out his sophomore season. The Tapit chestnut, who boasts a record of 12-3-2-2, launched a seven-wide rally in his seasonal debut when charging from last-of-13 to finish fourth in the First Defence, a seven-furlong Widener turf test on June 7 at Belmont.

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 4.

Rounding out the field are Dream Friend [Jose Lezcano, post 1], Hawkish [Manny Franco, post 3], Eons [Kendrick Carmouche, post 6], and main-track only entrant Its All Relevant [Romero Maragh, post 8].

America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, and airing live on Fox Sports and MSG+ will offer live coverage of Belmont Park stakes action on Saturday from 1 – 5 p.m. and from 6 – 7 p.m. on FS1. 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.

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Third Time’s The Charm? Sadler’s Joy Returns In Saturday’s Manhattan

Sadler's Joy has twice finished in the money in the Grade 1 $400,000 Manhattan and will look to earn a trip to the winner's circle in the race's 119th edition on Saturday at Belmont Park.

Woodslane Farm's Sadler's Joy, a seven-time winner with a career bankroll in excess of $2.5 million, is part of an eight-horse field of 4-year-olds and up competing in the 1 ¼-mile contest on the inner turf in the Manhattan, which is part of a packed 11-race Independence Day card featuring five graded stakes on Runhappy Met Mile Day.

Highlighting the day is the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile, open to 3-year-olds and up, offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Also featured is the Grade 2, $200,000 Suburban, a 10-furlong test for 4-year-olds and upward; the Grade 3, $150,000 Poker, a one-mile turf test for older horses; and the Grade 3, $100,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies.

Slated as Race 10 at 6:20 p.m. Eastern, the Manhattan will feature live on America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, and airing live on Fox Sports and MSG+. First post is 1:15 p.m.

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.

“I like the way he's coming into this race and he's run well in this race twice before, so with him, it's all about getting the right trip and hopefully he's up to it this year,” Albertrani said. “We feel pretty confident he should do pretty well.”

Sadler's Joy ended his 2019 year with a two-length win in the Grade 3 Red Smith in November at Aqueduct Racetrack and started his 7-year-old campaign against top-tier competition, running sixth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf in January at Gulfstream Park. Staying in the Sunshine State, he ran third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at 1 3/8 miles in February at the same track.

Off a three-month layoff, Sadler's Joy returned to New York to run third in the 1 3/8-mile Tiller on June 4 at Belmont. He earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, marking 25 consecutive races he earned a number in excess of 90 dating to his sophomore year in 2016.

“I think the Tiller was a good race for him being off a few months leading up to it,” Albertrani said. “I thought he ran well in there and came back sharper after the race. I think going forward, this one coming up, could be setting up quite nice for him.”

Sadler's Joy has already banked more than $2.5 million in career earnings as he enters his 30th start. He has won at least one graded stakes his previous three years, starting with the 2017 Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream, the 2018 Grade 2 Mac Diarmida and last year's Red Smith.

“He's always right there. We've had a couple of troubled trips in the past, but he's a tough horse on the day and hopefully everything works out this weekend,” Albertrani said. “We always felt he'd rather have firm turf, but he has run well of softer ground. We might get some rain, but I don't think it will make much of a difference.”

Hall of Famer and two-time Manhattan winner Javier Castellano, aboard for Sadler's Joy's last four starts, will have the return call from post 4.

Two-time Grade 1-winner Channel Maker will return to the site of his most recent win, when he bested Arklow by a neck to win the Grade 1 Man o'War in May 2019. After earning a personal-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort, Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott ran him back in last year's Manhattan, where he ran a competitive fourth in a race that saw Chad Brown train the trifecta in Bricks and Mortar, Robert Bruce and Raging Bull.

Channel Maker has finished off the board in his last four races, starting with the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Santa Anita, and is looking to bounce back off an eighth-place Tiller finish. The 6-year-old son of English Channel, who counts the 2018 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont among a career highlight, has finished second in three career Grade 1 contests, including the 2017 Hollywood Derby, the 2018 Sword Dancer at Saratoga Race Course, and last year's Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Manny Franco will be in the irons from post 6.

Brown has won the Manhattan four of the last six runnings and entered a troika of contenders for his bid to repeat after Bricks and Mortar's triumph last year. In the Manhattan, the first-and-second place finishers of the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on June 4 at Belmont will be sent out again, with winner Instilled Regard and the French-bred Devamani separated by just a neck.

OXO Equine's Instilled Regard is a graded stakes winner on dirt and turf, parlaying a successful run on the 2018 Triple Crown trail into a successful career on grass. As a sophomore, the son of Arch won the Grade 3 Lecomte before running fourth in that year's Kentucky Derby.

Brown moved Instilled Regard to turf in late 2018, resulting in a third-place finish in his debut on the surface in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. Since then, the now 5-year-old has won twice on the turf, including the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale in December.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will guide Instilled Regard from post 1.

Devamani has run second in each of his two starts since Brown took over training responsibilities, finishing a nose behind Admiralty Pier in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay in February before running back in the Fort Marcy, where he registered a 102 Beyer.

Arriving in North America in 2018, Devamani made 12 starts before stepping up to stakes company. He will go for his first stakes win with Joel Rosario set to ride from post 5.

After a seven-month layoff, the Brown-trained Rockemperor has run twice since March, earning blacktype by finishing third in the Grade 3 Muniz Memorial Classic at Fair Grounds. He crossed the wire second in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham in May at Santa Anita but was disqualified and placed third for causing interference last out.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, a 2013 Manhattan winner aboard Point of Entry, will go for a second victory in the race, drawing post 2.

Terry Hamilton's Spooky Channel will take the step up in class and run in his first Grade 1, following a win against optional claimers in which he earned a personal-best 99 Beyer for the 1 1/16-mile route on May 23 at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Brian Lynch ran Spooky Channel in five straight graded stakes before that, saddling him to a victory in the 1 ½-mile Grade 3 W.L. McKnight to start his 5-year-old year in January at Gulfstream.

Spooky Channel was shipped from his base in Churchill to Belmont on Wednesday, where Lynch said he will stay in Jimmy Jerkens' barn heading into the race.

“I was happy with the way he won that open allowance and I just felt we were prepared to roll the dice a little bit and see how he fits with this spot here in a Grade 1,” Lynch said. “The mile and three-eights is pretty appealing. He's a big, hearty-type of horse. He takes it all in. He's on a plane this afternoon and hopefully he settles in.”

Spooky Channel, 8-2-0 in 15 starts, will have the services of jockey Julien Leparoux from post 8.

“I thought it was a good field of horses he beat in the McKnight and even the open allowance was a good test for him with a good field of horses,” Lynch said. “He deserves a shot, and there's 400,000 reasons why he deserves a shot.”

Ten Strike Racing's Dot Matrix, who edged Sadler's Joy by a nose for second in the Tiller last month, will rematch his old rival. The Brad Cox trainee started his 7-year-old year with a win the 1 ½-mile Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup in January at Sam Houston, marking his first appearance since running third in the Red Smith, 1 ½ lengths back to Sadler's Joy.

Dot Matrix is 1-1-1 in three career starts at longer than 1 1/8 miles. The Freud gelding is a veteran on the Belmont turf, compiling a 3-3-2 record in 14 starts.
Florent Geroux, aboard for the Connally Turf Cup win, will make the trek to ride again, breaking from post 7.

Cross Border, owned by Three Diamonds Farm and trained by Mike Maker, will be looking for his first career stakes win. A son of English Channel, he was part of what Lynch said was a competitive McKnight field at Gulfstream, running second, just a neck behind Spooky Channel.

Jose Ortiz will pilot Cross Border, breaking from post 3.

America's Day at the Races will offer live coverage of Belmont Park stakes action from 1 – 5 p.m. and from 6 – 7 p.m. on FS1. NBC will provide live coverage of the Runhappy Met Mile from 5 – 6 p.m. 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.

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‘Happy Horse’ Sir Winston, Consistent Tacitus Renew Rivalry In Suburban

Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Suburban, a 1 1/4-mile test on Big Sandy, will feature the one-two-three finishers of last year's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes as Sir Winston, Tacitus and Joevia renew their rivalry on Runhappy Met Mile Day at Belmont Park.

The Suburban, a 10-furlong test for 4-year-olds and upward is one of five graded stakes on a loaded card headlined by the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile, open to 3-year-olds and up, offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile; along with the Grade 1, $400,000 Manhattan for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/4-miles on turf; the Grade 3, $150,000 Poker, a one-mile turf test for older horses; and the Grade 3, $100,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies.

Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, was a 10-1 upset winner of the 2019 Belmont Stakes. The Awesome Again chestnut, out of the Afleet Alex mare La Gran Bailadora, rallied from eighth in the “Test of the Champion” to outkick 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 January 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.

Casse said the Flat Out effort was deceptively good.

“It was a lot to ask of him. There was no speed in the race and the sloppy track probably didn't help us either,” said Casse. “He got a little tired, but he showed gameness to even run second. I think he'll run really well.”

Casse said the colt, who breezed a half-mile in 50.78 seconds on June 26 on Big Sandy, got a lot out of the Flat Out effort and is coming into Saturday's test in good order.

“I think he got a lot out of it,” said Casse regarding the Flat Out. “My biggest concern is that he got too much out of it. He came back and worked well. He's a happy horse and he loves Belmont.”

Joel Rosario, aboard for the Belmont Stakes score, will have the call from post 6.

Juddmonte Farms' homebred Tacitus, a 4-year-old colt by Tapit and out of the Eclipse Award-winning mare Close Hatches, enjoyed a productive sophomore season posting a record of 7-2-3-2 with purse earnings of $1,634,500.

Following Grade 2 wins in the Tampa Bay Derby and Wood Memorial at the Big A for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Tacitus rallied from 16th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby en route to being elevated to third. The ultra-consistent Tacitus followed up his Derby effort by completing the exacta in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and winning both the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers at Saratoga. He completed a lengthy campaign with a third in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in September travelling 1 ¼-miles on Big Sandy.

The Suburban will mark the third start of the season for Tacitus following a fifth in the Group 1 Saudi Cup in February and a fourth in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on May 2.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez retains the mount from the inside post.

Michael Fazio and Jeff Fazio's Joevia set the pace en route to a strong third in the 2019 Belmont Stakes. Trained by Gregg Sacco, the Shanghai Bobby colt captured the Long Branch at Monmouth Park in a productive 3-year-old campaign.

After winning his seasonal debut in January in an optional-claiming sprint at the Big A, Joevia posted a pair of off-the-board efforts in the Grade 3 Razorback in February at Oaklawn and the Stymie in March at Aqueduct.

Joevia then underwent surgery to correct a breathing issue and was subsequently fourth last out in the Grade 3 Westchester off a three-month layoff.
Joevia will emerge from post 5 under Jose Ortiz.

Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Moretti, trained by Todd Pletcher, secured his first stakes score last out in the Flat Out with a frontrunning performance under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

The 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro colt graduated at second asking at Aqueduct in December 2018 and waited until May to secure his second career score when rallying from off-the-pace in an Oaklawn Park allowance route ahead of his Flat Out coup.

Bred in Kentucky by Thoro-Bred Stables, Moretti is out of the Grade 1-winning Concerto broodmare Rigoletta who also produced Grade 1-winning millionaire Battle of Midway. He was purchased for $900,000 from the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale

Moretti will emerge from post 8 with Castellano.

Chester and Mary Broman's New York-bred millionaire Mr. Buff will look to start another winning streak. The sizable 6-year-old Friend or Foe gelding enjoyed a three-race win streak from December to February at the Big A with scores in the Alex M. Robb, Jazil and capped by a 20-length romp in the Haynesfield.

Last out, when second in the restricted Commentator at Belmont on June 12, Mr. Buff bobbled at the start of the one-turn mile and chased the early speed of Blewitt, but could not hold off the late charge of Funny Guy.

He will exit post 4 under Junior Alvarado, who previously won the Suburban with Flat Out [2013], Effinex [2015] and last year aboard Preservationist.

Rounding out the field are Parsimony [Kendrick Carmouche, post 2], Forewarned [Manny Franco, post 3] and Just Whistle [Irad Ortiz, Jr., post 7].

Slated as the closing event at 6:51 p.m. Eastern on Saturday's 11-race card, which offers a first post of 1:15 p.m., the Suburban will feature live on America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, and airing live on Fox Sports and MSG+.

America's Day at the Races will offer live coverage of Belmont Park stakes action from 1 – 5 p.m. and from 6 – 7 p.m. on FS1. NBC will provide live coverage of the Runhappy Met Mile from 5 – 6 p.m. 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.

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Multimillionaires Code Of Honor, McKinzie Headline Saturday’s Runhappy Met Mile

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, $500,000 Runhappy Met Mile on July 4 at Belmont Park.

The Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile, open to 3-year-olds and up and offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November at Keeneland, headlines a Runhappy Met Mile Day card offering five graded stakes on Independence Day. Also featured is the Grade 1, $400,000 Manhattan for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/4-miles on turf; the Grade 2, $200,000 Suburban, a 10-furlong test for 4-year-olds and upward; the Grade 3, $150,000 Poker, a one-mile turf test for older horses; and the Grade 3, $100,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies.

Slated as Race 9 at 5:47 p.m. Eastern on Saturday's 11-race card, which offers a first post of 1:15 p.m., the Runhappy Met Mile will feature live on NBC from 5 – 6 p.m. Eastern.

An exciting renewal of the Runhappy Met Mile features a showdown between Code of Honor, a $2.4-million earner and winner of last year's Grade 1 Runhappy Travers at Saratoga and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup; and four-time Grade 1-winner McKinzie, who captured last year's Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga and boasts lifetime earnings of over $3.4 million.

Following a winter freshening after a distant seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November, the W.S. Farish homebred continued to build on his graded stakes winning form in his 2020 bow when scoring a third overall victory over Big Sandy in the Grade 3 Westchester on June 6.

McGaughey said Code of Honor has matured physically and mentally as a 4-year-old.

“He just grew up physically in his body and his mind,” said McGaughey. “He's gotten more aggressive and he's caught onto what it's all about now. He was still figuring things out last year, especially earlier in the year. Everything he's done this year has been good.

“He acts like he's ready to run,” continued McGaughey, who teamed up with Farish to win the Met Mile with eventual Champion Older Horse Honor Code in 2015. “He's had plenty of time off over the winter and it seems to have done him some good, so we'll just see what he does.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the winningest jockey in Met Mile history, seeks a sixth triumph, guiding Code of Honor from post 5.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will be seeking redemption in the Met Mile when he sends four-time Grade 1 winner McKinzie to Big Sandy.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the 5-year-old son of Street Sense was a troubled second beaten three-quarters of a length to Mitole in last year's running, 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.

A Met Mile triumph would make McKinzie the first North American-based male to win a Grade 1 race at ages 2, 3, 4 and 5. As a 2-year-old, McKinzie won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity before winning the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby and Grade 1 Malibu as a sophomore. Following last year's Met Mile, McKinzie took the Grade 1 Whitney Invitational at Saratoga, where he defeated multiple Grade 1-winner Yoshida and eventual Champion Older Horse Vino Rosso while registering a career-best 111 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I think any time you win a Grade 1 on the east coast it's pretty important, especially at Belmont and Saratoga. It's like hitting a home run in Yankee Stadium, it means something,” Baffert said.

Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, McKinzie arrives at the Met Mile off a victory at his home base in the Grade 2 Triple Bend on June 7 at Santa Anita and has been training forwardly for Baffert at his southern California base. His most recent two works were a five-furlong drill in 59.60 seconds on June 22 and a six-furlong move in 1:12.20 on June 28.

“His comeback race was just perfect,” Baffert said of the Triple Bend. “We just need to draw well and find some racing luck and good weather. If he brings his A game that's what we're looking for. He's doing really well. He breezed well, we're happy with it.”

McKinzie holds sentimental value to his connections having been named after the late racetrack executive and close friend Brad McKinzie, who attended college with Baffert at the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program.

“It's exciting having such a good horse named after our dear friend Brad McKinzie and his mother is still alive and so it keeps her going,” Baffert said. “She loves watching him run and it brings a tear to her eye when he runs. There's a little added pressure when he runs. When you have a nice horse like this it's so enjoying. Like his namesake, the horse has a great personality and when he performs, we're always thinking of Brad.”

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who piloted Baffert's Mor Spirit (2017) and Holy Bull (1994) to Runhappy Met Mile triumphs, will return to the irons from post 3.
Fresh off the best performance of his career in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter is Vekoma, who registered a 110 Beyer for the 7 1/4-length victory in the seven-furlong event at Big Sandy.

The Runhappy Carter marked the first Grade 1 victory for the George Weaver-trained Candy Ride chestnut colt, following a successful seasonal bow in the Sir Shackleton at Gulfstream Park. Also a graded stakes winner at ages 2 and 3, Vekoma won the 2018 Grade 3 Nashua at Aqueduct following a win on debut and took the 2019 Grade 2 Blue Grass last April at Keeneland en route to a 12th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Owned by R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stable, Vekoma was bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stable and is out of the Speightstown broodmare Mona de Momma, who also was a Grade 1-winner going seven furlongs.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano piloted subsequent champions Ghostzapper (2004) and Honor Code (2015) to Met Mile triumphs and seeks his third victory in the race aboard Vekoma from post 2.

Bakster Farm's Mr Freeze has come close to Grade 1 success in the past but will try to secure his first victory at such caliber for trainer Dale Romans, who trained 2012 Met Mile champ Shackleford.

The 5-year-old chestnut son of To Honor and Serve, bred in Kentucky by Siena Farms, finished third in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap in November at Churchill Downs and third in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park.

Mr Freeze notched two of his three graded stakes wins going the one-turn mile when taking the Grade 3 Ack Ack on September 28 at Churchill Downs and the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile two starts back on February 29.

Jockey Manny Franco will guide Mr Freeze from post 7.

No stranger to Grade 1 success at Belmont Park, Hog Creek Hustle will attempt to find the winner's circle for the first time since an 18-1 triumph in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens last June over Big Sandy.

Trained by Vickie Foley, the Something Special Racing-owned 4-year-old son of Overanalyze has maintained a consistent record since then having placed in four of his seven starts since striking Grade 1 gold.

Hog Creek Hustle will leave from post 4 under jockey Jose Ortiz.

Trainer Brad Cox will attempt to win his first Met Mile when he saddles the frontrunning Warrior's Charge, who arrives off a second-place finish to By My Standards in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on May 2.

Owned by Ten Strike Racing in partnership with Sol Kumin and Jason Monteleone's Madaket Stables, Warrior's Charge led at every point of call in his only graded stakes victory two starts back in the Grade 3 Razorback on February 17 at Oaklawn Park.

In nine career starts, the dark bay son of Munnings has only finished off the board once when running a game fourth to War of Will in last year's Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, which came after a maiden special weight and optional claiming victories at Oaklawn Park by open lengths.

Leaving from post 8, Warrior's Charge will receive the riding services of jockey Florent Geroux.

No horse since 1983 winner Star Choice has won the Met Mile without having already won a graded stakes race, but Network Effect will step up to the task for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

The three-time graded stakes placed son of Mark Valeski was a distant second to Vekoma in the Grade 2 Carter last out. Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, Network Effect has only been worse than second once in eight starts, which was a distant eighth in last year's Grade 1 Cigar Mile. Second in the Grade 3 Nashua and Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct as a juvenile, Network Effect defeated winners in November going the one-turn mile at the Big A three starts before becoming a stakes winner against fellow Florida-breds in the Big Drama at Gulfstream Park.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be aboard Network Effect from the inside post.

Godolphin homebred Endorsed, a 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro colt trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, earned a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out in a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Westchester. Out of 2012 Grade 1 Gazelle winner Dance Card, Endorsed boasts a record of four wins and two seconds from nine starts. He will be searching for his first career stakes win when leaving post 6 under Joel Rosario.

The Runhappy Met Mile has developed the reputation of being an important breeding-value enhancer potential stallion prospects. Many recent winners of the event have gone on to become Grade 1 and/or champion-producing sires such as Honor Code (2015), Palace Malice (2014), Shackleford (2012), Quality Road (2010), Divine Park (2008) and Ghostzapper (2005).

During its earlier years, the Runhappy Met Mile was championed by all-time greats such as Equipoise (1932-33), Gallorette (1946), Stymie (1947-48), Tom Fool (1953), Native Dancer (1954), Kelso (1961), Carry Back (1962), Buckpasser (1967) and Forego (1976-77).

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