The GII Wonder Again S., which grants a spot in the GI Belmont Oaks starting gate to the top three finishers, kicks off a race week loaded with stakes action Thursday in what NYRA refers to as the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
Chad Brown has saddled the winners of three of the eight renewals of this event and it is of no surprise that he sends out the race favorite again this year in Klaravich Stables' two-time stakes winner Consumer Spending (More Than Ready). She is a deserving favorite after defeating GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner and recent Hilltop S. victress Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who is now Royal Ascot bound. Her sire More Than Ready was responsible for the winner of the male counterpart of this race, GII Pennine Ridge S. victor Emmanuel.
Brown has won five of the last eight editions of the Belmont Oaks, the first leg of NYRA's Turf Tiara, and two of those victories came with Wonder Again winners Lady Eli (2015) and New Money Honey (2017).
A European-bred runner has only captured the Wonder Again once, but they have taken five of the last 10 Belmont Oaks. A European-bred, but American based contender has the best chance to upset Consumer Spending this year in Andrew Rosen homebred Skims (GB) (Frankel {GB}). The Shug McGaughey has won two of four starts and was third last out in the GII Appalachian S. Apr. 9.
“It wasn't the cleanest of trips [in the Appalachian], but I thought she ran a good race,” McGaughey told the NYRA notes team. “The winner was in front the whole way, so whether we'd have caught her or not, I don't know. She's trained really well since and we're looking forward to running her.”
A high chance of thunderstorms Thursday morning could leave the turf course a bit soft, which may change how this race plays out. Consumer Spending broke her maiden on a yielding course however, and there is a main track only entrant waiting in the wings.
There are two listed stakes for juveniles later in the card, which always draw some intrigue. John Oxley's Devious Dame, the first winner for GI Haskell Invitational S. winner, tops the fillies in the Astoria S. off a 5 1/2-length graduation in her Churchill Downs debut May 5.
Meanwhile, Wesley Ward, who has won his fair share of Tremont S. renewals, saddles the favorite in Thursday's edition in one of his early Keeneland winners No Nay Hudson (Ire) (No Nay Never). The bay graduated by four lengths in Lexington Apr. 28 under John Velazquez, who gets back aboard here.
Churchill Downs will be curtailing usage of its newly installed $10-million turf course for the remainder of the meet by capping grass races to a maximum of two per day and moving 19 races listed in condition books two and three to the main dirt track.
The news arrived Sunday in the form of a note on the overnight for the June 10 races. On Monday, Churchill's senior director of communications, Darren Rogers, explained the reasoning to TDN via email.
“We've decided it's best to limit turf racing to two races per day for the remainder of the Spring Meet (starting June 11) to allow the new turf course to continue to mature and become more robust,” Rogers wrote. “We've had good, open dialogue with the riders. The grass has been cut short to promote the continued root growth. We've had the flexibility to adjust the temporary rail positions to four different lanes. We have complete confidence it'll be more robust for additional turf racing later this year with just a little more time.”
Trainers contacted by TDN weren't exactly overjoyed to learn that grass racing would be limited. But they weren't panicking, either, and seemed to accept the short-term hassle as a tradeoff for healthier turf opportunities in the future.
“I applaud them for doing that,” said trainer Ian Wilkes, who has won two Churchill turf races from 16 starters at the current meet. “If anything, the turf hasn't quite settled in as good with this hot weather coming. I think it's great. It's fine. It's going to be a tremendous turf course, but it's just very new right now.”
Asked if he thought the reduction in grass racing was more of a course-preservation effort or a safety concern for horses and jockeys, Wilkes said, “I think it's a combination of both. Some horses are struggling over it. But you've got to take care of the course. It's smart what they're doing.”
Trainer Wesley Ward, who is stabled at Keeneland Race Course, has a 2-for-12 record with Churchill grass horses this season. He said he was “kind of bummed out” to learn of the decision.
“The majority of my barn are grass horses. And with the purses that they've giving away, you certainly want to take advantage of those big pots that they've got. And when those opportunities are limited, it's never a good thing,” Ward said.
Asked what specific problem he believes Churchill is trying to address by limiting grass racing, Ward replied, “That I can't help you with. Each and every horse that I've brought over to work and run, they all come out of the races the same way they went in. I, personally, have not had any issues. My horses have been 100% sound with that grass course. Others may not feel the same.”
Ward continued: “I'm not trying to build up [Churchill], because I utilize their grass course in the mornings, which they're very kind to let me do that. But all my horses have been perfect and I would have no problems going over this week to breeze or run on it.”
Trainer George “Rusty” Arnold II, whose 5-for-19 turf record at the current Churchill meet includes a Grade III stakes score, also indicated his horses have had “no issues” with the safety of the course.
“I've been very fortunate, won a couple of nice races on it this year,” Arnold said. “No injuries, no problems whatsoever. [The reduction] really won't bother us a lot.”
Terry Meyocks, the president and chief executive officer of the Jockeys' Guild, confirmed to TDN that Churchill had consulted with the riding colony before making the decision to cut back on turf racing, adding that he believed the jockeys had not brought up any specific safety concerns.
“It's just that it's a new turf course and needs time. [The jockeys] thought that was the best thing to do for everybody,” Meyocks said.
Churchill management had been careful not to overuse the new course from the outset of the meet that began Apr. 30. Even GI Kentucky Derby Day itself, with a 14-race card, featured only four grass races.
During the most recent racing week, Churchill carded two turf races Thursday, then three per day Friday through Sunday, all over “firm” conditions.
Wilkes said there will soon be plenty of grass options available at other tracks.
“Getting into the summer, Indiana's got grass. You've got Colonial coming up next month. Ellis is coming. There are plenty of options, plus Saratoga's coming. It's not the end of the world. You might have to wait on one horse for a few weeks, but that's not a bad thing,” Wilkes said.
Ward was similarly philosophical.
“Well, we've only got a couple of weeks until the meet's over anyway, right? If they're scrapping some of those races, I'll be utilizing the grass course at Belmont–that's where I kind of funnel in and out of,” Ward said.
Arnold said, “We run at Indiana and we have other different places we could go to. Probably going to miss a race or two. I haven't totally gone through the book to see, but when you reduce probably in the neighborhood of some [19] turf races, I'd say it's going to affect everybody equally.
“We ran last fall with no turf course,” Arnold noted, alluding to the complete closure of grass racing at last year's Churchill fall meet because of the installation of the new course.
The well-established team of Wesley Ward and Irad Ortiz Jr. will joins forces for the upcoming Royal meeting, which begins June 14. Ward, who became the first American-based trainer to saddle a winner at the Royal Ascot in 2009, confirmed that Ortiz will partner all five of his contenders next week. A three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey in the U.S., the Puerto Rican native will be making is debut at the meet.
“He's won all over in America and he's just a phenomenal rider who rides with extreme patience,” explained Ward. “He's the man of the moment here in the States, that's for sure. He's put a lot of work in for me early in the mornings and he's so excited to get over to Ascot.”
Among Ward's chief Royal Ascot aspirants, Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), winner of a pair of Breeders' Cup events sprinting over the turf the past two seasons, is slated to contest the G1 King's Stand S. June 14. In his only prior start this season, he won the 5 1/2-furlong GII Shakertown S. at Keeneland Apr. 9.
Also making the trans-Atlantic sojourn is Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), victorious in the 2020 G2 Queen Mary S. before claiming a win in last season's G1 Commonwealth S. via the steward's room. The 4-year-old, who most recently won Keeneland's Giant's Causeway S. Apr. 16, will try to record the hat-trick in the June 18 G1 Platinum Jubilee S. Working in tandem with GI Madison S. scorer Kimari, the Stonestreet runner recorded a recent five-furlong work in 1:00.40 at Keeneland June 5.
“My work rider, Julio Garcia, has been with me for the last 16 years..He rode Campanelle, she broke behind Kimari and he tracked her all the way over five furlongs,” he said. “He eased out with a furlong to go and it almost looked like Kimari was going to keep rolling on and visually watching I was thinking 'uh oh, maybe Campanelle doesn't have it'.
He continued, “Then all of a sudden Julio moved his knuckles just a shade and within three strides Campanelle made up three lengths–she responded like a lion getting to an antelope. It was exactly what we wanted to see. The whole team had smiles on their faces after watching that, which was great to see.”
Ward will also saddle SW Ruthin (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}) (Palace of Holywoodhouse S. June 17), Love Reigns (Ire) (US Navy Flag) (Queen Mary S. June 15) and maiden Seismic Spirit (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) (Windsor Castle S. June 15).
“[Love Reigns] had about the best debut race I've ever had at Keeneland [Apr. 29]–she won by almost 10 lengths and just scampered away from them,” said Ward of Love Reign. “She has had three or four pieces of work since then, and all of them have been nice and steady and beautiful breezes. Every horse that kind of engaged her, she just exploded away from them.”
In winning her maiden by almost ten lengths on debut at Keeneland, Queen Mary favourite Love Reigns (Ire) (US Navy Flag) tore to shreds what many people thought possible for an unraced 2-year-old filly in the month of April.
There would have been more competition had Real Madrid taken to the field against a bunch of schoolboys such was the authority of the display. Love Reigns burst into the lead from stall one, powered home to win unchallenged, and the clock backed up what filled the eye.
Not even Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), who won the G2 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint over the same course and distance in 2020, could run a quicker time than Love Reigns did in that scintillating debut.
“Any time Ben McElroy vets your horse, you know you have something special, so I was delighted that Ben bought her. When you breed horses, all you can hope for is that they go to the best trainers, and we couldn't have dreamed of better connections buying Love Reigns,” – Eoghan Grogan
Now her breeders, the father and son team of Pat and Eoghan Grogan at Killourney Mor Farm in County Offaly, are rightly dreaming about what the filly might go on to achieve at Royal Ascot.
“It's not often you see 2-year-olds win maidens by about ten lengths, especially over five and a half furlongs, and we were gob-smacked watching it,” said Eoghan, who works full-time on the farm alongside his Dad.
“I watched it with my father and, as soon as she crossed the line, I turned to him and said, 'this is a monster.' She looked incredible at Keeneland and it's the stuff of dreams to have bred one like her.”
He added, “We always loved her and she was the pick of that crop in 2020. She was a tank, a real ball of muscle.
“For her to go on and do that, it was just unreal. There has been a fantastic buzz around town and we're really looking forward to Royal Ascot now.”
Pat Smullen put Offaly on the map. The Faithful County, as it is known, is also famous for being home to Open Championship-winning golfer Shane Lowry as well as the internationally recognisable Irish whiskey Tullamore Dew.
Love Reigns may soon join that list of famous Offaly produce which is all the more remarkable given the Grogans never set out to become breeders.
Pat, a builder by trade, was once owed money by a man who settled the debt with a horse. While that horse was never much use, it sparked a love affair with the sport that burns bright to this day, and the family are keen to capitalise on their recent run of success.
“It's mad really, because if he [Pat] never got that first horse, I don't know if he'd have come down this route at all. I had no interest in horses at the time either,” explains Eoghan.
“That horse he got as part of the deal didn't work out but he was bitten by the bug and then he bought Don't Care (Ire) (Nordico) a year afterwards. She was a very good producer and got things going for us which caught my interest. I saw that you can make a good living out of this game if you have the right stock and that's what it's all about really.”
He added, “We've eight mares of our own and there's six boarders for other clients. Myself and my father are at it full-time and it's starting to take off in the past three or four years but it has been 20 years in the making. Some of the families are starting to develop as we wanted so it's great.”
Love Reigns is out of Humble And Proud (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), whose career at Ballydoyle was cut short through injury, but she has become a proven producer on the farm. Not that things have been all plain sailing with her second career as a broodmare. They haven't.
Before her most prolific son, Glorious Empire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), became a Group 1 winner in America, Humble And Proud didn't go in foal for three years but, after having one of her ovaries removed, has gone in foal in each of the last four seasons and is bidding for a fifth in the coming weeks.
Grogan explained, “She's gone from being written off to one of our best broodmares and it wasn't as if her progeny were a massive success in the sales ring at the start either. They weren't. I think the best price we got for one before Love Reigns was £40,000.”
In Love Reigns, the Grogans certainly brought something special to the Orby Sale last year and were rewarded when Ben McElroy went to €160,000 to secure the filly on behalf of Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables.
Grogan remembers, “There was loads of interest in her. She was vetted five or six different times and all of the good guys were on her. Any time Ben McElroy vets your horse, you know you have something special, so I was delighted that Ben bought her. When you breed horses, all you can hope for is that they go to the best trainers, and we couldn't have dreamed of better connections buying Love Reigns.”
He added, “She was a stunning individual with a temperament to match her looks. She actually had a colic on the Saturday of the Orby Sale and I was wondering if it was going to work out or not with her but she settled down pretty quick. She tightened up a good bit and didn't show herself as well as she can on the Saturday but, she bounced back great on the Sunday, and from then on she was great. She has always had a great temperament and nothing really fazed her.”
It is that bombproof temperament which should stand to Love Reigns when she makes the trip over to Royal Ascot for the Queen Mary.
One of her last pieces of work was reported to have gone well at Keeneland, according to McElroy, who is predicting a big performance from the filly in the Queen Mary, provided she gets her ground.
He said, “She worked on Sunday and it's all systems go for Royal Ascot now. The ground was actually soft at Keeneland and I definitely think she will want it firm at Royal Ascot. Hopefully we get lucky with the weather and, if we do, I'd be very happy about her chances in the Queen Mary.”
McElroy knows a thing or two about what a Royal Ascot winner looks like. Dual Royal Ascot scorer Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who returns in Ward's raiding party for the this year, was also sourced in Ireland by McElroy on behalf of Stonestreet for 190,000gns and the renowned agent recalls how Love Reigns was just what he looks for in sourcing a royal runner.
He explained, “Barbara Banke loves Royal Ascot so, when we go to the sales, we're looking for something that's going to be a precocious 2-year-old that will suit Wesley Ward and be out in April or early May. That sets you up, if you are good enough, to take a tilt at one of the 2-year-old races at Royal Ascot. Obviously in her case, she always showed herself to have a lot of potential and Irad Ortiz rode her in two or three pieces of work before she ever ran and relayed to Wesley that she was his best 2-year-old, never mind Stonestreet's.”
McElroy added, “We were excited for her debut at Keeneland but she was drawn one in a 12-horse field, which is always a worry, but she proved Irad right on that performance. One of the reporters from the DRF told Wesley that it was the fastest 2-year-old performance in Keeneland, which encompasses Breeders' Cup races, meaning she ran faster than Golden Pal did as a 2-year-old. Visually, it looked very impressive, and the clock backed it up.”
Humble And Proud, the rather aptly-named broodmare, gave birth to a Mehmas (Ire) colt last week, and the Grogan family are now contemplating a return to US Navy Flag (War Front) on the strength of what Love Reigns did on debut.
She may only have graced the track once, but it's not often that a filly has left such an impression. Like McElroy, the Grogans will be hoping that Love Reigns can prove their eyes-and the clock-right in the Queen Mary.
