Belmont Derby, Oaks Headline Stars & Stripes Day

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G1 Belmont Derby field ready to provide fireworks on Stars & Stripes Day

ELMONT, N.Y. — A diverse and compelling cast of sophomores are set to square off in the fifth running of the Grade 1, $1.2 million Belmont Derby Invitational on Saturday at Belmont Park, led by Catholic Boy for owners Robert LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables.

The Belmont Derby serves as the centerpiece of Stars & Stripes Day, which also features the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational, Grade 2, $700,000 Suburban Handicap, Grade 2, $350,000 Belmont Sprint Championship and Grade 3, $300,000 Dwyer. The race will be televised nationally as part of Belmont Park Live on FS2, while the Dwyer, Sprint, and Oaks will comprise an NBC broadcast from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Catholic Boy enters the 1 ¼-mile turf event for 3-year-olds off an eye-catching score in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge, the local prep for the Belmont Derby. Pitted against the previously unbeaten Analyze It in the Pennine Ridge, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano immediately sent Catholic Boy to the lead, a position he had never been in before in his career, and the two skipped around the Belmont inner turf with Analyze It in close pursuit. The pace quickened considerably around the far turn as Analyze It ranged up to confront Catholic Boy, and at the top of the stretch Analyze It appeared to have the race in hand with Catholic Boy pinned to his inside. However, once Castellano steadied Catholic Boy and angled him to the outside of his rival, the two re-rallied and surged late to nip Analyze It by a neck on the wire.

“We were really proud of his effort,” said Thomas. “Javier was able to execute a plan we had put together in the paddock at the last minute, and we were thrilled with the result. Analyze It is a nice horse. Obviously, it was an oddly run race, and the verdict is still out on where [Catholic Boy] will be positioned [in the Belmont Derby]. We’ve always felt he had mile and a quarter capabilities, though. He’s a mentally relaxed horse and everything we see from him in the mornings and afternoons makes me think he’ll appreciate the distance.”

The Pennine Ridge, run on June 2 at Belmont, was Catholic Boy’s first start on turf since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on November 3 at Del Mar. Sandwiched in between, the More Than Ready ridgling picked up a win in the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct Racetrack and finished second in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs before a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby dashed his Kentucky Derby dreams.

“If you look at his body of work, we weren’t overly surprised he ran so well in the Pennine Ridge. He’s done little wrong on turf,” said Thomas. “We started him out on turf primarily just to go a route of ground; he was never going to be effective sprinting. I think the [Belmont Derby] will really play to his strengths.”

To be ridden again by Hall of Famer Castellano, Catholic Boy will break from post 7

Analyze It, now 3-for-4 in his career, will get another crack at Catholic Boy on Saturday. The talented son of Point of Entry had racked up wins in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille at Del Mar and Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland, his seasonal debut, before falling short in the Pennine Ridge. The bay colt’s trainer, Chad Brown, believes there may be reason to expect a different outcome in the Belmont Derby.

“I thought he ran into a really good horse in Catholic Boy in the Pennine Ridge,” said Brown, who trains Analyze It for William Lawrence. “He ran very well; our horse had no excuse. He might’ve had a little time between races where I could’ve had him a little better. It’s not an excuse, he had every chance to win, but I believe this horse can move forward now that he has some recent fitness in him. I might’ve given him a little too much to do after the Transylvania heading into that race.”

Prior to missing by a neck in the Pennine Ridge, Analyze It’s average margin of victory was a robust 5 ¼ lengths. He will break from post 3 with Jose Ortiz in the irons.

Another runner with only one blemish on his record from four career starts, Hawkish, will go out for trainer Jimmy Toner and owners AJ Suited Racing Stable, Robert LaPenta, and Madaket Stable. The bay gelding burst onto the 3-year-old turf scene with a sensational debut on January 6 at Gulfstream Park, and after a hiccup in the Grade 3 Palm Beach has registered impressive scores in an optional claimer at Aqueduct and most recently in the Grade 2 Penn Mile on June 2 at Penn National.

“You don’t know until you try,” Toner said of the Belmont Derby’s 1 ¼-mile distance. “We know he’s a top miler and that’s the unknown factor here, if he can get the mile and a quarter, but we’ll find out. He gallops a mile and a half every day. I think the key is being rateable. If he isn’t too aggressive early and settles in, I think you’re OK. I think it’s when you get those speed-type or fast horses that are not rateable, or get aggressive, then it’s hard for them to settle in to go a mile and a quarter. So far, he’s shown that he’s OK with everything.”

Hawkish will enlist the services of jockey Manny Franco, and the pair will depart from post 8.

This year’s European contingent will be headed by Hunting Horn from the barn of trainer Aidan O’Brien, who won the Belmont Derby in 2016 with Deauville. The Coolmore color-bearer is coming off an impressive 4 ½-length win in the Group 3 Hampton Court on June 21 at Royal Ascot. He will be ridden by Ryan Moore from post 4.

Kentucky Derby darling My Boy Jack, who was a surprise second choice in the wagering to Justify in the Run for the Roses, will make the switch back to turf for the Belmont Derby, a surface over which he has a win and three second-place finishes from five starts. The son of Creative Cause picked up wins in the Grade 3 Southwest and Grade 3 Lexington on the Kentucky Derby Trail before finishing a fast-closing fifth in the Derby, his most recent outing. Trained by Keith Desormeaux, My Boy Jack will be ridden by his brother Kent, and the two will leave from post 9.

Rounding out the field are Channel Cat, the third-place finisher from the Pennine Ridge; Encumbered, most recently fifth in the Penn Mile; Kingstar, who won his 2018 bow at the newly revamped Longchamp; and Maraud, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf exiting a fourth-place finish in the Penn Mile.

Slew of graded stakes winners target G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational

By Brian Bohl

An impressive 10-horse field that includes seven graded stakes winners will look to conquer the 1 ¼-mile distance on the inner turf track in Saturday’s 40th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies on a Stars & Stripes Day card that will feature five graded stakes.

Carded as Race 8 with an approximate post time of 5:46 p.m., the Belmont Oaks will air nationally on NBC and will be followed by the Grade 2, $700,000 Suburban for 4-year-olds and up and the Grade 1, $1.2 million Belmont Derby Invitational in Race 10.

Michael Dubb and Green Point Stables’ Thewayiam, who is 5-2-1 in 10 career starts, has thrived since arriving in the U.S. last year, posting four wins and back-to-back second-place finishes in seven starts. The French-bred Thewayyouare filly won at her only start at more than a mile with a 1 ¾-length score in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on March 3 at Gulfstream Park, and that experience, along with starting her career with three races in her native country, has made Motion optimistic that she can handle the increased distance.

Belmont Park will be the eighth track on which the Thewayiam has competed, with Motion stating that her ability to ship – and her experience on two continents – can be an asset heading into her first Grade 1 start.

“I think for the mile-and-a-quarter [experience] is very helpful,” Motion said. “I think seasoning helps going those longer distances, so I certainly feel good about that.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will have the call from post 8.

“She’s a filly who gives you confidence because it always seems like she runs her race,” Motion said. “Her form has been pretty good. I think she’ll lay a little closer going a mile and a quarter. She’s going to put herself in the race.”

Significant Form and Mighty Scarlett – a pair of entries for trainer Chad Brown – are exiting Belmont’s prep for the Oaks in good form after the duo finished second and third, respectively, in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 7 at 1 1/8 miles.

“They both ran well,” Brown said of his fillies’ performance in the Wonder Again. “It was a bit disappointing for Significant Form as the favorite. She had every chance to win turning for home and it just wasn’t her day. I’m confident given the way she’s training that she can rebound off that effort.”

Stephanie Seymour Brant’s Significant Form came off a more than five-month layoff following a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Del Mar to win the Memories Of Silver by 6 ¼ lengths on April 22 at Aqueduct Racetrack. She then made her first start at Belmont since winning the Grade 3 Miss Grillo on October 1 by finishing one length behind La Signare in the Wonder Again on Opening Day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Significant Form drew the rail with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard.

Mighty Scarlett earned a piece of the purse in her first stakes start. After breaking her maiden at second asking on April 27 at Keeneland, the Scat Daddy filly rallied from fifth to finish a neck behind her stablemate in the Wonder Again, earning a 91 Beyer Speed Figure for her first stakes appearance.

“For it being her first try in a stakes race, I thought Mighty Scarlett ran really well,” Brown said. “I think more distance should help her.”

Jose Ortiz will have the call from the outside post.

Capla Temptress made her North American bow in impressive fashion, winning the Grade 1 Natalma on September 17 at Woodbine before running seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Shipping back to England, the Marco Botti trainee ran fourth in a Group 1 race at Longchamp on May 13.

Javier Castellano, a Hall of Fame jockey, will ride Capla Temptress in her first start at Belmont, departing from post 4.

La Signare enters off two strong efforts since arriving from her native France, finishing second to Toinette in her U.S. debut on April 11 at Keeneland before going gate-to-wire to win the Wonder Again, recording a 94 Beyer in the process.

In the Keeneland start, La Signare came from well off the pace, though trainer Brian Lynch said she might be served better being forwardly placed.

“We’ll see what the pace scenario is,” Lynch said. “If there’s no pace, I don’t think we’ll try and get too creative. We’ll let her do her thing again. I don’t know if they’ll let her get away with pedestrian fractions like she got away with in the first half [in the Wonder Again]. But if there’s a bit more pace, I wouldn’t be surprised if she can sit off of them a little bit anyway.”

Joel Rosario, who was aboard for her first two starts since Lynch took over the training duties, will again have the jockey assignment from post 7.

Paved has never finished off the board, going 3-0-3 in six career starts. The Michael McCarthy trainee won her first graded stakes in her previous start, teaming with Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens to win the Grade 2 Honeymoon by 3 ½ lengths on June 9 at Santa Anita.

In four career starts at 1 1/8 miles, the Quality Road filly has three wins and a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Providencia on April 7 at Santa Anita.

“It seems like these longer races are more to her liking,” McCarthy said. “I think a mile and a quarter will suit her, especially with the way she has been able to level off and finish in these races. A mile and a quarter is new territory for most of these fillies. Some of the fillies from Europe may have already experienced [a mile and a quarter], but we think the distance will play into our strong suits.”

Stevens, who won his only previous Belmont Oaks [then named the Garden City] aboard True Flare in 1996, will be looking for a return trip to the winner’s circle in breaking from post 3.

Athena, trained by Aidan O’Brien, will race in the United States for the first time in her 10th career start. Bred in Ireland, she ran third in the Group 1 Pretty Olly on July 1 at Curragh.

Internationally acclaimed jockey Ryan Moore, who has won nine career Breeders’ Cup races, will make the cross-Atlantic trip to ride from post 6.

The lightly raced French-bred Chipolata will be looking to make a splash in her first start since arriving from Europe. Trainer Christophe Clement said the Muhtathir filly arrived at Belmont after spending 30 days with his brother Nicolas, a prominent trainer in France.

“My brother likes her and said she had an easy work on the grass last week and looked great,” Clement said. “She’s a good mover and very willing. Seeing the races where she finished well, she has a good turn of foot, so we’ll just keep it simple.”

Chipolata has raced just twice, running fourth in a pair of races in September at Chantilly, including in the Group 3 Prix d’Aumale in her first race. She finished fourth out of 17 in the Haras de Bouquetot on September 30 at one mile.

“She’s coming out of her last race in good shape and looking well,” Clement said. For sure, I think she’ll [appreciate] the distance. I trained a filly by Muhtathir years ago who won the Beverly D., so she has the [pedigree].”

Manny Franco will be in the irons from post 2.

Rounding out the field is graded stakes winner Fatale Bere, a French bred who won the Grade 3 Providencia on April 7 at Santa Anita for trainer Leonard Powell, from post 9; and Toniette, who was won her last three starts, including the Grade 3 Edgewood on May 4 at Churchill Downs, for trainer Neil Drysdale from post 5.