Belmont: Grade 1’s Beldame, Champagne Headline Saturday’s Stakes

By Anthony Affrunti —-

Wow Cat looks to return to winner’s circle in G1 Beldame

ELMONT, N.Y. – Peter Brandt and Vendaval Stud’s Wow Cat leads a group of eight fillies and mares looking to test each other in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame at 1 1/8 miles at Belmont Park.

Wow Cat, a 4-year-old Chilean-bred filly by Lookin At Lucky, is trying to advance off her third-place finish in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on August 25 at Saratoga Race Course, where she was beaten 9 ¾ lengths by 2017 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Abel Tasman and multiple Grade 1 winner Elate.

Wow Cat was a perfect 8-for-8 in her home country, including winning the Chilean Triple Crown over males, before being transferred to trainer Chad Brown. She made her U.S. debut in the Grade 3 Shuvee on July 29 at Saratoga and fell short by a neck to Farrell after being bumped at the start.

She will break from post 6 with Jose Ortiz in the irons.

Blue Devil Racing Stable’s Come Dancing advances to her first graded stakes try after wiring a field of five in the slop in the 1 1/16-mile Royal Delta on September 9 at Belmont. It was the 4-year-old Malibu Moon filly’s first try over seven furlongs, and fourth victory from six starts for trainer Carlos Martin.

“She’s running against some really good fillies. It’s not an easy race, but it’s a Grade 1, so it’s a good opportunity, especially being at home,” Martin said. “It’s definitely worth a chance I think. I’m confident that our filly is going to show up again like when I stretched her out last time. I know she had everything her way, but she’s really doing good at the right time.”

Come Dancing debuted a winner as a 2-year-old, coming from off the pace to score by 3 ½ lengths in November 2016, but suffered a pastern injury, which put her on the shelf until the following year. She returned late in her 3-year-old year and drew clear to win a six-furlong allowance by 6 ½ lengths on December 14 at Aqueduct.

She finished a disappointing 10th after a six-wide trip in the Interborough in January and went onto the shelf again until July, returning to best five others by 4 ½ lengths at Saratoga. She was then wheeled back a week later, fading to fourth in the Shine Again.

“The last sixteenth, she got a little tired, but everything kind of went wrong with coming back quick and how the race set up and everything,” said Martin. “We gave her six weeks off and she exploded here at Belmont, so now she’s got almost a month to this race and things are looking up.

“I know she’s got the talent,” he added. “She’s an exciting prospect. She can’t be doing any better. She worked sensational. She’s a big beautiful filly. She’s had three good races in a row. I know that she has the class and the speed if things break right for us.”

Come Dancing will run from post 4 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard.

Another who thrives at running on the front-end is the Danny Gargan-trained Divine Miss Grey, who enters off her 7 ¾-length victory in the Dr. James Penny Memorial on September 8 over the sloppy and sealed course at Parx Racing.

Corms Racing Stable and R. A. Hill Stable’s 4-year-old filly by Divine Park will face Grade 1 competition for the second time in her 21st lifetime start, after finishing seventh in the Test on August 21 at Saratoga as a 3-year-old. Divine Miss Grey owns three stakes victories this year in the Interborough, Heavenly Prize and Lady’s Secret, respectively, all three at 1 1/16 miles.

“She’s doing good. Obviously, it’s a Grade 1, but she’s a tryer,” Gargan said. “She shows up every time we lead her over there, and she’s doing really well right now. It looks like a lot of speed in the race, but she’s fast, so we’ll see how it all falls out. It’s a long run down the backside here, and it’s a one-turn race. That’s a lot better for her.”

Divine Miss Grey drew post 3 and will have the services of Junior Alvarado.

Multiple graded stakes winner Farrell will represent Coffeepot Stable after her fifth-place finish in the Personal Ensign. The Shuvee winner makes her ninth start of the year for trainer Wayne Catalano, who hopes to add her third victory of the year in the Beldame after the 4-year-old by Malibu Moon began her season with a win in the Pippin in January at Oaklawn Park.

Channing Hill will ship in to ride Farrell from the outside post 8.

Charles Fipke’s Verve’s Tale, a close third in a tight three-way photo in the Shuvee, will contest a Grade 1 for the third time in her career. The 5-year-old mare by Tale of Ekati displayed a strong late kick into decent fractions and looks for her first win this year while making her fifth start.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, Verve’s Tale will break from post 5 with Manny Franco in the saddle.

Also entered to run is Mike Rutherford’s Dreamcall for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosario from the rail; St. Elias Stable’s Teresa Z for trainer Anthony Margotta, Jr. and jockey Joe Bravo from post 2; and West Point Thoroughbreds Berned for trainer Graham Motion and jockey Dylan Davis from post 7.

Brown duo looks to make stakes debut splash in G1 Champagne

By Brian Bohl —-

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown will look to earn his second win in three years in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne for juveniles on Saturday at Belmont Park when he sends out Aurelius Maximus and Complexity as part of talented 10-horse field for the one-mile race on the main track.

One of four Grade 1 races as part of the October Festival of Racing from October 6-7, the 147th running of the Champagne is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on November 2 at Churchill Downs, the richest 2-year-old race in North America. Carded as Race 10 with a post time of 5:35 p.m., the Champagne, along with the Grade 2, $500,000 Hill Prince, will air as part of NBC’s national coverage from 4:30-6 p.m.

The Champagne counts a litany of all-time greats among its victors, including Triple Crown winners Seattle Slew and Count Fleet, as well as Hall of Famers Alydar, Spectacular Bid, Easy Goer, Riva Ridge and Buckpasser among others. A part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, the Champagne awards the top-four finishers with a points distribution of 10-4-2-1 towards the 2019 Run for the Roses.

Klaravich Stables’ Complexity will look to improve to 2-for-2 after an impressive 4 ½-length victory in his debut on September 3 at Saratoga Race Course on the undercard for the Grade 1 Hopeful. Brown said expectations are high for the Maclean’s Music colt, who was purchased for $375,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Complexity has worked twice over Belmont’s Big Sandy, including a four-furlong breeze in 47.89 seconds Sunday in company with Aurelius Maximus, who is also entering his graded stakes debut off a victory following a 7 ¾-length score on September 9 at Belmont at the Champagne distance.

“They both trained well together and they are ready for the Champagne,” said Brown, who won the 2016 Champagne with Practical Joke. “They both seem to be training well on the main track. They both seem like they are top-quality, so I’m confident in both them.”

Complexity will have jockey Jose Ortiz ride from post 4.

Aurelius Maximus, a son of Pioneerof the Nile, broke his maiden at second asking following a third-place finish on July 28 at Saratoga in his first start. Owned by Stonestreet Stables, Gregory Bolton and Peter Leidel, the Kentucky-bred is the only horse in the field to have already registered a win at Belmont.

Joel Rosario, aboard for his win last out, will have the return call from post 9.

L R E Racing’s Casa Creed will stretch out in distance after winning at seven furlongs on August 4 at Saratoga in a race moved off the turf. Following a sixth-place finish in his debut July 28 on the same track in which he was caught wide on the backstretch before improving his position in the stretch.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said Casa Creed, a son of Jimmy Creed, looked comfortable in his first work at Belmont Sunday, when he breezed four furlongs in 48.55 seconds.

“His disposition seems like it’ll allow him to get a mile. He’s just very kind and manageable,” Mott said. “It doesn’t mean he’ll do it, but it gives me the indication that it will certainly be doable.”

Jockey David Cohen will pick up the mount from post 10.

Call Paul is the field’s lone graded stakes winner, wiring the field as the favorite to win the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 12 for trainer Jason Servis. Owned by Michael Dubb, David Simon, Bruce Irom and Bethlehem Stables, Call Paul will look to go 3-for-3 and will again have Irad Ortiz, Jr., who piloted the Friesan Fire colt to the stakes win, in the irons in breaking from post 5.

Code of Honor won his debut on August 18 at Saratoga, posting a gate-to-wire 1 1/2-length win on a fast main track at six furlongs. Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey said his recent work at Belmont has given him confidence he can handle the step up in distance and class.

“He came out of his race great and has been training really well since then,” McGaughey said. “I think getting him stretched out will help him even more.”

Eric Cancel will ride from post 8.

Successful Zip finished second by 1 ½ lengths to Unionizer in the Sapling at one mile on September 1 at Monmouth Park and will make his first graded stakes appearance in his Belmont debut for trainer Miguel Vera. Manny Franco will have the assignment from post 7.

Reddam Racing’s Listing wasted no time making a splash, winning a stakes in his first start, rallying for a 1 ¼-length win in the I’m Smokin on August 31 at Del Mar. The Ben Cecil trainee will ship from his base in Santa Anita, drawing post 6 with regular jockey Mario Gutierrez also making the trek east.

Rounding out the field are three contenders making their respective stakes debut in Endorsed, Trophy Chaser, and Achilles Warrior, who drew posts 1-through-3.

Disco Partner and Pure Sensation headline Belmont Turf Sprint Championship
Talented field gears up for G2 Hill Prince

ELMONT, N.Y. – The third running of the $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Championship on Saturday at Belmont Park will feature the winners of the first two editions of the race in stablemates Disco Partner and Pure Sensation, both owned and bred by Patricia Generazio and trained by Christophe Clement, co-headlining the field of eight.

One of four stakes races on the day comprising the October Racing Festival alongside the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, the Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame, and the Grade 2, $500,000 Hill Prince, coverage of the October Racing Festival will be nationally broadcast on NBC from 4:30-6 p.m.

A 7-year-old a son by Zensational, Pure Sensation will look to register his second career victory in the Belmont Turf Sprint since winning the inaugural edition in 2016. In his most recent start, he captured the Grade 3 Turf Monster on September 3 at Parx Racing.

Kicking off his 2018 campaign with a second-place finish in an allowance optional-claiming race on April 13 at Gulfstream Park. Pure Sensation followed with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Jaipur on June 9 at Belmont and subsequently ran third in the Grade 3 Parx Dash on July 7 before winning the Turf Monster.

A New York-bred 6-year-old son of Disco Rico, Disco Partner will look to get back to the winner’s circle for the first time since winning the Grade 2 Jaipur. The defending champion of the Belmont Turf Sprint, he encountered trouble at the break to finish fifth in the Forbidden Apple on July 14 and ran third in the Grade 3 Troy on August 5 on a yielding turf course.

“Both horses are doing well,” said Christophe Lorieul, longtime assistant to Clement. “Obviously, Pure Sensation coming out of the win at Parx in the Turf Monster. He ran well that day, and Disco Partner has been a little bit unlucky in his last two starts. With the firmness of the ground is a big factor for him but with the race going at his usual distance, we hope he gives a good account of himself. They have two different styles. Pure Sensation is usually close or on the lead and Disco Partner is more of a stalker. They both deserve a shot to run here and we’ll try to win it again.”

Drawing the rail, Disco Partner will have the services of Irad Ortiz, Jr. Pure Sensation will leave from post 5 with Jose Ortiz aboard.

Gidu, will make his first start on the turf since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame at Saratoga for trainer Todd Pletcher and owners Zayat Stables.

A 3-year-old son of Frankel, Gidu broke his maiden on the turf in his second career start and went on to finish second by a head in the Grade 3 Dania Beach on February 3 at Gulfstream. Winning the Columbia at Tampa Bay Downs and the Paradise Creek at Belmont, he then shipped overseas to Ascot where he finished a respectable sixth in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on June 22.
Following a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame, he ran seventh in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga.

Gidu will leave from post 8 with Joel Rosario in the irons.

Pletcher will also saddle Blind Ambition for Gainesway Stable. A 4-year-old son of Tapit, he has two wins from four starts at Belmont including a victory in the Elusive Quality on April 28 at Belmont Park.

Rounding out the field is Maniacal for Three Diamonds Farm and trainer Mike Maker; Proforma for DARRS, Inc. and trainer Michael Stidham; Pocket Change for owners Gary and Mary West and trainer Jason Servis and Simon Bar Sinister for Holly Crest Farm and trainer John Mazza.

The Clement barn will also be represented on Saturday by Robert S. Evans’ Have At It in the Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince for sophomores at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf.

Have At It, a homebred chestnut colt by Kitten’s Joy, moved to stakes company following a three-quarter-length win against optional claimers going 1 1/8 miles in July at Belmont, finished sixth in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame on August 3 at Saratoga behind Raging Bull. He followed with a close runner-up finish to Rose’s Vision in the restricted Better Talk Now on August 27.

Have At It will be ridden by David Cohen from the rail.

Headlining the 44th edition of the Hill Prince is Peter Brant’s Raging Bull, who boasts back-to-back graded stakes wins this summer for trainer Chad Brown. The French-bred Dark Angel colt got his nose down in time to win the Hall of Fame over yielding turf and came back with a 1 ¼-length victory in the Grade 3 Saranac contested over good going at the Hill Prince’s 1 1/8-mile distance on September 1.

Raging Bull drew post 3. Regular jockey Joel Rosario has the return call.

Also entered in the Hill Prince are Grade 2 Del Mar Derby winner Ride a Comet; Golden Brown, an upset winner of the Grade 3 Kent in July and fifth in both the Grade 1 Haskell and Saranac this summer; Dueling Grounds Derby runner-up Cullum Road; March to the Arch, winner of the Toronto Cup in July and third in the Saranac last time out; Prioritize, exiting a third-place finish in the Better Talk Now; and Woodhaven winner Sand Dancer.