Belmont at the Big A Notes 05/05

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Belmont at the Big A Notes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Soul of an Angel made a memorable first start for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. and owners C Two Racing Stable and Agave Racing, rallying beyond Grade 1-winner Randomized with a furlong to run en route to a 4 3/4-length score in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian at Belmont at the Big A.

The 5-year-old Atreides mare, previously trained and co-owned by Gerald James, caught the eye of her current connections when she ran a good second at odds of 42-1 to the Joseph, Jr.-trained Honor D Lady in the Grade 3 Royal Delta in February at Gulfstream Park.

Joseph, Jr. said Mark Cornett of C Two Racing Stable tried to acquire the mare immediately following the Royal Delta and managed to get the deal done after Soul of an Angel ran sixth in the Grade 2 Azeri in March at Oaklawn Park.

“Mark Cornett’s persistence led to us acquiring her. She came to us in great shape,” Joseph, Jr. said. “She’s five and she’s run plenty. She’s so sound and in good health. A credit to the trainer, Gerald, who had her before us. When you get a horse at this age, you’re just the beneficiary of the previous trainer doing a good job. We’re thankful to be the recipient of that.”

Soul of an Angel exited post 4-of-6 under Trevor McCarthy in Saturday’s one-turn mile for older fillies and mares and settled in fifth position as last year’s Grade 1 Alabama-winner Randomized, who was racing off a six-month layoff from her runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, marked off splits of 23.09 seconds and 46.25 under pressure from Grade 1-placed Green Up.

McCarthy tipped Soul of an Angel five-wide for the stretch run and took command with a furlong to run, drawing clear to a 4 3/4-length score in a final time of 1:35.40 over the fast main track. The winning effort garnered a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She ran big. It was very impressive,” Joseph, Jr. said. “Going into that race with Randomized, you don’t think you can beat her but you’re hoping maybe there will be a pace setup and she could pick up a piece of it. She got the pace setup – Green Up put a little pressure on and Randomized was a little keen off the layoff. The race set up and the mare showed up and ran a big race.”

Joseph, Jr. said Soul of an Angel will return to his Florida base before the team picks out a next spot for the newly minted graded stakes-winner.

Bred in Kentucky by Westbrook Stables, Soul of an Angel was a $3,000 RNA at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the The Factor mare Factor One, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Homeboykris. She banked $110,000 in victory, boosting her total purse earnings to $372,675 through a 36-4-6-4 record.

Joseph, Jr. watched Soul of an Angel’s winning performance via simulcast from Churchill Downs where he saddled 34-1 longshot Catalytic to a 19th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby which was won in dramatic rail-skimming fashion by Mystik Dan.

The Catalina Cruiser bay, who earned his way into the Derby with a distant runner-up effort to Fierceness in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, exited post 5-of-20 Saturday under Jose Ortiz and tracked along the rail in mid-pack through the early running before fading.

“He got a pretty good trip. He got bumped early on by Just Steel in the first eighth, but passing the wire he was able to establish a good spot on the rail where you want to be,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He was actually behind the winner and looked good going towards the half and from there he got tired and Jose took care of him. It was a tall task in his fourth start and his third run in a short period of time. We’ll regroup. He’s a solid horse and has better days ahead.”

Joseph, Jr. said it’s likely that Catalytic, owned by Tami Bobo, Julie Davies and George Isaacs, will not continue along the Triple Crown trail and will see a cutback in distance for his next start.

Bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich, III, the $125,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Distorted Humor mare One Show Only, who is a full-sister to graded stakes-placed Poof Too.

Joseph, Jr. noted that Vegso Racing Stable’s Kentucky homebred Imonra is possible to ship to the Big A for the Grade 3, $175,000 Vagrancy, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares on May 18.

The 4-year-old Violence dark bay finished second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Iowa Oaks in July at Prairie Meadows and was last seen taking a six-furlong optional-claiming sprint on April 4 at Gulfstream.

Imonra is out of the stakes-winning Northern Afleet mare Light Bringer, who is a full-sister to graded stakes-winner Aegean.

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Nations Pride training forwardly towards G2 Man o’ War

Godolphin’s Irish homebred Nations Pride has settled in well in his return to Belmont Park, where he is readying for Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War, a 1 3/8-mile turf test for older horses, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the multiple graded/group 1 winner breezed twice last week over the dirt training track, covering a half-mile in 52.25 seconds and 50 flat on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. Nations Pride returned to the track a little after 7:30 a.m. Sunday to gallop one easy lap around under exercise rider Adrian McCarthy, keeping along evenly while wearing a hood to help keep him relaxed on the bustling oval.

“We just took an easy day today since he worked yesterday. He’s brilliant,” said Christiane Harley, traveling assistant to Appleby. “He’s very easy and straightforward. Adrian knows him and always rides him.”

The globe-trotting Teofilo 5-year-old has won a graded or group event in four countries, including a pair of scores as a sophomore on the NYRA circuit when annexing the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at Saratoga Race Course and the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont at the Big A in his most recent New York outing.

His impressive resume includes additional Grade/Group 1 victories last year in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen at Munich Racecourse in Germany, and the Canadian International at Woodbine. Nations Pride boasts more than $2.5 million in earnings through a 15-9-2-1 record.

Harley also indicated that Godolphin’s three-time graded/group stakes-winner Ottoman Fleet is in fine fettle after finishing second to Master Piece in his attempt at a title defense in yesterday’s Grade 2 Fort Marcy at Belmont at the Big A.

The son of Sea The Stars, who entered from a repeat win in the Group 3 Earl Of Sefton on April 17 at Newmarket, looked poised to once again capture the Fort Marcy, but drifted out in the lane when Master Piece challenged to his inside and came up a neck shy of victory. He earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

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Michael Iavarone, Julia Iavarone, Nicholas Zoumas and Frank Argano’s Master Piece, who captured his third graded/group score, also earned a 99 Beyer for his win when pouncing from two lengths off the pace under Dylan Davis for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. The 8-year-old Mastercraftsman ridgling, who was bright and energetic Sunday at Dutrow, Jr.’s Belmont barn, added to a win last year at Belmont at the Big A in the Grade 2 Red Smith.

Dutrow, Jr. earned a graded double this week at Belmont at the Big A after sending out Messier to score in the Grade 3 Westchester for owners SF Racing, Madaket Stables, Lansdon Robbins, III, Tom Ryan, Robert Masterson, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable and Siena Farm.

The 5-year-old Empire Maker horse was also in good spirits Sunday after garnering a 96 Beyer for his three-quarter-length score over dual graded stakes-winner Post Time. Jose Gomez engineered the winning ride to capture his first career graded stakes victory.

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Dancing Buck earns 97 BSF for frontrunning Listed Elusive Quality win

J and N Stables and Diamond M Stable’s graded stakes-winning New York-bred Dancing Buck was an impressive winner of Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Elusive Quality, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for older horses, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Michelle Nevin, the 6-year-old War Dancer gelding was sent to the front by jockey Manny Franco to lead the nine-horse field through an opening quarter-mile of 22.40 seconds over the firm going as 2-1 mutuel favorite and course record holder Nothing Better reared up at the break and was slow away from the starting gate.

“In the paddock, Manny and I talked about how [Dancing] Buck breaks well. He breaks sharp. You don’t want to take that away from the horse,” said Nevin. “If the other horse [Nothing Better] was going to out break us, then we were going to sit off him. If we out broke him, it was going to be the other way around.”

Dancing Buck established a half-length advantage after the first quarter-mile and maintained it while pressured by dirt graded stakes-winner Durante through a half-mile in 44.60.

“When the four [Nothing Better] didn’t break, it was great that he was able to break so sharply and grab control of the race,” Nevin said. “I thought Manny gave him an excellent ride and when he asked him to finish up in the lane, he finished up strong.”

The pacesetting Dancing Buck would not relinquish the lead, extending to a 1 1/4-length victory over the oncoming charge of American Monarch in a final time of 1:07.58

The effort was awarded a 97 Beyer Speed Figure, second only to his career-best 103 earned when successful in the six-furlong Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint in October 2022 at Belmont at the Big A. The figure also improved upon consecutive runner-up finishes sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs at Santa Anita Park when missing by a half-length in both the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez in December and the Grade 3 San Simeon on March 9 for conditioner Rick Dutrow, Jr.

“Last summer, we missed a lot of opportunities because of the weather. He was very lightly raced. Our choices were either California or Florida,” said Nevin. “We thought California would be a better fit.”

Nevin said Dancing Buck exited the race in good order and could possibly make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur presented by Resolute Racing, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up on June 8 at Saratoga Race Course. The Jaipur offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar.

From its nine prior runnings, two Elusive Quality winners went on to capture the Jaipur next out with Casa Creed [2021] and New York-bred Disco Partner [2017]. Both horses took different routes the following year to defend their titles in the Jaipur.

Bred by J & N Stables, Dancing Buck, out of the multiple stakes-placed Catienus mare Frivolous Buck, is a full-brother to Mz Big Bucks, who won the 2023 Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series last June at Belmont Park.

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Lonesome Boy eyes G3 Peter Pan after fourth-placed G2 Wood Memorial effort

John E. Parker’s stakes-winner Lonesome Boy, who kept on for fourth-place after dueling on the front end of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino here on April 6, will likely contest Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trainer Hugo Padilla said the Washington-bred Nationhood bay is probable for the Peter Pan after posting his first workout since the Wood on Wednesday, completing five-furlongs in 1:03.09 handily at Parx Racing. Monmouth Park’s one mile and 70 yard Long Branch on May 11 is also under consideration.

“The [Peter Pan] is what we are planning. He gave us a very, very good workout Wednesday. We’re very happy with the way he came back and how he is doing,” said Padilla. “The owner really wants to give this horse a name, so I think we’re going to the Peter Pan.”

Padilla said the work checked all the boxes after Lonesome Boy showed he was already in good fitness at the nine-furlong distance when battling on for fourth in the Wood after fast early splits of 23.45 seconds, 47.49 and 1:12.35 in the field of Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-hopefuls.

“It [the workout] was to open up his lungs, stretch his legs, make sure he is on point. I’m very happy with the work and the way he did everything,” said Padilla. “It was by himself, believe me, if we put him with company, he would break the clock.

“Everybody who was on the pace with him [in the Wood] dropped back turning for home,” added Padilla. “He just kept on going. The better horse [Resilience] won the race, and the horses with a little more energy passed us, but we are hoping this time if the pace is a little slower, he can finish stronger.”

The effort was awarded a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure, improving upon a 78 earned when drawing off by 6 3/4-lengths to capture the one mile and 70 yard City of Brotherly Love on March 5 at Parx.

Padilla confirmed that Adam Bowman, who has piloted Lonesome Boy in 10-of-11 lifetime starts and all of the wins in his 11-3-2-2 record, including a local seven-furlong optional claim in January, will retain the mount.

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