Belmont at Saratoga Opening Day Stakes Previews

Posted On 02 Jun 2024

By Keith McCalmont

Siskany looks to defend his title in G2 Belmont Gold Cup

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Godolphin’s British homebred Siskany returns to New York, albeit at a different racetrack, to defend his title in Thursday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup, a two-mile Mellon turf test for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course on Opening Day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which spans Thursday through Sunday, is highlighted by the 156th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 8. The four-day Festival will include 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Festival in 2014.

The Belmont Gold Cup, slated as Race 10, offers a ‘Golden Ticket’ for an automatic berth into the Group 1, AUD$8.4 million Lexus Melbourne Cup on November 5 at Flemington Racecourse in Victoria, Australia. Flemington Racecourse announcer Matt Hill has traveled to Saratoga to call the Belmont Gold Cup and the 18-carat 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup trophy will be onsite and available for photo opportunities with fans throughout Thursday’s live racing program.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Siskany [post 12, William Buick, 122 pounds] was a dominant winner of this event last year at Belmont Park, stalking from fifth position under returning rider William Buick before taking command at the stretch call and drawing clear to a two-length win.

The 6-year-old Dubawi gelding wintered in Dubai where he captured a pair of 1 3/4-mile events with Buick aboard over good going at Meydan Racecourse, taking the Al Khail Trophy in January ahead of a successful title defense in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy in February. He was last seen finishing fourth in the two-mile Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup over good ground on March 30 at Meydan, landing 3 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Tower of London.

Last year, Siskany finished second in the Dubai Gold Cup and fifth in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup that May at York before his Belmont Gold Cup coup. This year, he arrives as a fresh horse and will race from a more than two-month layoff and with cheek-pieces off.

“Siskany was last seen in Dubai in the Gold Cup running his usual solid race,” said Appleby, who won the 2018 Melbourne Cup with Cross Counter. “He’s a past winner of the Belmont Gold Cup last year, so he’s coming back for a renewal of that. He’s in good form and hopefully he can get it done again.”

Appleby won a pair of graded stakes at Belmont at the Big A in May, taking the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge with Legend of Time and the Grade 2 Man o’ War with Silver Knott. On Thursday, he will look to saddle his 12th graded winner in New York following past success with Althiqa [2021 G1 Diana, 2021 G1 Just a Game], Nations Pride [2022 G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational, 2022 G3 Jockey Club Derby], With The Moonlight [2022 G3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational], Ottoman Fleet [2023 G2 Fort Marcy], Siskany [2023 G2 Belmont Gold Cup] and Eternal Hope [2023 G3 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational, 2023 G2 Sands Point].

Siskany is out of the Dansili mare Halay, who is a half-sister to multiple Group-stakes winner Dartmouth. His third dam, the Mountain Cat mare Altana, is a half-sister to Arcangues, who won the 1993 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at odds of 133-1.

The Grey Wizard chased home Siskany in this event last year when rallying strongly from seventh position for second under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, who is back aboard Thursday from post 11 and assigned 118 pounds.

Trainer by Graham Motion for Aron Wellman’s Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Albert Frassetto, The Grey Wizard’s last win came in a 12-furlong turf event last April at Keeneland ahead of his Belmont Gold Cup effort.

The 5-year-old Caravaggio grey made his seasonal debut with an off-the-board effort in the 12-furlong Grade 2 Elkhorn in April at Keeneland while racing from a nearly nine-month layoff. The Grey Wizard followed with a more promising effort last out when a closing third under James Graham in the 12-furlong Grade 3 Louisville on May 18 at Churchill Downs.

Motion said he’s looking forward to The Grey Wizard again having the opportunity to stretch his legs at a marathon distance.

“He ran super in this race last year,” Motion said. “It’s what we thought he always wanted to do, so it wasn’t a big surprise, but it’s always rewarding when they run the way you thought they might. The further the better for him.”

Motion noted his horse will need to step up to get the better of his familiar foe Siskany.

“He has to keep improving,” Motion said. “His first race back this year was disappointing, and I was scratching my head. I said to Aron, ‘he needs to race to get back into racing shape.’ So, I was really pleased the way he ran the other night when James rode him at Churchill. I think he needed racing to get to this race and off of that effort, I was encouraged to run him back.”

Motion said the addition of a ‘Golden Ticket’ to the Melbourne Cup is an intriguing one, having previously considered sending his multiple Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Better Talk Now to the famous race.

“It’s something I would love to think about. I thought about it once before with Better Talk Now,” Motion said. “I’m all about trying these things and it would be an exciting thing to think about.”

Trainer Mike Maker, whose horses excel in long-distance events, will be represented by a trio of contenders in graded stakes-winner Starting Over [post 5, Manny Franco, 122 pounds], multiple graded stakes-placed Lucky Curlin [post 7, Ramon Vazquez, 118 pounds], and graded stakes-placed Really Good [post 3, Dylan Davis, 118 pounds].

Nice Guys Stables’ Starting Over arrives from a narrow neck victory over multiple graded stakes-winner Tawny Port in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Mac Diarmida on March 2 at Gulfstream Park.

The 7-year-old Liam’s Map grey, who won the 12-furlong Colonial Cup in September at Colonial Downs, has banked $531,145 through a 24-5-4-4 record.

Michael Hui’s Lucky Curlin, a veteran of 39 starts for a record of 7-3-6 and purse earnings of $352,108, was haltered for $50,000 three starts back in February at Gulfstream Park. The 7-year-old Curlin gelding has tested Grade 2 company traveling 12 furlongs in each of his two outings for new connections, landing fifth in the Pan American in March at Gulfstream and sixth in the Elkhorn on April 20 at Keeneland.

Really Good enters from an optional-claiming win traveling 1 3/16-miles on May 2 at Belmont at the Big A where he got up in the final jumps to win by a neck and garner a career-best 91 Beyer.

Owned by Paradise Farms, David Staudacher and Jason Ash, the 4-year-old Hard Spun colt has banked $378,546 through a 14-3-2-4 ledger.

A robust field includes multiple graded stakes-placed Pioneering Spirit [post 10, Jose Lezcano, 118 pounds] for trainer Linda Rice; multiple graded stakes-placed Limited Liability [post 1, Eric Cancel, 118 pounds] for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey; graded stakes-placed So High [post 2, Romero Maragh, 118 pounds] for trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul; stakes-placed Cibolian [post 4, Junior Alvarado, 118 pounds] for conditioner Archibald Kingsley, Jr.; stakes-placed Six Minus [post 9, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 118 pounds] for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher; as well as two-time winners Sports Editor [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche, 118 pounds] for trainer Ned Allard and the Christophe Clement-trained Champagne Juan [post 6, Joel Rosario, 118 pounds]. Costa Terra and Dai Vernon are entered for the main-track only.

Thursday’s lucrative card also features the Listed $150,000 Jersey Girl for sophomore fillies sprinting six furlongs in Race 4; the Listed $150,000 Tremont for juveniles sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs in Race 2 and the $150,000 Astoria at 5 1/2-furlongs for juvenile fillies in Race 9. First post on Thursday’s 10-race card is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, and the best way to bet every race of the four-day meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

By Mary Eddy

Gray Lightning looks to keep momentum going in $150K Jersey Girl

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – NR Club’s Gray Lightning will look to add to two romping allowance-level wins when making her stakes debut in Thursday’s Listed $150,000 Jersey Girl, a six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

The Jersey Girl is one of four stakes slated for Thursday at Saratoga Race Course to kick off the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which is highlighted by the 156th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 8. The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in 2014.

The Pennsylvania-bred Gray Lightning was an eye-catching open-lengths winner of her last two outings for trainer Tyler Servis, taking a six-furlong open-company optional-claimer by 14 1/2 lengths on March 18 at Parx Racing ahead of a similar 12 1/4-length score against state-bred elders on April 29 at the Bensalem oval. Both efforts, which were engineered by Jorge Vargas, Jr., were awarded a field-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Gray Lightning has worked three times since her latest effort, most recently covering a half-mile handily in 47.24 seconds Friday over the Parx main track.

Servis said speed comes easy to the daughter of Social Inclusion.

“She’s doing great and she breezed very well this morning,” said Servis. “She’s a great gate horse and that makes it a lot easier on her. She does things so effortlessly, even this morning – I looked at my clock and thought maybe she was going too slow for what I wanted going into the race, but then I looked again and saw 35 and change [for three furlongs] and I was confident she was going to finish up the work good.”

The talented gray has won 3-of-4 starts, including a pacesetting win on debut in November. Her lone loss came next out in her first effort against winners when Servis experimented with getting her to rate early on. She finished second, beaten 4 3/4 lengths, but flourished next out to win the aforementioned March 18 tilt with pacesetting tactics again.

“I always knew from the get-go that she was a good filly,” said Servis. “We ran her for a maiden $40,000 first time out because with the way the purses are structured here, you actually make more money running there. We sneaked by with that one, and then the only time she got beat was because of some instruction error. With all the speed she has, I think that was negative to her advantage. She has really blossomed this year and has shown that on the racetrack.”

Gray Lightning was purchased for $370,000 by her current owners during this year’s Fasig-Tipton April Digital Sale. She is out of the winning Cat Thief mare Fairy Gray and is a maternal descendant of multiple graded stakes-winner and prolific broodmare Cherokee Frolic.

Vargas, Jr. retains the mount from post 8.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sends out two contenders in undefeated Group 3-winner Manama Gold [post 4, John Velazquez] and maiden-winner Roman Grace [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.].

Victorious Racing’s Manama Gold makes her American debut on the heels of an impressive score for previous trainer Fawzi Nass in the Group 3 UAE Oaks in February at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The daughter of Star Guitar notched two allowance-level victories this winter en route to her 1 1/4-length UAE Oaks score where she dictated the tempo for the 1 3/16 miles.

Manama Gold has posted three works at Saratoga, most recently covering five furlongs in 1:01.25 Friday over the Oklahoma dirt training track.

JP Racing Stable and Paradise Farms Corp.’s Roman Grace makes her stakes debut off a runner-up effort to Dame Cinco in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on May 3 at Belmont at the Big A. The Munnings chestnut graduated at second asking in a seven-furlong maiden at Keeneland with a wire-to-wire trip under Tyler Gaffalione to win by 3 1/2 lengths.

Lee Pokoik’s graded stakes-winner Becky’s Joker [post 3, Junior Alvarado] could make her return from a 10-month layoff in the Jersey Girl, but will also be entered in the Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn, according to trainer Gary Contessa.

“If the Acorn is void of speed, we might consider that,” said Contessa. “A lot of it comes down to the owner, Lee Pokoik. If he has a strong feeling about one or the other, I would honor his request. He has been a long-time owner and he deserves that right.”

Becky’s Joker was a memorable winner on debut last summer at the Spa in the six-furlong Grade 3 Schuylerville with an off-the-pace trip under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, cruising home a 3 1/4-length winner over Saratoga Secret. She followed with a distant off-the-board finish in the Grade 3 Adirondack in August ahead of her extended respite that was due in part to mental fragility.

Contessa said the talented filly has relished sprinting despite her large frame.

“She is huge. She is seventeen-two [hands] on the tape. She is as big as they get,” said Contessa. “Distance is a God-given ability. I have had huge horses that won’t run over three-quarters. I’ve had tiny, little horses that will run all day. There’s not a body type that makes a horse run long or not. It is just a God-given ability to run long or be a sprinter.”

Becky’s Joker has worked extensively over Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track, and most recently covered six furlongs in 1:14.65 in company with Grade 1-winner Nutella Fella, who is targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on June 8.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and Ten Strike Racing’s Almostgone Rocket [post 5, Flavien Prat] puts her undefeated record on the line for two-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox.

The Into Mischief bay is 2-for-2 after a dominant debut in April at Oaklawn Park that saw her battle for the early lead in the six-furlong sprint before drawing clear with ease in the turn and powering home an 11 3/4-length winner. She followed with another prominent victory last out on May 3 at Churchill Downs to annex a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer by 4 1/4 lengths over sloppy and sealed footing, garnering a 93 Beyer.

The $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the multiple stakes-winning Jump Start mare Bound, a half-sister to graded stakes-placed Justice for Auston and stakes-winner Lune Rouge, as well as Soleil Rouge, dam of graded stakes-winner Battle Bling.

Cash is King and LC Racing’s multiple stakes-winner Carmelina [post 1, Jose Lezcano] looks to regroup after a distant off-the-board finish in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., the Pennsylvania-bred Maximus Mischief bay won the state-bred Keswick and Shamrock Rose, and open-company Gin Talking in December for her most recent win. This year, she was a pacesetting second to Jody’s Pride in the Listed Busher Invitational ahead of off-the-board efforts in the Grade 3 Gazelle and the Miss Preakness.

Completing the field is SJB Stable’s Dorothy’s Dreams [post 6, Trevor McCarthy], a last-out allowance-winner at Finger Lakes Racetrack for trainer Anthony Ferraro; and Cypress Creek Equine’s allowance-winner Moonlit Lady [post 7, Ramon Vazquez] for trainer Fausto Gutierrez.

The Jersey Girl is slated as Race 4 on Thursday’s 10-race card, which co-features the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup in Race 10; the Listed $150,000 Tremont in Race 2; and the $150,000 Astoria in Race 9. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

By Christian Abdo
Touchy debuts in $150K Tremont

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three Chimneys Farm’s Kentucky homebred Touchy is set to make his racing debut in Thursday’s Listed $150,000 Tremont, a 5 1/2 furlong main track sprint for juveniles, on Opening Day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Wesley Ward, the Nyquist bay has prepared for his first race extensively at Keeneland, including a sharp half-mile from the gate in 47 seconds flat on May 25, good for second-of-111 timed works at the distance.

Touchy completed his first bit of work on the Saratoga grounds Friday, covering a half-mile in 49.75 over the Oklahoma dirt training track. There, he was a half-second faster than workmate Long Neck Paula, an unbeaten juvenile filly set to contest the $150,000 Astoria, also on Thursday at the Spa.

Ward seeks his third Tremont victory after past scores with Overbore [2021] and Bessie’s Boy [2014]. He will call upon Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, who piloted Overbore to Tremont glory, to get the job done from post 7.

Trainer Patrick Biancone will saddle debut-winner Classic of Course as he also seeks a third-career Tremont after past scores with Henny Hughes [2005] and Zavata [2002]. Classic of Course will have the services of five-time Eclipse Award-winner for Outstanding Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who will look to engineer a winning trip from the outermost post 8.

Owned by Amy Dunne in partnership with Biancone, the Awesome of Course bay was an impressive 6 1/2-length winner when sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs on May 3 at Gulfstream Park. There, he tracked a close second under Emisael Jaramillo before coming with a two-wide bid and driving home powerfully to graduate at first asking.

“He was sitting a half-length off a horse and he took the lead at the quarter pole. When he switched leads, he was gone. He’s definitely fast, but I guess at five and a half [furlongs], everyone will be fast,” said Biancone. “We have the chance to have the leading rider in the country ride him. As long as he travels well, we will be confident.”

Classic of Course breezed a half-mile solo in 48.75 seconds Friday at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, his last work before shipping North on Sunday.

“We want to see how he improves. I would think he’d improve a lot. This morning his work was really, really good,” Biancone said. “They are babies, still developing and growing, but we have been happy all the way. Today was not the test, but he did it very well. He is a very peaceful horse, quiet and relaxed.”

L and N Racing’s Three Echoes [post 5, Keith Asmussen] will wheel back quickly after winning his lone outing by three-quarter-lengths traveling five furlongs on May 24 over good dirt at Churchill Downs. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Echo Town chestnut stalked from third position after being bumped at the start, slipping through a seam in the stretch to victory.

The final time of 58.09 was awarded a field-best 73 Beyer Speed Figure. Out of the winning Dixie Union mare Bayou Miss, Three Echoes was a $130,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Owner/breeder Lee Pokoik and trainer Gary Contessa will look to repeat the success they enjoyed last July at Saratoga when 2-year-old filly Becky’s Joker won the Grade 3 Schuylerville in her racing debut, now turning to Dew [post 2, Junior Alvarado] to mount a similar feat.

“Last year, I ran Becky’s Joker in the Schuylerville first time out and she won. That was for Lee Pokoik and Dew is for Lee Pokoik. He’s a believer,” Contessa said. “There’s not an Option B. If you want to run a 2-year-old during that week, then you have to run in the Tremont or the Astoria. We are going to take a shot.”

Dew, the first horse to work over the Oklahoma in 2024, has worked extensively there since April, including a five-eighths breeze in 1:02.25 on May 28, comfortably ahead of usual workmate and fellow juvenile Sky Masterson.

Contessa said the Frosted gray, who is out of the Will Take Charge mare Charge It Please, is advanced at this stage but can be a bit temperamental at times, something he believes hails from the Tapit line.

“He’s got that attitude that Tapits tend to have. I’m not going to label Frosted as throwing horses with attitude, it goes back to Tapit. When you see a horse like him, and Tapit in the pedigree, you know,” said Contessa. “He’s been ornery in a good way because when we say go, he goes.”

Rounding out the field is maiden-winner Studlydoright [post 1, Xavier Perez] for trainer John Robb; and a trio of first time starters in Brereton’s Baytown [post 4, Joseph Bealmear] for trainer Paul McEntee, Dominican Thunder [post 3, Javier Castellano] for conditioner Jose Jimenez, and Shoot the Nickel [post 6, Dylan Davis] for trainer Chad Summers.

The Tremont is slated as Race 2 on Thursday’s lucrative card that also features the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup for older horses routing two miles on the turf in Race 10; the Listed $150,000 Jersey Girl for sophomore fillies sprinting six furlongs in Race 4; and the $150,000 Astoria at 5 1/2-furlongs for juvenile fillies in Race 9. First post on Thursday’s 10-race card is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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Contact: Christian Abdo