Loaded field set for G2 Woody Stephens; Marathoners reunite for G2 Brooklyn Invitational

By Najja Thompson —-

ELMONT, N.Y. – With a field of 11 talented 3-year-olds, the Grade 2, $500,000 Woody Stephens going seven furlongs, one of 10 stakes races on Belmont Stakes Day, is set to be one of the most competitive races on the card.

Shipping in from California for China Horse Club and Head of Plains Partners is American Anthem. A son of Bodemeister under the care of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert who also trained his sire, American Anthem began the year on the Triple Crown trail finishing second by a head in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes in January at Santa Anita. He subsequently changed course following a pair of subpar runnings in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

Cutting back in distance to seven furlongs for the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera, American Anthem once again displayed the talent he showed to start the year to win by 1¾ lenghts while recording a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, tops in the Woody Stephens field.

“That was a huge effort last time coming off of those other races,” said Baffert. “If he can run that race back he’s going to be very competitive. Eventually I want to stretch him out. I thought about the Easy Goer [Saturday at Belmont] because of the mile and a sixteenth [distance], but the Woody Stephens is a big race so we’ll take a shot there.”

Drawing post 8, American Anthem will retain the services of Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith at co-highweight of 123 pounds.

Racing in the silks of Sagamore Farm will be Recruiting Ready. Purchased for $110,000 as a yearling at the 2015 Keeneland September sale, the son of Algorithms is the most experienced runner in the field with nine lifetime starts and enters the Woody Stephens on a three-race win streak, most recently capturing the Chick Lang on May 20 at Pimlico. With no plans to change his front-running style, trainer Horacio DePaz hopes his colt will handle the extra distance following three wins in four starts at six furlongs.

“He’s certainly coming into this race in the right form,” said DePaz. “We only ran him long once, but hopefully he can get seven furlongs. We’re not going to try to change his style. He’s going to continue to run the same way he’s been running.”

With regular rider Horacio Karamanos aboard, the pair will depart from post 3.

Entering off a victory in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile and making a cutback in distance for Calumet Farm and trainer Rusty Arnold is Wild Shot. A homebred son of Trappe Shot, he broke his maiden in his second career start at Churchill Downs and was on the Kentucky Derby trail before ultimately finishing seventh in the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland. Wild Shot came from off the pace to impressively win by four lengths and earn a 97 Beyer Speed Figure over a wet-fast track in his last start.

Drawing post 7, Wild Shot will be ridden by Corey Lanerie.

Trainer Chad Brown will enter Long Haul Bay for Alpha Delta Stables. A New York-bred son of Quality Road, he broke his maiden on February 18 at Aqueduct and returned to capture the Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 8 at Aqueduct in only his second start.

With Manny Franco in the irons, the pair will leave from post 10.

Rounding out the field are Hard Scramble for trainer Steve Asmussen and Calmuet Farm; Classic Rock for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and trainer Kathy Ritvo; Gold for the King for owner Frances Paolangeli and trainer Charlton Baker; Petrov for Rialto Racing Stables, Head of Plains Partners and trainer Ron Moquett; The Money Monster for Hall of Fame Trainer Bill Mott and R.A. Hill Stable and Black Ridge Stable; and Giuseppe the Great for Hall of Famer Nick Zito and Mossarosa.

Marathoners reunite for G2 Brooklyn Invitational

By Jenny Kellner —-

The first two finishers in last month’s Flat Out return for more marathon action on Saturday as they head a field of eight for the Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational, which joins the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets at the unique distance of 1 ½ miles around Belmont Park’s main track.

The Chilean-bred Tu Brutus, who had finished second in the Excelsior in his North American debut, cruised under the wire 11 lengths in front of Doyouknowsomething in the Flat Out, going gate-to-wire to complete the 1 3/8 miles in 2:14.87.

“This is a horse that has no bottom, he just keeps getting deeper and deeper,” said Gary Contessa, who trains Tu Brutus for Winning Move Stable. “He takes a deep breath and starts all over again. You never know the competition he’s facing in Chile [finishing third in his other 12-furlong start] But the best thing about this horse is that he’s won stakes running clockwise and counterclockwise. He does it all. He’s just a cool horse to be around.”

Tu Brutus drew post 5 for the Brooklyn, which will be run as the first of nine graded stakes on Saturday, capped by the 149th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride.
Doyouknowsomething, sixth in last year’s Brooklyn, has been no worse than third in 11 subsequent starts. He will be ridden by Angel Arroyo from post 6.

Making his first start at 1 ½ miles is Paul Pompa’s Send It In, who defeated Tu Brutus in the 1 ¼ mile Excelsior. The 5-year-old gelding has gradually been stretched out by trainer Todd Pletcher, who feels the New York-bred son of Big Brown is ready for the next step.

“We feel he’s well-suited to the 1 ½ miles,” said Pletcher. “He’s the kind of horse that keeps plugging away, and he continues to improve. He’s got the right kind of disposition for a horse that wants to go a distance of ground; he settles in well and he’s not overly aggressive.”

Pletcher, who won the Brooklyn in 2005 with Limehouse, in 2007 with Any Givn Saturday and in 2015 with Coach Inge, will give a leg up to Hall of Famer John Velazquez. The pair will leave from post position 4.

Returning from his fourth-place finish in last year’s Belmont Stakes is the Christophe Clement-trained Governor Malibu. The Jump Sucker Stable color-bearer has one victory in seven subsequent starts, taking a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer in the mud last September at Belmont.

He will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from the rail.

Rounding out the field are the Argentinian-bred Idolo Porteno, seeking his first American victory; Jazil and Stymie winner Sunny Ridge, sixth in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic last time out; War Story, third at Charles Town, and Calumet Farm’s Behest, most recently eighth in the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs in his 2017 debut.