Belmont: Lucy N Ethel looks to capitalize on class relief in Pumpkin Pie

NYRA RELEASE —-

Full field of juvenile fillies on tap for the turf in Chelsey Flower

ELMONT, N.Y. – Multiple graded stakes winner Lucy N Ethel will gain class relief as part of a field of seven in the $100,000 Pumpkin Pie for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at six furlongs, the final stakes race of the Belmont Fall Championship Meet on Sunday’s Closing Day card.

Carded as Race 8, the fifth running of the Pumpkin Pie will feature Lucy N Ethel, who won the 2016 Grade 3 Old Hat and Grade 2 Prioress. The Todd Pletcher trainee is looking to rebound from back-to-back poor performances, including a 12th-place finish in the Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run to end her 3-year-old campaign in 2016 before finishing the last of six in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom last out on September 24 at Belmont.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride from post 2.

Indulgent, a half-sister to 2016 Grade 1 Whitney winner Frosted, will look to regain the form from the start of the year, when she won three straight. After running second in the Grade 3 Distaff on April 9 at Aqueduct, Indulgent has finished on the board just once in her last four starts.

“She’s doing very well, but we’re trying to win a stakes, so we think this will be the best spot,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.

Luis Saez will be in the irons from the rail.

Cursor will return to stakes company after a 3 ½-length score in an optional claimer September 29 at Belmont. The win, which netted the 3-year-old Quality Road filly a personal-best 80 Beyer Speed Figure, was her first race since finishing 10th in the Grade 1 Test on August 5 at Saratoga Race Course.

“She was a little sick coming out of the Test, I don’t think she really ran her race, so we gave her a little time out of that,” trainer Mark Hennig said. “We got her in the right spot. She’s done well since, but she’ll be going against older horses now in a stake, so it’s a step up for her.”

Cursor has not finished worse than second in four career starts at six furlongs and is 3-0-1 in five career starts at Belmont.

“Since we decided to make her a sprinter, she’s responded nicely,” Hennig said. “She likes Belmont, too.”

Cursor will have the services of jockey Junior Alvarado from the outside post.

A pair of entrees for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, Summer Reading and Fusaichi Red, are also entered. Summer Reading has two wins in seven starts this year and is looking for her first stakes win in departing post 5 with Jose Ortiz aboard. Fusaichi Red, a 5-year-old daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus, ran fourth in last year’s Pumpkin Pie and will be making her first stakes appearance since finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Vagrancy on May 5 at Belmont. Jose Lezcano rides from post 3.

Rounding out the field is Bustin Out, who will be making her Belmont debut for trainer Chuck Spina, from post 4 and Tiffany Case, for trainer Eric Reed, will exit post 6.

Also on Sunday, a full field of juvenile fillies will line up in the $100,000 Chelsey Flower at a mile on the Widener turf in Race 3.

Golconda Stable’s March X Press returns to New York for Pletcher following her fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Natalma on September 17 at Woodbine. Prior to the Natalma, the Shanghai Bobby filly turned in back-to-back wins at Saratoga, including a half-length score in the Bolton Landing on August 16.

March X Press will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 2.

Impressive first-out maiden winners Night Time Lady and Mrs. Ramona G. will make their stakes debuts for the respective barns of Chad Brown and Jeremiah Englehart. Also on tap for the Chelsey Flower are Fairy Link, English Soul, Radiant Beauty, Eighty Six Mets, Wise Gal, Jody’s Song, Raucous, Golden Orb, and Go Noni Go. Bramble Queen, Oh Zap, Drama Run, and Oldfashioned Style (main track only) are also eligible.