Belmont Park Notes

NYRA RELEASE —-

• Jaywalk looking ‘great’ following Sunday’s G1 Frizette victory
• Time has been key for Distaff-bound Chilean import Wow Cat
• Got Stormy pits win streak against full Pebbles field
• Multiple graded stakes winner Lull headlines Saturday’s Floral Park

ELMONT, N.Y. –Leonard Green and Cash is King Stable’s Jaywalk came out of her gate-to-wire 5 ¾-length victory in Sunday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies in good order, trainer John Servis said by phone Monday morning.

Jaywalk led the seven-horse field on the fast Belmont main track, going a quarter-mile in 22.63 seconds and the half in 45.65, with a final time for one mile in 1:34.57.

“She came out of the race great,” Servis said. “I didn’t expect her to be in front and I was concerned when I saw how fast they were going, but she just kept going.”

Jaywalk’s third consecutive victory earned an all-fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 2 at Churchill. Servis said he hasn’t made any definitive plans yet but is likely to run her there if circumstances remain favorable.

“The way she looks this morning, I would say we’re probably going to lean in that direction,” he said. “I don’t want to commit yet. We’ll give ourselves a little more time.”

The Cross Traffic filly notched a win on her third different track, adding Belmont to Parx, where she broke her maiden at second asking by 7 ½ lengths on July 28, and Delaware Park, where she won the White Clay Creek on August 22. After never racing longer than 5 ½ furlongs, Jaywalk handled the Frizette distance in the one-turn mile with aplomb.

“I was very impressed, I didn’t think the distance would be an issue, but I also didn’t expect her to go to the front,” Servis said. “So, it was visibly impressive.

“She ships well. She’s been all over the mid-Atlantic region. She has a lot of class and is a very smart filly. She doesn’t get too excited about anything.”

The Frizette win earned Jaywalk 10 points towards qualifying for the 2019 Kentucky Oaks, which will also be held at Churchill in May.

“It’s a long way away, but it’s nice to know that it’s back there and you don’t have to worry about starting to get points right off the bat,” Servis said.

Servis also reported that Ms Locus Point is back in training after more than three months off following a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney on June 30 at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old Dialed In filly, who won the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie on February 17 at Laurel Park, returned to the worktab on Sunday, breezing three furlongs in 37.78 seconds.

“She’s doing great after her first work back. Servis said. “She’s doing awesome. [But] it’s too early [to know her next stop].”
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Time has been key for Distaff-bound Chilean import Wow Cat
Wow Cat continues to do well following her victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame and is now on target to head to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 3 at Churchill Downs, co-owner Peter Brant said.

Wow Cat earned her first win in three starts since arriving from Chile, outkicking Divine Miss Grey by 3 ¼ lengths at 1 1/8 miles on the Belmont Park main track. Trainer Chad Brown said Wow Cat seemed to like Belmont’s Big Sandy track better than Saratoga Race Course, where she ran second in the Grade 3 Shuvee and third in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign when she was 10 lengths back to Elate and winner Able Tasman.

As long as health permits, the 4-year-old Lookin at Lucky filly will look to parlay the Beldame success into the 1 1/8-mile Distaff for the world’s top female dirt horses.

“We’re definitely looking at the Breeders’ Cup. I’ll leave it up to Chad, but she’s been training very well,” said Brant, who owns her along with Stud Vendaval. “She ran impressively. We think she can continue to get better, and if she runs in the Breeders’ Cup, we hope she’ll continue to improve and do well.”

Wow Cat went 8-for-8 in her native country before arriving in North America this year, including winning the Chilean Triple Crown over males. Brant said she’s improved as she’s gotten settled since starting her U.S. workouts in May.

“She’s been training very well,” Brant said. “It’s taken some time to climatize. She’s been here six months, and we’ve found that’s when they usually start doing better.”

In her last race in Chile, Wow Cat won the St. Leger on December 9, marking her fourth Group 1 win. After a nearly seven-month layoff, she finished a neck behind Farrell in the Shuvee.

“In her first race back, she ran gamely, but the track must have taken a little out of her. It was her first race off a layoff,” Brant said. “She had to face some great horses in Saratoga. We’ve always been very excited about her. But she seems to like Belmont better.”

Brown said on Sunday that Wow Cat will likely breeze twice before the Breeders’ Cup and ship to Kentucky the week of the race.
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Got Stormy pits win streak against full Pebbles field
Entering off a victory last out in the Ontario Colleen on June 21 at Woodbine, Gary Barber’s Got Stormy will look to pick up her fourth consecutive win, headlining a full field of 12 in the $200,000 Pebbles for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf Saturday at Belmont Park.

A 3-year-old daughter of Get Stormy in the care of trainer Mark Casse, Got Stormy broke her maiden in her third career start last February at Gulfstream Park. After placing third in the Sanibel Island at Gulfstream, she made her first graded stakes start finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs. She picked up back-to-back victories in the Penn Oaks at Parx Racing and Wild Applause at Belmont before winning the Ontario Colleen.

Casse will also send Closer Still for Calumet Farm. An Irish-bred So You Think filly, she finished third in the Christiecat on September 7 in her most recent start. She is in search of her first win since winning an allowance optional-claiming race on December 8 at Woodbine.

Trainer Michael Trombetta has also entered a pair with Monte Crista for Country Life Farm and Souper Striking for Live Oak Plantation.

Monte Crista will look to build off a win in the Riskaverse on August 23 at Saratoga. Souper Striking will look to rebound a fifth-place finish in the Christiecat.

Rounding out the field is Cool Beans for trainer Brad Cox and Magic Cap Stables; Victorine for trainer Christophe Clement and owner Ed Rothschild; Andina Del Sur for trainer Tom Albertrani and Don Alberto Stable; Kitten’s Covergirl for trainer Pat Reynolds and owner Robert Amendola; and Goodthingstaketime for trainer Jorge Abreu and Madaket Stables.
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Multiple graded stakes winner Lull headlines Saturday’s Floral Park
Multiple graded stakes winner Lull will hope to take advantage of some class relief, leading a field of 11 in the $100,000 Floral Park going six furlongs on the turf Saturday.

A 4-year-old War Front filly for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider for trainer Christophe Clement, Lull has made her last seven starts in graded stakes. Most recently, she finished second in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint on September 8.

Trainer Tom Albertrani will saddle a pair of runners in Always Thinking for Godolphin Racing and Fear No Evil for Hickory Plains.

Finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on June 7, Always Thinking went on to finish fourth-place in the Incredible Revenge on August 11 at Monmouth Park and sixth in the Sensible Lady Turf Dash on September 22 at Laurel Park.

Fear No Evil, a Maryland-bred 3-year-old daughter of Line of David will look to improve off a third-place finish in the Sensible Lady in her stakes debut.
Also entered is Jc’s Shooting Star for trainer David Donk; Orecchiette and Tillie’s Lilly from the Jonathan Thomas barn; Rocky Policy for trainer Dale Capuano; Pat Kelly-trained Fire Key; Black Canary for Mark Casse; and Eddie Barker trainee Yorkiepoo Princess.