Belmont Park Notes

NYRA PRESS RELEASE —-

Monomoy Girl records 104 BSF for G2 Ruffian triumph
Sistercharlie breezes for G2 Ballston Spa
G1 Fourstardave an option for War of Will, Got Stormy
Cross Country Pick 5 handles $180K

ELMONT N.Y – Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables’ Monomoy Girl returned to graded stakes-winning form on Saturday with a two-length triumph in the Grade 2 Ruffian at Belmont Park, earning a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure.

Owner Sol Kumin of Monomoy Stables said he was pleased with the winning effort.

“It was so great to see her back,” Kumin said. “She had been training so well going into the race and this was just so exciting to see.”

Monomoy Girl will look to build on Saturday’s victory with a possible start in the Grade 1 La Troienne on September 4 at Churchill Downs going 1 1/16 miles.

Trained by Brad Cox, Monomoy Girl was crowned Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in 2018, winning five Grade 1 races including the Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks on the NYRA circuit en route to a triumph against elders in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs.

The 5-year-old Tapizar chestnut did not race at age 4 and was sent to WinStar Farm last spring after a mild case of colic and suffered an injury to her hamstring last fall when preparing for a potential comeback.

Prior to her Ruffian score, Monomoy Girl bested an optional claiming field over a sloppy main track going a one-turn mile at Churchill Downs by 2 ¾ lengths.

“Most likely she’ll come back in the La Troienne,” Kumin said. “It’s a good distance, there’s good spacing between her races, and it’s at Churchill Downs which is right at her front door. We’ll discuss it further with the rest of the partners, but more than likely that’s where you’ll see her.”

Kumin is also a part owner of reigning Champion Older Filly Midnight Bisou as well as dual Grade 1 winner She’s a Julie.

“Obviously the day is going to come where they’ll have to face each other, but we’ll keep them separate for the time being. I’m just very lucky to be involved with such great fillies. This is what the game is all about,” Kumin said.

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Sistercharlie breezes for G2 Ballston Spa

Seven-time Grade 1 winner Sistercharlie led a number of workers over Belmont Park’s inner turf for leading trainer Chad Brown on Sunday morning in preparation for a 2020 debut in the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa on July 25 at Saratoga Race Course.

Working in company with Group 3 winner Etoile, the 6-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Myboycharlie recorded splits of 26.13 seconds and 38.09 before completing her five-furlong move in 1:01.88.

“It was a very good work,” Brown said. “I’m happy with the way she’s doing. She looks as good as ever.”

Peter Brant’s Sistercharlie was voted Champion Turf Filly in 2018 for a campaign that included triumphs in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland; Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga; Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington Park and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs. She notched repeat wins in the Diana and Beverly D. en route to a three-quarter length score in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational over the Belmont Park inner turf. Her last start took place in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup filly and Mare turf where she was third beaten 2 ½ lengths to Iridessa.

Also working for Brown was graded stakes winner Digital Age, in company with first-level allowance winner Good Governance. Both are owned by Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables, Inc. and completed their respective half-mile journeys in 49.10.

Klaravich Stables’ graded stakes winner Selflessly went a half-mile in 50.77 in tandem with graded stakes placed Jazzique.

Saturday was a successful day for Brown, whose list of Grade 1 victories reached the triple-digit mark when Guarana displayed true grit when battling to the inside of Mia Mischief in the Madison at Keeneland, marking his 100th Grade 1 win.

Owned by Three Chimneys Farm and Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, the 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper could race in the Grade 1, $300,000 Ballerina presented by NYRA Bets on August 8 at Saratoga.

“She flies to Saratoga [on Monday], so we’ll get her there and go over her. She could possibly run in the Ballerina,” Brown said.

Favored in all six of her career starts, Guarana scored a third Grade 1 victory in the Madison. As 3-year-old she won the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

Brown notched Grade 1 victory 101 in the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, when Rushing Fall became only the third horse to score a Grade 1 win at 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Owned by Bob Edwards’ e Five Thoroughbred Racing, the five-time Grade 1 winning multimillionaire registered a 103 Beyer Speed Figure for the three-quarter length victory over dual graded stakes winner Jolie Olimpica and three-time Grade 1-placed Juliet Foxtrot.

“I thought the top three finishers all ran really well. Fortunately, we were able to come out on top,” Brown said. “She flies to Saratoga as well tomorrow, so we’ll let her catch her breath up there, go over her and talk to Bob Edwards as far as her next plan. To start off the season 2-for-2 as a 5-year-old is very rewarding. I’m very happy for Bob and his family. He’s a true sportsman and they love seeing her run.”

Peter Brant’s Dunbar Road scored a third graded stakes win with a three-length hand ride score under Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park.

“She fits in with the top of the division and we’re really pleased with the way she’s come back as a 4-year-old,” Brown said. “Her race yesterday was arguably one of her best. She’s got a big year ahead of her. We’ll talk to Peter Brant about her next start. She just got back here last night, so we’ll give her a couple of days to catch her breath and go over her.”

The four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner listed reigning Champion Turf Mare Uni as “likely” for the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave on August 22 while Grade 1 Just a Game winner Newspaperofrecord will “more than likely” race back in the Grade 2, Distaff Turf Mile on September 5 at Churchill.

“Those could change but right now tentatively that’s what we’re looking at,” Brown said.

Owned by Klaravich Stables, Newspaperofrecord picked up a second career Grade 1 victory in the Just a Game having won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf as a 2-year-old. Third in the Just a Game, Uni won last year’s Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Breeder’s Cup Mile.

Two-time Grade 1-winner Cambier Parc is continuing to train at Saratoga. The 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro bay owned by Larry Best’ OXO Equine last raced when taking the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup on October 12 at Keeneland.

“She’s galloping at Saratoga and very close to a first work back,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, she needed a little extra time this year. She had a few hiccups down in Florida when we first got her in. She’s tested our patience a bit but I really like what I’ve seen from her the past few weeks in her galloping.”

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G1 Fourstardave an option for War of Will, Got Stormy

Trainer Mark Casse has the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave at Saratoga Race Course in mind for Gary Barber’s War of Will and defending winner Got Stormy, but only one of the two horses will race in the one-mile turf event.

War of Will, who won last year’s Grade 1 Preakness, became a Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf when taking the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland on Friday. Whether or not the 4-year-old son of War Front races in the one-mile event at the Spa depends on the turf conditions as Casse feels that a fast turf would be to the benefit of stablemate Got Stormy, who is winless in four starts this season.

“The plan is the aim him and Got Stormy to the Fourstardave and the [Grade 1, $1 million] Woodbine Mile [on September 19]. It all depends on the conditions of the turf,” Casse said. “If we get a fast turf for Got Stormy then we’ll try her in the Fourstardave and War of Will in the Woodbine Mile. If it turns out that it comes up soft, then he would go to the Fourstardave. A lot of people have written off Got Stormy and I just think she needs a firm turf.”

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Cross Country Pick 5 handles $180K

Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5, featuring four graded stakes with action across three tracks, paid $474 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The total pool was $180,354.
Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky started the action in Race 6 when Leinster captured the Grade 3 Shakertown for 3-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf. Off at 10-1, the Rusty Arnold trainee prevailed in a blanket finish that saw him finish a head in front of Totally Boss, who edged Bound for Nowhere by a neck for second. The superfecta, completed by Fast Boat, finished three-quarters of a length apart from each other.
Leinster, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, returned $22.40 on a $2 win bet.
Delaware Park, located in Wilmington, Delaware, hosted the second leg, when Gentle Ruler rewarded her 1-5 favoritism in repeating in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial in Race 7. Trained by Ian Wilkes, Gentle Ruler [$2.40] bested a five-horse field by four lengths under jockey Chris Landeros, winning the 1 ¼-mile main track test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up that was moved off the turf.
Action shifted back to Keeneland for the next two legs, including the wager’s lone Grade 1 in the Jenny Wiley in Race 8, which Rushing Fall won by three-quarters of a length over Jolie Olimpica. Rushing Fall, conditioned by Belmont spring/summer meet-leading trainer Chad Brown, completed the 1 1/16-mile turf course in 1:39.02, winning her second consecutive graded stakes following a triumph in the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 3 at Belmont.
Rushing Fall, ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, paid $3.60 as the favorite in the eight-horse field of older fillies and mares.
The Grade 2 Blue Grass, carded as Race 9 at Keeneland, offered 100-40-20-10 qualifying points towards September’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby to the top-four finishers. The Blue Grass lived up to its billing, as the top-two favorites dueled in the stretch before Art Collector outkicked filly Swiss Skydiver by 3 ½ lengths. The prestigious race, moved from its usual running in April to accommodate the revised schedule for 3-year-olds due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw Art Collector move up to fourth on the Derby leaderboard, tying Authentic with 100 points but with fewer non-restricted stakes earnings. Only Belmont Stakes-winner Tiz the Law [272] and Honor A.P. have more qualifying points banked.

Art Collector, trained by Thomas Drury, Jr. and ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr., returned $6.60.

Swiss Skydiver, who defeated fellow fillies in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, Grade 3 Fantasy and Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks this year, handled a tough class of sophomore colts, besting Rushie by 4 ¾ lengths for second and earning 40 qualifying points. Trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Swiss Skydiver has already accumulated 350 points to top the leaderboard for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.
Belmont Park rounded out the Cross Country Pick 5 when Qian B C won a seven-furlong turf allowance race for New York-breds 3-years-old and up in Race 9. Owned and trained by Charlton Baker, Qian B C returned $16.20. Jose Lezcano rode four winners on Saturday’s card, including the final two on the 10-race slate with back-to-back victories aboard Qian B C and Wardenofthenorth in the finale.
The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.
The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com