Belmont at the Big A Notes 05/11

Posted On 12 May 2025

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Belmont at the Big A Notes

Hill Road wins G3 Peter Pan, eyes G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets
McAfee and Captain Cook land second and third in G3 Peter Pan
Far Bridge one of three Clement trainees targeting G1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan
Abreu thrilled as Jody’s Pride lands elusive graded win in G2 Ruffian
Way to Be Marie, Neat seek out of town engagements for Atras

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Amo Racing USA’s Hill Road announced his presence in the sophomore division when closing to win Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan, contested over nine furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

The Peter Pan is the traditional prep for the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, which will be contested at a distance of 10-furlongs at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, June 7 as part of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. NYRA will waive the entry and starting fees to the Belmont Stakes, excluding the supplemental fee, for the first three finishers in the Peter Pan.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown did not have a starter in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, but he believes Hill Road could appear in the last leg of the Triple Crown.

“He bounced out of the Peter Pan in good shape,” Brown said. “Hopefully once we get him back under tack and he’s healthy and good, we will go onto the Belmont.”

Hill Road, piloted by reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat, closed from 8th-of-9 to a three-quarter lengths victory over McAfee, who had just overtaken his Rick Dutrow, Jr.-trained stablemate Captain Cook for the lead. The victory in a final time of 1:49.22 earned a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure, and note that the Quality Road bay stumbled at the start and did not switch leads in the lane.

“He ran really well. He got a little bit of pace, which was nice. I didn’t think on paper that there would be any pace. We still have to work on switching his leads a bit in the lane, but the horse ran really good and came out good,” said Brown.

Hill Road improved from a pair of thirds in his two previous stateside outings, finishing 4 3/4 lengths back of Citizen Bull in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar for trainer Adrian Murray before being transferred to Brown and finishing 6 1/4 lengths behind Owen Almighty in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 8.

Of the slow start Saturday, Brown said, “That is him. To be honest, he was in a better position than in his first start for me [in the G3 Tampa Bay Derby], so I was happy where he was down the backside.”

Hill Road was initially targeting the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 5 here, but was forced to miss the race with a fever. Brown said he was expecting a big comeback effort in the Peter Pan despite scratching from the Wood.

“I was not surprised– it was a good spot for him,” said Brown. “After a little bit of a layoff, it was a reasonable spot for him to get going again. It wasn’t too difficult of a race, it was at the right distance, at least off a layoff, and I think at a mile and a quarter you’ll see the best of him. That’s what he’s been looking for.”

Bred in Kentucky by Lynch Bages LTD and Camas Park Stud, Hill Road was a $350,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Notion, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire and top sire City of Light.

The Brown-trained reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Sierra Leone was on the work tab Sunday over the Belmont Park dirt training track. The now 4-year-old Gun Runner dark bay covered a half-mile in 50 seconds flat, according to NYRA clockers.

Brown said Sierra Leone is targeting the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 28 at Churchill Downs, which awards a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic– a race Sierra Leone won to cap his sophomore campaign.

“He is doing fine. He is idling for a little while and is probably not going to run until the Stephen Foster in late June,” said Brown. “Today was a solo [breeze], just maintenance to stretch his legs. I might pick it up with him next week and do something a little more serious.”

Sierra Leone’s last outing was a third in his seasonal debut in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic in March at Fair Grounds Race Course. He boasts career earnings in excess of $6 million through a 10-4-3-3 record for owners Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook Smith.

***

McAfee and Captain Cook land second and third in G3 Peter Pan

Trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. saddled McAfee and Captain Cook to a second and third, respectively, behind Hill Road in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

McAfee traveled forwardly in third position early as Captain Cook rattled off splits of 23.96 seconds, 47.26, and 1:11.57 on the fast main track. McAfee improved to second position under Hall of Famer John Velazquez to draw up alongside his stablemate for a stretch duel. When the Cloud Computing dark bay finally edged Captain Cook, he only led briefly as Hill Road closed from deep to a three-quarter lengths victory in a final time of 1:49.22.

Dutrow, Jr. said McAfee exited his strong second, which garnered a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure, in good order.

“I think he went all in yesterday. I’m very proud of him,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “He looks like he’s tired to me, walking around pretty tired this morning. Him and Captain Cook live right beside each other and came that close to each other at the wire, so that was cool stuff for us.”

Dutrow, Jr. equipped McAfee with blinkers for the Peter Pan off a pair of local fifths in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino in April and the Grade 3 Gotham in March.

“I don’t know about them. Johnny wasn’t too impressed with the blinkers on him, so we are under the impression we are going to cut them back even further from the cheaters yesterday, he didn’t have no cups on,” said Dutrow, Jr. “Johnny said it was meaningless. We’ll keep them on but cut them back a little bit maybe, the jury is still out there.”

“I haven’t thought about that, so we’ll just keep playing around until we know we have to do something. Right now, that [the Belmont Stakes] seems like a big order. I know a bunch of good horses will go in there at Saratoga,” said Dutrow, Jr. “I don’t want to do that with Captain Cook. I’d rather back him up and run at one mile or seven-eighths, if the opportunity arises, that’s what I’d like to try with him. The other guy, he galloped out big time, Johnny was very happy, so I don’t know what his next spot will be.”

McAfee, a $40,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the Uncle Mo mare Sataves, making him a half-brother to 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna. He is owned by Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Scott Rice, and breeder Judy Hicks.

St. Elias Stable’s Captain Cook was also doing well Sunday morning after his pacesetting third under Manny Franco, which followed a prominent fourth in the Wood Memorial and a win in the nine-furlong Listed Withers in February.

“He’s good. Both of them are tired, you can tell as they walk around that they don’t have the energy that they usually do, I think they both went all in and we are very proud,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “We can’t complain about anything. Captain Cook broke good, he has plenty of natural speed, the jock used it early on him and that was OK, we have nothing to complain about there.”

Captain Cook, after a sixth on debut for trainer Norm Casse, dominated a seven-furlong maiden by 9 1/4 lengths on December 28 here in his first start for Dutrow, Jr.

“I would hope that [cut back in distance] works, but there are a lot of good sprinters out there, so we are trying, but it is not going to be easy for us,” Dutrow, Jr. “There are good ones going long and good ones sprinting, so we will have to manage him a little bit better.”

***

Far Bridge one of three Clement trainees targeting G1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan

LSU Stables’ Far Bridge led the older turf division in North America last year after Grade 1 wins in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer at Saratoga Race Course and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont at the Big A. This year, the 5-year-old son of English Channel is among the top of the division once again after a one-length score in the Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War on Saturday at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Far Bridge won the 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for older horses with a savvy ride engineered by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, who held his charge in third along the rail for the first half before making an early move when a seam opened up just before the final turn to take the lead. A hard-trying Anglophile gave chase down the lane, but Far Bridge stayed strong through the wire to win in a final time of 2:17.24. The effort was awarded a 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

Miguel Clement, son of and assistant to Christophe Clement, said Far Bridge emerged well from the victory that he attributes to a smart ride by Rosario.

“It was very impressive from start to finish,” Clement commented. “I thought at every stage of the race he looked like he was in control and was always traveling like the best horse in the race. Joel rode a superb race and is very confident in him. The two of them make a dynamic duo.”

Clement praised the adaptability of the talented Far Bridge, who entered from a narrow victory in the Grade 3 Pan American in March at Gulfstream Park to kick off his 5-year-old campaign.

“He’s a fun horse and he won the Joe Hirsch coming from [near] last, the Sword Dancer on the lead – he’s versatile, and he can do whatever he wants,” Clement said. “He can have tactical speed or a turn-of-foot – he’s very much whatever the rider’s discretion is. That makes him dangerous.”

Far Bridge’s main competition in the division may be within his own stable. Clement also trains multiple graded stakes-winner Deterministic and dual Grade 1-winner Carson’s Run, who finished a respective first and second in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on May 3 at Belmont at the Big A. Deterministic set a new outer turf record when covering the nine furlongs in 1:45.70 while Carson’s Run landed 4 1/2 lengths back in his first start off a nearly five-month layoff.

The logical next spot for all three horses is the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan on June 7 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga, and Clement said that is likely the next target for the trio of turf specialists.

“The three of them have exited their races in good order, so it makes sense for all three of them. Deterministic could not have been more impressive, and Carson’s Run could not have run a bigger race off the layoff,” Clement said. “Far Bridge is perhaps the leader of the division the last two years. This is a great stress to be in.”

Saturday was a strong day for the Clement barn, who also sent out Edward Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Love Cervere to win the inaugural running of the $150,000 Take the A Train. The Into Mischief bay won the six-furlong outer turf sprint for sophomore fillies with a deep-closing trip engineered by Rosario, who guided her from last-of-9 at the half-mile call to run down her rivals in the stretch with a wide rally and edge clear by a neck over Hey Bertie in a final time of 1:10.25.

Clement also started the New York-bred Annascaul in the Take the A Train, where she stalked in second under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and looked strong at the top of the lane, but was overtaken by rivals and finished a hard-trying fourth.

Clement said he was pleased with the efforts of both fillies.

“We cut Love Cervere back in trip and she made us look smart yesterday,” Clement said. “The first, second and third-place finishers all came from well off the pace, and Annascaul was the only one who was close to the pace and was still there at the end. She ran a very good race, too.”

Both fillies, along with recent optional-claiming-winner Make Haste, are under consideration for the Grade 3, $175,000 Soaring Softly at 5 1/2-furlongs on June 8 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, while Annascaul could also be considered for the $125,000 John Hettinger against elder state-breds on June 29 at Belmont at the Big A.

Clement added the barn has two possible contenders for the Listed $150,000 Paradise Creek on May 24 at Belmont at the Big A. Pivotal Moment, a second-out winner in February at Gulfstream, is probable to start in the six-furlong turf sprint for sophomores, while the stakes-placed No Evidence is possible off of a game runner-up effort in an April 18 optional claimer at Gulfstream.

***

Abreu thrilled as Jody’s Pride lands elusive graded win in G2 Ruffian

In 2017, trainer Jorge Abreu thought very highly of a Scat Daddy filly named Jody’s Song, and saw her go undefeated in two starts before a bowed tendon forced her retirement.

Eight years later, her daughter Jody’s Pride is living up to the potential Abreu saw in her mother as she scored her first graded victory for Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian, a one-turn mile for older fillies and mares, at Belmont at the Big A.

“It’s rewarding,” Abreu said. “We had a lot of hope for this filly. It means a lot to Mr. [Steve] Weston [Parkland Thoroughbreds] as she’s a homebred. She’s been knocking on the door.”

The victory came thanks to a smart ride by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, who followed instructions and kept Jody’s Pride engaged – but not on the lead – through the first half-mile, tracking 1 1/2 lengths behind the top trio of My Mane Squeeze, Headline Numbers and Gun Song. Heading into the stretch, Jody’s Pride made a strong two-wide rally to match strides with My Mane Squeeze, edging clear of that rival in the stretch while fending off the late bid from New York-bred millionaire Sterling Silver by three-quarter lengths in a final time of 1:35.04. The effort was awarded a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She came out of the race in great shape,” Abreu said. “She got a great ride and ran a big race. I told Rosario, ‘warm her up real good with the pony and have her forwardly placed, but I don’t want her on the lead.’ She likes to fight, and I felt pretty comfortable at the quarter pole.”

Immediately after the race, Abreu indicated the Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o’ Roses on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga would be the next likely target for Jody’s Pride. However, Abreu reflected on the filly’s plans on the drive back north to Saratoga, and decided to wait for the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Resorts World Casino Ballerina on August 23 at the Spa – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

“I had the Bed o’ Roses in mind, but I’m going to skip it and go to the Ballerina,” Abreu said. “She looks like she runs better when she’s fresh. She has a lot of talent and I think we’ve been trying to make her do something she doesn’t want to do going two turns. She had it in her as a 2-year-old, but I don’t think she wants that now.”

The 4-year-old American Pharoah dark bay adds to previous stakes success as a juvenile in the off-the-turf Listed Matron sprinting six furlongs at the Big A ahead of a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park. She went on to win the one-turn mile Busher Invitational as a sophomore at Aqueduct, and began this year with a neck third to Mystic Lake in the Grade 2 Inside Information in January at Gulfstream Park.

Other upcoming stakes engagements for Abreu include two events during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival as he readies Grade 1-winner Scottish Lassie for the Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn on June 6 and impressive recent state-bred maiden-winner Kay Cup for the seven-furlong state-bred $200,000 Bouwerie on June 4.

***

Way to Be Marie, Neat seek out of town engagements for Atras

Robert V. LaPenta and Madaket Stables’ dual graded stakes-placed Way to Be Marie worked a half-mile in 52.25 seconds Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track in preparation for a start in the Grade 3 Gallorette, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on Preakness Day May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

Trained by Rob Atras, the 4-year-old Not This Time bay has banked $361,300 via an 11-3-4-2 ledger and will look to make the grade after previous attempts saw her land a half-length second in the Grade 2 Edgewood last May at Churchill Downs as well as an even third in the Grade 3 Pebbles in November here.

“She worked good,” Atras said. “It was more of a longer half. We started from the five [eighths] and put in an internal half and then galloped out pretty good.”

Way to Be Marie wintered at Fair Grounds where she made three starts, including a second in the off-the-turf Pago Hop in December, a third in the Listed Albert M. Stall Memorial in February and a 1 1/4-length victory in the Listed Tom Benson Memorial on March 22.

Way to Be Marie enjoyed a ground-saving trip in the Tom Benson Memorial under regular pilot Florent Geroux, surging up the rail to score comfortably in the 1 1/16-mile test over ground listed as firm.

“Everything set up that day. She had a couple races under belt, she was fit and training great. She’s a really nice filly,” Atras said. “We sent her to Fair Hill for a little freshening and brought her back in and she’s trained very forward since. Hopefully we can go over there and she can run a good race.”

Red White and Blue Racing and CMNWLTH’s multiple graded stakes-winner Neat exits a troubled fourth as the mutuel favorite in the Listed Henry S. Clark on April 19 at Laurel Park. He is pointing to either the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Dinner Party on the Preakness Day card or the 1 1/16-mile $100,000 Cliff Hanger on May 24 at Monmouth Park.

Last out, with Jeiron Barbosa up, Neat was checked sharply into the opening turn and steadied and shuffled back into the final turn before re-rallying and showing good determination when without racing room after the field straightened away.

“It was a horrible trip,” Atras said. “We ran on the inner turf and that rail was very narrow and everyone naturally dropped down. We weren’t in a great position going into the turn and everybody dropped down and we got banged off the rail and then we got shuffled back and altered course. It was a very unfortunate trip. I really do think he was the best horse that day, but that doesn’t matter sometimes.”

The 4-year-old Constitution colt has won 6-of-13 starts for purse earnings of $920,630 led by graded scores last year in the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland, the Grade 3 Manila at Belmont at the Big A and the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame at Saratoga Race Course.

Atras will send out Twin Creeks Racing Stables and CMNWLTH’s multiple stakes-winner Chasing Liberty [post 1, Luis Saez, 8-5ML] in Wednesday’s $150,000 Caesar’s Handicap, a one-mile turf tilt for 3-year-olds at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

The Constitution colt won 3-of-4 starts last year, including a victory via disqualification in the Listed Juvenile Sprint traveling 6 1/2-furlongs at Kentucky Downs and a neck score in the one-mile Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in November at Del Mar.

Chasing Liberty returned to action with a pacesetting score as the prohibitive favorite in the Texas Turf Mile in January at Sam Houston, but in his last two efforts stretched out to 1 1/16-miles, he was an even third in a slow running of the Black Gold in March at Fair Grounds and fifth in the Grade 3 Transylvania on April 7 at Keeneland.

“I don’t know if he struggled with the turf at Fair Grounds, but that turf course I had some horses struggle on it this year,” Atras said. “As you can see by the times that day, it wasn’t firm, and I think he didn’t get over it well.

“At Keeneland, Luis Saez gave him a perfect trip and he was right there turning for home,” Atras continued. “Maybe the last sixteenth got to him. A mile may be more what he likes and on turf the last sixteenth is everything. He’s probably going to be a six [furlongs] to a mile tops kind of horse. He has great tactical speed and a good punch, I’m not sure he can get past a mile.”

Chasing Liberty breezed a half-mile in 50.40 on May 7 over the Keeneland dirt in his third work back with Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the irons.

“It was a really nice breeze,” Atras said. “I think he prefers a firmer turf course like he had at Del Mar, so hopefully the weather works out.”

Atras also noted that John Holleman’s graded stakes-winner Law Professor enjoyed a little downtime at Twin Creeks Farm in Kentucky following a pair of off-the-board efforts here this winter.

“He went to where he was bred for about a month and he’s back in training at Keeneland,” Atras said. “We gave him a little mental freshener. Physically, he’s fine. He just needed that little break.”

The 7-year-old Constitution gelding has banked in excess of $1 million through a 27-9-2-4 record.