Belmont at the Big A Notes

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Belmont at the Big A Notes

Colloquial on track for G1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun
Sandman ships to Saratoga to prepare for G2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun
Clock Tower earns 84 BSF for Listed Paradise Creek, may consider Royal Ascot
Awesome Czech, Can’t Fool Me point to $200K Mount Vernon; Striker Has Dial freshened for possible G2 Honorable Miss try

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Harrell Ventures and Starlight Racing’s promising stakes-winner Colloquial worked five furlongs in 1:03.25 on Thursday over Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on June 7 at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Trained by George Weaver, the son of his dual Grade 1-winning pupil Vekoma was last seen winning the seven-furlong Listed Lafayette on April 7 at Keeneland. There, he showed a new dimension when setting the pace after two solid efforts from off-the-pace, including an eye-catching local seven-length graduation sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at second asking that garnered a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

The 2 1/4-length Lafayette saw him earn an 88 Beyer, the same number he earned on debut last June when a nose second to subsequent graded stakes-winner Mentee in a track-record-setting performance.

“We’ve been happy with him,” Weaver said. “We’ve been waiting for this race for a long time, and now we’re getting close.”

Weaver said the chestnut’s versatility is the mark of a top-level horse.

“Good horses are [versatile], and they can adjust to situations,” Weaver said. “He’s talented, so luckily he’s good enough to have that versatility. I don’t think he’s tied to any one way of running. I’m sure this will be a competitive race, but I wouldn’t trade places with anybody.”

Colloquial is one of several candidates for Weaver at this year’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The veteran conditioner also has Dorth Vader, Sacred Wish, and Soontobeking nominated to races during the five-day Festival.

John Ropes’ Grade 2-winner Dorth Vader was a troubled fourth last out in the Grade 1 La Troienne on May 2 at Churchill Downs, enduring a bumpy trip into the first turn while running in third position under Hall of Famer John Velazquez. She went on to finish just 1 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Raging Sea with just a head and three-quarter-lengths separating the minor awards between Taxed, Randomized and Dorth Vader.

Weaver said Dorth Vader is likely being pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford on June 6, which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Del Mar.

“She had horse and was running the whole way, and it was pretty tight in the first turn,” Weaver said. “She was on the rail and [Randomized] stopped her progress. We’re just hoping for a good, clean trip [in the Phipps].”

Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola’s Grade 1-winner Sacred Wish was a last-out seventh – defeated just 2 1/2-lengths – in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

The 5-year-old Not This Time mare has been a model of consistency, currently holding a 14-for-20 in-the-money record that includes a Grade 1 triumph in last year’s Matriarch at Del Mar, and over $1.1 million in earnings.

Weaver said the dark bay, who worked a half-mile in 51.25 seconds yesterday over the Oklahoma dirt, has been nominated to the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game on June 5 at the Festival, but he is unsure if that will be her next start.

“We’ll see how her next work goes,” Weaver said. “We’re kind of up in the air about her next start.”

Our Blue Streaks Stable and SGV Thoroughbreds’ consistent New York homebred Soontobeking is targeting the $200,000 Mike Lee for state-bred sophomores on the June 4 Opening Day of the Festival.

Co-owned by Weaver, the son of King for a Day has put together a respectable 12-3-3-4 record with $363,428 in earnings, led by a stakes triumph in the state-bred Gander on March 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“We’re looking forward to seeing him again,” Weaver said of the colt whose last effort was a runner-up finish in the NYSSS Times Square on April 13 at Aqueduct. “You appreciate the horses that always show up, and he does. He just overcomes with try.”

Beyond the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, Weaver is eyeing a return next month to Royal Ascot, where he won the Group 2 Queen Mary in 2023 with Crimson Advocate. This year, Weaver is hopeful he’ll be represented by two juveniles for owner Dew Sweepers in stakes-winner Sandal’s Song and maiden-winning New York-bred Tough Critic.

“It’s a hard thing to get done,” Weaver said of winning at the prestigious meeting. “It’s hard to win over there, even when you have the right horse – they run big fields, and you have to ship a long ways. It makes it exciting to do it, and hopefully everything goes smoothly and they run their race.”

Sandal’s Song looks to follow the path of Crimson Advocate after a stylish debut graduation in the five-furlong Royal Palm Juvenile by 1 1/2 lengths with a stalk-and-pounce trip engineered by Luca Panici. The Mendelssohn chestnut, who was a $75,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, overcame a hop at the start to sit off the pace down the backstretch and responded kindly into the lane to draw off to the victory in a final time of 56.30 seconds.

Weaver said Sandal’s Song is likely pointing towards the Group 2, £150,000 Norfolk for juveniles sprinting five furlongs on June 19.

“They’ve only had that race [the Royal Palm Juvenile] for the last couple of years, and we’ve been fortunate enough to get horses that have a chance to compete in it,” Weaver said of the race that awarded Sandal’s Song a $25,000 equine travel stipend for Royal Ascot.

The New York-bred Tough Critic was also impressive in his debut, taking a 5 1/2-furlong maiden on April 24 at Keeneland by 1 1/4 lengths with a deep-closing trip under Eclipse Award-winning rider Flavien Prat. The $350,000 Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale purchase is by Caravaggio and is out of is out of the Invincible Spirit mare Thatchit, a half-sister to 2009 Group 2 Norfolk-winner Radiohead.

Weaver said Tough Critic is being considered for the six-furlong Group 2, £175,000 Coventry on June 17 or the five-furlong Listed £110,000 Windsor Castle on June 18.

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Sandman ships to Saratoga to prepare for G2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun

D.J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables’ Grade 1-winner Sandman, last seen finishing third in the Grade 1 Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, shipped from Belmont Park to Saratoga Race Course this morning to prepare for a start in the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said the Tapit colt is likely to add blinkers as he prepares for the nine-furlong Jim Dandy on July 26 as part of a Spa summer campaign he hopes will include the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 23.

“He left for Saratoga this morning,” Casse said. “I wanted to give him a little bit of time. He ran all winter long and I knew when we decided to run him back in the Preakness that the Belmont was going to be out of the question.”

Sandman made the grade with a rallying 2 1/2-length score – despite lugging out sharply down the lane – in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in March at Oaklawn Park. He then contested the first two legs of the Triple Crown, finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby over a sloppy and sealed Churchill Downs main track. Last out, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, he closed from last-of-9 and 12 lengths off the pace to finish a 2 3/4-length third to the victorious Journalism.

“I thought he ran well. He was caked in mud after the race. He struggled to keep his eyes open. When we scoped him afterwards, he had half the Pimlico racetrack in his trachea,” Casse said. “Johnny said he thought he lost focus a little. I’ll probably put blinkers on him for the Jim Dandy because he has done some wandering down the stretch.”

Sandman graduated in August at the Spa, edging away to a 1 3/4-length win in a seven-furlong maiden sprint at second asking.

“As a 2-year-old, the best race he ran was at Saratoga. So, my plan is to try and run in the Jim Dandy and get him ready for the Travers,” Casse said.

Sandman has banked in excess of $1.4 million via a 10-3-1-3 record.

Casse is putting together a significant lineup for the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival slated for Wednesday, June 4, through Sunday, June 8 at Saratoga.

One of the most exciting Casse prospects is D.J. Stable’s Kentucky homebred Nitrogen, who brings a four-race win streak into the Grade 2, $300,000 Wonder Again, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for sophomore fillies on June 7.

The Medaglia d’Oro bay was a three-quarter length third in the Grade 1 Natalma in September at Woodbine and closed from 12th-of-14 to finish a close third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Del Mar.

She is a perfect 4-for-4 this year, graduating in the Listed Ginger Brew at Gulfstream Park in January and adding the Grade 3 Florida Oaks in March at Tampa Bay Downs, the Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland and the Grade 2 Edgewood last out on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

“She left today from Kentucky to go to Saratoga. We’re very proud of her and hopefully it continues,” Casse said.

She has been piloted throughout her streak by Jose Ortiz, who has utilized her impressive turn-of-foot with great success. Casse said the rider believes the talented bay has won with plenty in the tank.

“It would appear that way. Jose certainly feels that way,” Casse said.

Other Belmont Stakes Racing Festival starters for Casse include La Cara [G1 DK Horse Acorn], My Boy Prince [G1 Jaipur], Vernon Valley [Astoria], Blinging It Back [Listed Tremont], Creed’s Gold [G2 Intercontinental], Time to Dazzle [G2 Intercontinental], Corruption [G2 Belmont Gold Cup], Abientot [G3 Soaring Softly], Filo Di Arianna [G3 Poker], Charlotte’s Heart [Bouwerie] and Clear Conscience [Kingston]. Mi Bago, who is entered in Friday’s Grade 3 Penn Mile, remains possible for a quick return in the Grade 3, $300,000 Pennine Ridge.

Casse noted that the presence of Christophe Clement, who passed away over the weekend, will be greatly missed this summer at Saratoga.

“He was a great horseman. It’s a terrible loss for his family and for horse racing,” Casse said. “The biggest compliment I can give any trainer is when I looked at a race and he had a horse in the race, I knew I had to beat him. I can count the number of guys I would say that about on one hand. I had a great deal of respect for him.”

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Clock Tower earns 84 BSF for Listed Paradise Creek, may consider Royal Ascot

Mrs. Fitriani Hay’s Grade 3-winner Clock Tower may pursue Royal Ascot-action after a convincing 1 1/2-length gate-to-wire score in Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Paradise Creek, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trainer Wesley Ward said post-race that the Not This Time gelding could come under consideration for the seven-furlong Group 3 Jersey on June 21 at Ascot Racecourse, with another option of the Grade 3 Quick Call presented by Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation on July 13 at Saratoga Race Course.

“The owners, Mrs. Fitriani Hay and her husband Dr. Jim Hay, are from England. The Quick Call does look very enticing, but these are wonderful people and fantastic owners, their manager Alex Cole is one of my great friends, and they might want to go to Royal Ascot and take on the big boys,” said Ward. “It would be a big task, but whatever the Doctor wants. He never interferes until it comes to Royal Ascot. He loves to come out and watch the races.”

Clock Tower earned a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure for Saturday’s win under Junior Alvarado, which was also a successful cutback in distance following six consecutive efforts at one-mile or beyond. Ward said facing international competition in the Jersey would still be a tall order.

“We’d be long odds, but once a year with a horse that is somewhat good enough, if that’s what they want to do, that is what we will do,” said Ward. “It is a tough race that I’ve run in the past with some high-quality horses. We went away with our heads hanging low. It is a very difficult race, but the owner has been so wonderful to me for so many years, I will certainly do what they want to do.”

Clock Tower, who captured the one-mile Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille as a juvenile in December at Del Mar, was cross-entered in both the James W. Murphy last Saturday at Pimlico Race Course and the Grade 3 Penn Mile next Friday at Penn National, but Ward opted for the right spot over Aqueduct’s good turf course on Saturday.

Ward updated on upcoming contenders at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, including Mrs. Fitriani Hay and Qatar Racing’s Grade 1-winner Nakatomi, who worked a bullet five furlongs in 59.80 seconds Saturday at Keeneland with a possible next start in the Grade 3, $400,000 True North on June 7 Belmont Stakes Day.

The 6-year-old Firing Line gelding was a neck second last-out in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on April 5 at Meydan Racecourse.

“He came out of that and was always up at the front of the stall with his ears pricked, happy, and bouncing all the way to and from the track,” said Ward. “We gave him three more works since including Saturday’s, and he’s doing fantastic.”

Ice Wine Stable’s New York-bred Whatchatalkinabout would fit for the 6 1/2-furlong True North off his last-out win in the Grade 3 John A. Nerud, but Ward said he will look elsewhere, possibly at the Grade 1 Bing Crosby on July 26 at Del Mar, which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November there.

“He ran a really big and hard-fought race in his last one. So we are going to give him a little extra time, and maybe take him out to California for the Bing Crosby,” said Ward.

Lael Stable’s 7-year-old veteran turf sprinter Arrest Me Red, a last-out fourth in the Grade 2 Turf Sprint on May 3 at Churchill Downs, is nominated to but “highly doubtful” to run in the Grade 1 Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day, with Ward saying, “He is just an older guy, and we try to space his races out. Five weeks isn’t a bad spacing, but he may require a little more time.”

Ward is looking forward to running Thomas W. Bachman’s Kehoe Beach in the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game, a two-turn turf mile for older fillies and mares set for Friday, June 6 during the Festival.

“She is a high-quality filly. I’m looking forward to this race. She has done nothing wrong,” said Ward.

Ward added that juvenile fillies Ohoopee and Pinky Finger are possible for the 5 1/2-furlong $150,000 Astoria on Thursday, June 5 during the Festival. The latter is 2-for-2, capturing the five-furlong Kentucky Juvenile last out versus males on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

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Awesome Czech, Can’t Fool Me point to $200K Mount Vernon; Striker Has Dial freshened for possible G2 Honorable Miss try

Trainer Horacio De Paz has nominated both Awesome Czech and Can’t Fool Me for the $200,000 Mount Vernon, a 1 1/16-mile turf test on New York Showcase Day, Opening Day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

The Festival kicks off on Wednesday, June 4, with the nation’s top steeplechasers in the Grade 1, $150,000 Beverly R. Steinman, a 2 3/8-mile hurdles test for older horses, before the card moves into New York Showcase Day with six $200,000 stakes exclusively for New York-breds.

Awesome Czech, a 4-year-old Mendelssohn bay, won a pair of 1 1/16-mile turf tests last summer at the Spa, taking a state-bred allowance versus elders in July and the state-bred Suzie O’Cain by 2 3/4-lengths in August.

She recently returned to action from a nearly five-month layoff when a neck second in an open optional-claiming mile over firm turf here on May 3.

“A mile and a sixteenth will probably be better for her than the mile coming off the layoff,” De Paz said. “We get to stay in New York-bred company and it’s a good purse. She’s facing elders now, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Roger Cimbora, Jr.’s homebred Can’t Fool Me returned from a six-month layoff to finish second in an off-the-turf match race over muddy and sealed footing on May 16 here.

The 6-year-old Frost Giant chestnut, out of the First Dude mare Brazo de Oro, closed to finish third in her lone career stakes start in the state-bred John Hettinger traveling nine-furlongs over firm turf here in September. Two of her four career wins have come routing over the Spa turf.

“She ran third last time in a stake, so we’ll give her a shot. She likes Saratoga, too,” De Paz said.

Club Sixty Five Racing’s Sounds Like a Plan [post 5, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] is one of four New York-breds entered in Friday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Penn Mile at Penn National along with Smooth Breeze [post 1, Flavien Prat] for trainer Jorge Abreu; Mi Bago [post 11, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse; and the Mike Maker-conditioned Out On Bail [post 12, Juan Hernandez].

Sounds Like a Plan worked five-eighths in 1:01.26 Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track and De Paz noted that the lucrative Penn Mile could serve as an unlikely prep for the state-bred $150,000 Rick Violette on July 17 at Saratoga.

“He worked good today. There’s four New York-breds in there and they might all come back in the Rick Violette,” De Paz said, with a laugh.

Roger Cimbora, Jr.’s Twenty Six Black, a 5-year-old War Dancer gelding, is a half-brother to the aforementioned Can’t Fool Me.

He worked a half-mile in 48.75 Saturday over the Belmont dirt training track with an eye towards a start in the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for state-breds 3-years-old and up on June 28 at Belmont at the Big A.

A five-time winner from 12 starts, he is looking for his first stakes win. He returned from a nearly six-month layoff last out to finish a one-length fourth in the Listed Elusive Quality on May 3 here.

“He breezed good. I think I’m going to wait for the Ashley T. Cole,” De Paz said. “Maybe we’ll take a swing at something open company this summer. He ran a solid comeback race off the layoff. He’s always a hard-trying horse. He just looks like a racehorse.”

Twenty Six Black has raced primarily in sprint events, landing fifth in his lone try at one-mile in the 2023 NYSSS Cab Calloway at Saratoga.

“I might try and stretch him out again at some point,” De Paz said. “The family has stamina. In his gallop outs in his sprint races, he gallops out really well. The only time we tried to stretch him, he came out with a little bit of an issue so he wasn’t 100 percent, so I can’t go off that.”

Chief Horse Futures’ Striker Has Dial is enjoying a brief freshening following a hard-fought second to Zeitlos in the six-furlong Listed Skipat on Preakness Day May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

There, she dueled for and took the lead from Disco Ebo through a half-mile in 46.49 and had a head lead at the stretch call. She dug in gamely down the lane but could not repel Grade 2-winner Zeitlos, who won by 1 1/2-lengths in a final time of 1:11.20.

The 4-year-old Dialed In bay graduated at first asking last May at Laurel Park and two starts later was second in the restricted Wilton in July at the Spa in her only previous stakes outing. She has raced once per month from May 2024 through January, including a 3 3/4-length romp here on January 25 in a six-furlong optional-claimer that garnered a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure. Striker Has Dial entered the Skipat by doubling up a similar six-furlong optional-claimer here in March that earned a 95 Beyer.

“That was a nice filly that beat us at Pimlico,” De Paz said. “We’ve been running all year. We’ve had some spacing between races, but she’s been going pretty hard since she broke her maiden last year. It’s good to freshen her up and see how she comes back.

“I sent her out to Sagamore in Maryland since we were right down the road there at Pimlico,” De Paz continued. “I’ll give her two or three weeks and freshen her up and bring her back.”

De Paz indicated Striker Has Dial could point to the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss, a six-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares on July 20 at Saratoga.

“Maybe the Honorable Miss. We’ll see how she comes back. I want to keep her going three-quarters for sure,” De Paz said.

Triple B Stables and John M. Foster’s promising 2-year-old filly Gena B made a smart debut on May 3 here when a pressing neck second to the regally-bred Kadabra, who hails from the family of Grade 1-winning millionaires Discreet Cat and Awesome Maria.

Gena B, by Brody’s Cause, was purchased for $87,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. She exited post 4-of-5 under Kendrick Carmouche as odds-on Kadabra marked the opening quarter-mile in 22.25 seconds over the fast main track. Gena B advanced outside of Kadabra and gained a narrow advantage at the quarter-pole as the two foes threw it down the length of the stretch. Kadabra won the battle in a final time of 58.38 and it was 5 3/4-lengths back to Nacho Problem in third.

“It was very honest. She showed some speed. I wish all my horses would debut like that. She’s all class,” De Paz said.

Gena B has worked back twice, including a half-mile in 48.50 Saturday over the Belmont dirt training track. Although nominated to the $150,000 Astoria on June 5, De Paz said she is more likely to make her second start in a maiden tilt on June 8, Closing Day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

“She worked very good. She came out of her race in good order,” De Paz said. “I like her. She ran a pretty brave race first time out. We’ll look to get her back into another maiden race.”



Gena B, out of the stakes-placed Saint Ballado mare Melody Maiden, is a half-sister to stakes-winner Medolina.

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