Chelsea Durand Photo

Raging Sea storms into G2 Beldame

by Christian Abdo

Alpha Delta Stables Kentucky homebred Raging Sea is in top form heading into Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame, a nine-furlong test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, the 4-year-old Curlin chestnut won the Grade 1 Personal Ensign by a head over reigning Champion Older Dirt Female Idiomatic last-out on August 23 at Saratoga Race Course. In the early stages of the nine-furlong test, Raging Sea traveled in 4th-of-5, 11 lengths off a pace duel between dual Grade 1-winning stablemate Randomized and Idiomatic, before surging to get up in a final time of 1:49.14.

Jon Clay, of owner/breeder Alpha Delta Stables, said that he was pleased with Raging Sea’s top-level triumph in her fourth attempt and 11th overall race. The performance earned a career-best and field-high 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I thought it was great. We were very fortunate with the race setup and she closed. She has continued to improve as the year has gone by,” said Clay. “We are hoping everything goes well in the Beldame.”

Raging Sea has won five of her last six races, tallying graded scores in the Grade 2 Shuvee in July at the Spa, the Grade 3 Doubledogdare in April at Keeneland and the Grade 3 Comely in November here. She also ran formidably as a juvenile at Keeneland, when crossing the wire a neck-third and disqualified to fourth in the Grade 1 Alcibiades ahead of a third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

“It all goes back to Chad’s training and the way he has taken care of her. She has just grown a lot since her 3-year-old year, put on a lot more girth,” said Clay of her strong run of form. “She has been able to carry that strength and compete against the best of the division.”

Out of Storm Cat mare Stormy Welcome, Raging Sea is a half-sister to the dual stakes-placed Welcoming, with her third dam being the 1992 Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise, who produced Hall of Famer and breed-shaping stallion A.P. Indy, along with multiple graded stakes-winner Summer Squall.

“I thought she’d carry her form and continue to improve. That is what happens with these Curlins, they continue to improve with time,” Clay said. “She has A.P. Indy under her third dam and Summer Squall, so there’s a lot of great pedigree down deep.”

Raging Sea boasts a record of 11-6-1-1 with over $1 million in earnings. She will exit post 4 in rein to Flavien Prat.

Brown will also saddle Klaravich Stables’ stakes-placed Signal From Noise [post 1, Dylan Davis], who seeks her first win of the year in her fourth outing. The 5-year-old Arrogate gray stretches out from a pair of seven-furlong optional claiming sprints at the Spa. At a route distance, she finished second going 1 1/16 miles in the Listed Lady’s Secret last June at Monmouth Park.

Signal From Noise, out of the Grade 1-placed Harlan’s Holiday mare Holiday Soiree, is a half-sister to active Grade 1-winning sprinter Vahva, who has banked in excess $1.7 million in earnings.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ graded stakes placed Frosty O Toole [post 5, Manny Franco] looks for her first win since January off a seventh in the 1 1/16-mile Obeah on September 18 at Delaware Park.

Trained by Michael Dini, the 4-year-old Frosted dark bay has contested five stakes this year, with her best results including a third in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher in July at Monmouth and a second in the Nellie Morse in February at Laurel Park.

Last year, Frosty O Toole made a pair of graded stakes appearances on the NYRA-circuit for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, finishing off-the-board in the local Grade 3 Gazelle and the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park. She soon returned to the Dini stable, where she had graduated in her third start last February before the New York graded attempts.

Out of the Distorted Humor mare O Toole, who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Witty, Frosty O Toole was a $35,000 purchase at the 2021 OBS October Yearling Sale.

Rounding out the field are stakes-winner Majestic Creed [post 6, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Jamie Ness; and a pair of stakes-winners for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., including Libban [post 3, Irad Ortiz, Jr., blinkers ON] and Batucada [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.]. Both of Joseph, Jr.'s entrants arrive from off-the-board finishes in the Grade 3 Ontario Matron going 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta on September 14 at Woodbine Racetrack - with Libban landing fifth and Batucada seventh in the 14-horse field.

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Brown has three chances to win record-extending 10th G2 Miss Grillo

Sunday's card will also feature the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for 2-year-old fillies offering a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Del Mar.

The Miss Grillo was originally scheduled for Sunday, September 29 with an overflow field of 13 but was rescheduled due to significant rainfall. The re-scheduled Miss Grillo field features a field of 12 with a trio of strong contenders for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

Brown, who is in search of a record-extending 10th Miss Grillo, has entered Virgin Colada, Marvelous Madison and newcomer Lavender Disaster, who takes the place of Opulent Restraint, who was not entered back.

Newcomers to the Miss Grillo field include the Rusty Arnold-trained Daisy Flyer, who is four deep on the also-eligible list for Friday's Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland; and the Hall of Famer Mark Casse-trained She's Got Will, who is two deep on the Jessamine also-eligible list.

Among the defectors are May Day Ready, who is entered in the Jessamine at Keeneland; and the duo of Good Conduct and previously also-eligible Pookie, who are entered in a Sunday maiden tilt here in Race 5.

The rescheduled field in post-position order is: Daisy Flyer [post 1, Julien Leparoux], Salt [post 2, Jose Lezcano], Virgin Colada [post 3, Flavien Prat], Shifty [post 4, Dylan Davis], Grace and Grit [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche], She's Got Will [post 6, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], Rare Art [post 7, Joel Rosario], Scythian [post 8, Junior Alvarado], Annie Goodbody [post 9, Romero Maragh], Lavender Disaster [post 10, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Correto [post 11, Jorge Ruiz] and Marvelous Madison [post 12, Manny Franco].

Both Virgin Colada and Correto are cross-entered in the Jessamine with the former three-deep on the also-eligible list and the latter in the outermost post 12.

The Beldame is slated as Race 2 on Sunday’s nine-race card with the re-scheduled Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo in Race 6. Also featured Sunday is the Grade 3, $175,000 Matron [Race 8]. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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