Donegal Momentum all in on G3 Poker

Donegal Racing’s Donegal Momentum looks to make the grade in Thursday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Poker, a one-mile inner turf test for older horses on Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, at Saratoga Race Course. 

Trained by Tom Morley, the 4-year-old Uncle Mo dark bay has made three graded stakes attempts, his best finish a one-length third in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November at Del Mar. That effort capped a strong sophomore campaign highlighted by a two-length score in the one-mile turf Gio Ponti at Belmont at the Big A.

“The Poker was his second main target of the year after the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland which we opted to skip due to having to run against Carl Spackler on soft ground,” said Morley. “The Poker has been our main focus for much of this year and since he came back as a 4-year-old.” 

Donegal Momentum returned for his 4-year-old season successfully when taking an about one-mile optional-claimer on March 6 at Fair Grounds Race Course. He subsequently misfired on the main track in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets ahead of a last-out half-length second to returning rival Sherlock’s Jewel in a one-mile optional claimer on good turf May 8 at Belmont at the Big A. 

Last out, Donegal Momentum dueled with Big Everest on the front end through the opening half-mile and led into the final sixteenth before being run down by Sherlock’s Jewel.

“Race dynamics got him beat last time,” said Morley. “I’m really looking forward to possibly getting this horse on a firm turf course. He has been plagued by rain for the past year, and has never actually run on a genuinely firm turf course other than California where one mile and an eighth was too far for him.” 

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who has piloted Donegal Momentum in all eight starts other than the Gio Ponti, returns to ride from post 8. 

Out of the stakes-placed Malibu Moon mare Moon Dash, Donegal Momentum was a $375,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Donegal Racing, who campaigned 2017 Poker-winner Ballagh Rocks. 

Wharton Connell Racing’s Kentucky homebred Sherlock’s Jewel [post 6, Dylan Davis] entered his aforementioned score over Donegal Momentum from a similar closing victory in a one-mile optional-claimer in March at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the 5-year-old Lea gelding successfully shifted back to turf after a past campaign of four dirt efforts, including a second to multimillionaire Skippylongstocking in Tampa Bay Downs’ Grade 3 Challenger. 

“He seems to be doing good,” said McGaughey. “We decided to try dirt at Tampa and then in the stakes and he ran good. I think he favored the dirt course at Tampa, I’m not sure if that’s something I’d try again, maybe an off-the-turf race, but he favors the turf.” 

Spendthrift Farm’s multiple graded stakes-winner Major Dude [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] looks for his first win of 2025 in his fifth attempt. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old Bolt d’Oro bay missed by a nose to next out graded-winner Fort Washington three starts back in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Canadian Turf in March at Gulfstream Park. Most recently Major Dude was a two-length third in the one-mile Listed Opening Verse on May 1 at Churchill Downs. 

“He’s as consistent as they come. He’s in good form, so we’ll try again,” said Pletcher, who has won this event three times. “He’s a consummate pro. He shows up every time and comes out every morning ready to train. I think his ideal trip is to have a little pace to run at where you can cover him up. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much pace at Churchill last time, which compromised his chances.”

Major Dude holds a career record of 22-7-4-3 with in excess of $1.1 million in earnings, capturing the 2022 Grade 2 Pilgrim at Belmont at the Big A, the 2023 Grade 3 Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream and the Grade 2 Penn Mile at Penn National, as well as the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale last year at Gulfstream.  

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Peter Deutsch’s Grade 1-placed Filo Di Arianna [post 3, Jose Ortiz] is set for the second start of his 9-year-old season.

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Grade 1-placed Drosselmeyer gelding was a pacesetting neck second to Emmanuel in this event in 2023. 

“He's at the top of his game. He's just starting to get warmed up,” said Casse, who saddled Ice Chocolat to wire the past edition of the Poker. “He's just a really good horse and he loves what he does. He's all racehorse.”

The Brazilian-bred Filo Di Arianna, a four-time Grade 2-winner at Woodbine Racetrack at distances ranging from six furlongs to one mile, was second to Canadian Horse of the Year Patches O’Houlihan last out in the Thorncliffe sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta on May 4 there. 

A relatively new face to watch out for is the French-bred Intellect [post 2, Flavien Prat] for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. The 4-year-old Intello gelding was third in a 1 1/16-mile allowance on April 24 at Keeneland when making his stateside and barn debut. He rallied from 8th-of-12 to miss second by a nose. 

Intellect came from the care of Henri-Francois Devin, who sent him out to win the Listed Prix du Pont Neuf in front-running fashion last April at Longchamp. He is owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Steven Bouchey.

Rounding out the field are dual graded stakes-placed Cameo Performance [post 1, Manny Franco], who is cross-entered in the Grade 3 Arlington on May 31 at Churchill Downs for trainer Brendan Walsh; Grade 3-placed Depiction [post 7, John Velazquez] for conditioner Cherie DeVaux; and Mischievous Angel [post 5, Paco Lopez] for trainer Jorge Abreu. Yo Daddy and Magnolia Midnight are entered for the main track-only. 

The Poker is slated as Race 9 on Thursday’s 10-race program with a first post of 12:40 p.m. Eastern and admission gates open to the public at 11 a.m. The card is headlined by the Grade 2 Intercontinental [Race 7], and supported by the Listed Tremont [Race 1] and the Astoria [Race 3].

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, and the best way to bet every race of the four-day meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.