Belmont Park Notes 10.02.16

by NYRA Press Office

• Pletcher contingent “all set” for Super Saturday; Ectot in good shape following G1 Joe Hirsch victory

• G1 Vosburgh winner Joking rests up before California trip

• Brown continues preparations for Super Saturday; looks to regroup with Flintshire

• Lynch hoping to launch Breeders’ Cup success from Belmont base

• Rodriguez finalizes G1 Frizette plans; looking forward with Summer Revolution

• Fields coming together for Jockey Club Gold Cup weekend

• Low Roller Challenge offers horseplayers chance to win big

Ectot came out of his victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in good order, trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday morning. 

The Al Shaqab Racing and Gerard Augustin Normand-owned 5-year-old upset 1-5 favorite Flintshire to win the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Turf. 

“It was a fun win for the whole team,” Pletcher said. “We felt he had the potential to do something like that, he was improving in each start. He liked the course and the cut in the ground, so it all came together.”

Off the Tracks also came out of her start in good order following a fourth-place finish behind impressive winner Forever Unbridled in the Grade 1 Beldame, Pletcher said. The 3-year-old bay filly by Curlin stayed just off Paola Queen’s early fractions through a half-mile before tiring late.

“I thought she ran a solid race,” Pletcher said. “It’s the second time we ran her on a sealed, sloppy track, and both times it kind of went the same way, where it looks like she didn’t love it. She still gave us a big effort and tried really hard. She just spun her wheels a little on that surface.”

Pletcher said his contingent for Super Saturday on October 8 is “all set.” Anchor Down, who finished second in his last start at Belmont in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 11, breezed a half-mile in 48.63 seconds Sunday and is a possibility for the Grade 2, $350,000 Kelso Handicap. Protonico, who won against allowance company on September 9, is on target for the Kelso, along with stablemate Tommy Macho, who is coming off an eight-month layoff since winning the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper on February 6 at Gulfstream Park.

Following a five-furlong breeze in in 1:01.88 September 29 on the Belmont training track, Nonna Mela remains on point for the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette. The 2-year-old won the Grade 2 Adirondack on August 19 at Saratoga.

Syndergaard, who is 2-for-2 in his career, will make his stakes debut in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne for 2-year-olds at one mile, for which he breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 on Saturday, while Itsonlyactingdad, winner of the Grade 3 WinStar Matchmaker on July 31 at Monmouth, is gearing up for the Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl, Pletcher said.

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Charlton Baker was still in a smiling mood a day after Joking punched his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November with his win in Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh. 

Joking, the 7-year-old bay gelding owned and trained by Baker, won the “Win and You’re In” challenge by going six-wide and making a strong mid-stretch surge to capture his fourth straight win and first career Grade 1 victory.

“He came back super and is bouncing in his stall today,” Baker said. “He got a good setup and got his track and everything went well. It’s the goal of every trainer, to get to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Joking will now prepare for the $1.5 million TwinSpires Sprint on November 5 at Santa Anita Park. Baker said he plans to ship Joking to California no later than 10 days before his start.

“I’d like to ship him ahead to get adjusted and so he can relax,” Baker said.

Joking’s one-length score in the Vosburgh marked his first race winning the Grade 2 True North on June 10 at Belmont. Baker said he skipped the Saratoga meet mainly due to the fact that his barn is located near the Oklahoma training track, which provided too many potential distractions.

“It’s not about the track; there’s just so many people and cars on the backstretch, and that gets him excited,” Baker said. “I’m located where he would always be able to see the crowds, so that would get him more hyped up than anything else. It’s just the scenery there [at Saratoga]. If you’re in a quiet area away from all the traffic, he’s good.”

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Trainer Chad Brown continued his stable’s preparations for next week’s Super Saturday card at Belmont, breezing juvenile colts Practical Joke and Favorable Outcome together over the Belmont training track Sunday morning.

Both owned by Klaravich Stables, the pair worked five furlongs in 1:01.77 for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne. 

Unbeaten in two starts, Practical Joke, a son of Into Mischief, will enter the Champage off his Grade 1 Hopeful victory on September 5 at Saratoga Race Course. A progeny of Flatter, Favorable Outcome won his debut by six lengths on August 20 at Saratoga and will be making his second career start in the Champagne. 

“They each worked fine and are on target for the Champagne,” said Brown. “We opted for the training track because I preferred it over the conditions of the main track this morning.”

Exiting yesterday’s card with second- and fourth-place finishes from favored Flintshire and Money Multiplier, respectively, in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic over a yielding turf course, along with a third-place effort from Wavell Avenue in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, Brown reported that all returned in good order.

“In the days to come we’ll figure more out,” said Brown. “All of them seem to have come out their races good so far.”

Lady Eli, who finished second in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga in her first start in over a year after battling laminitis, remains on schedule for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl and will work over the Belmont turf course Monday morning along with stablemates Sea Calisi, Annals of Time, Beach Patrol, Camelot Kitten, and Takeover Target, each turning in their respective last works before next weekend’s stakes assignments.  

“All the turf works are tomorrow so we’ll get out there,” added Brown. “Obviously, it’s still quite soft which is disappointing but hopefully it dries out.”

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Less than 24 hours after juvenile colt Oscar Performance satisfied bettors as the 6-5 favorite with a six-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Pilgrim, trainer Brian Lynch remained in a jovial mood over the Kitten’s Joy colt’s effort in only his third career start.

“It certainly was an Oscar performance,” said Lynch. “If you’re going to the Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Turf] you want to have that sort of effort taking you in that direction. Of course, once you get out to southern California you’re not going to get that easy lead like he did here. I’ll press him a lot more out there but you can’t ask him to do any more than he’s done.”

Lynch also hopes to have Grand Arch, Heart to Heart and Lightstream round out his Breeders’ Cup contingent.

After working five furlongs in 1:01.80 over the Belmont main track Saturday morning, Grand Arch will next see action in the Grade 1 Shadwell Mile at Keeneland. Three-year-old filly Lightstream, who finished second on August 6 in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga, will look to return to action in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland. Hitting the Belmont main track yesterday, she breezed five furlongs in 50.06 seconds. 

Heart to Heart, who last out on June 4 finished fourth in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita, is being pointed to next Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Knickerbocker. Lynch confirmed he will put in his final preparations for the race with a workout over the Belmont turf course Monday morning.

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In next Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette, trainer Rudy Rodriguez will look to enter a pair of maiden winners in Colorful Charades for owner Michael J. Ryan and Libby’s Tail for Michael Dubb. The stablemates both visited the Belmont training track Sunday morning with Colorful Charades completing five furlongs in 1:01.65 and Libby’s Tail, who followed her winning debut with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga, clocking five furlongs in 1:02.02. 

“They each looked good breezing this morning,” added Rodriguez. “We just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope they come back good and take it from there.”

Following Summer Revolution’s ninth-place finish in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby, Rodriguez will look to rebound with the promising colt this winter. 

“He came out of the race good,” said Rodriguez. “We’re disappointed in the way he ran but Mike [Smith] said Paco Lopez drifted out a little bit and our horse clipped heels with Paco’s horse [Awesome Slew]. Once he did that, he didn’t even try.”

An impressive 7 ¼-length maiden winner in his debut on July 4 at Belmont, the son of Summer Bird followed that effort on August 4 with an allowance win at Saratoga before a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop leading up the Pennsylvania Derby.

“We’re just going to regroup a little bit and maybe run him at seven-eighths or one mile at Aqueduct,” said Rodriguez. “We’ll try to build up his confidence a bit, maybe run him in non-winners of two and then take it from there. Hopefully we can win a stake during the winter. I think he’ll be all right, we just have to let him come to us.”

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Fields are taking shape for this weekend’s “Super Saturday” stakes, anchored by the 98th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Expected to vie for favoritism in the Gold Cup are Essafinaat’s Grade 1 Woodward runner-up Mubtaahij for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and last year’s Grade 1 Clark Handicap winner Effinex, making his first start since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Whitney for trainer Jimmy Jerkens and Tri-Bone Stables. Also probable are California-based Hoppertunity, fourth to California Chrome in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic last time out, for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and owner Mike Pegram; My Meadowview Farms’ New York-bred Samraat, looking to rebound from his ninth-place finish in the Woodward for trainer Rick Violette, Jr.; and McLaughlin trainee Watershed, third last time out in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin for Godolphin Racing.

As one of four Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” contests on Saturday, the Jockey Club Gold Cup carries an all-fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 5 at Santa Anita Park.

The Gold Cup will be joined by the Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl for fillies and mares on the inner turf, expected to feature a rematch between Grade 2 Ballston Spa winner Strike Charmer for trainer Mark Hennig and Courtland Farm and Sheep Pond Partners’ Lady Eli, who returned from a nearly 14-month layoff to finish a valiant second on August 27 at Saratoga. 

A “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Filly & Mare Turf, the Flower Bowl is also likely to attract European invader Ame Bleue for Ballymore Thoroughbred and international trainer Andre Fabre; Starlight Racing’s Itsonlyactingdad from the barn of Todd Pletcher; Richard Greeley’s homebred My Cara Mia for trainer Mitchell Friedman; Brown trainee and Grade 1 Beverly D. heroine Sea Calisi for owner Martin Schwartz; and Godolphin Stable’s Sentiero Italia, third in the Ballston Spa, for McLaughlin.

Meanwhile, 2-year-old colts and fillies will look to establish themselves as serious contenders in their respective divisions in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne and the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette.

Leading the charge for the Champagne, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, are a pair of impressive Brown trainees in Grade 1 Hopeful winner Practical Joke and standout maiden winner Favorable Outcome, as well as Eric Fein’s highly regarded Syndergaard, a 10 ¼-length winner of the Funny Cide for Pletcher. Also probable are maiden winners Big Gray Rocket for Baffert and Lookin At Blessing for Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito. No Dozing is also possible.

The Frizette, a “Win and You’re In” contest for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, is expected to attract St. Elias Stable’s Grade 2 Adirondack winner Nonna Mela from the Pletcher barn. Colorful Charades, Libby’s Tale, Sky Gesture, Star Super and Yellow Agate are also likely. Eloquent Riddle and Made Me Shiver are possible.

Older horses will look to tackle Belmont’s one-turn mile in the Grade 2, $350,000 Kelso, led by Grade 1 Forego runner-up Tamarkuz, owned Shadwell Stable and trained by McLaughlin, and Ralph M. Evans’ Upstart, third in the Whitney last time out for the Rick Violette barn. Tommy Macho is expected to make his first start since winning the Grade 3 Fred Hooper in February as one of two Pletcher trainees, along with 2015 Grade 2 Alysheba winner Protonico. Also likely are the David Jacobson owned-and-trained Baccelo, third in the Seattle Slew on September 10, and Point Piper for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Anchor Down, Dannie’s Deceiver and Red Vine are questionable.

Brown figures to be well-represented in the Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince, expected to start as many as three in the 3-year-old turf contest: recent allowance runner-up Annals of Time, Grade 1 Secretariat winner Beach Patrol, and Grade 2 Hall of Fame winner Camelot Kitten. Also likely for the Hill Prince are American Patriot, Berliner, Dressed in Hermes, Monster Bea and Strike Midnight. Inspector Lynley is possible.

Grass sprinters will round out Saturday’s stakes action in a competitive edition of the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational, likely to include Conquest Enforcer, Disco Partner, Green Mask, Long On Value, Pool Winner, Power Alert, Pure Sensation, Ready for Rye, Sallal, Spring to the Sky and Triple Burner. Summation Time is questionable.

The racing action will continue through Monday, as the Grade 3, $200,000 Knickerbocker on the inner turf anchors a special holiday card on Columbus Day, October 10. On tap for the Knickerbocker are Can’thelpbelieving, Heart to Heart, Jay Gatsby, March, Takeover Target, War Correspondent and War Dancer.

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On Saturday, Chris Nupp earned top honors in the Low Roller Challenge, presented by NYRA Bets, ending the day with a bankroll of $57.90 to take home an additional $180 in prize money. James Hamill finished in second with a final bankroll of $55.80 while Steve Pavlik rounded out the top three with $52.40 earned in wagers.

Held every Saturday and Sunday through the Belmont Park fall meet, the 2016 Low Roller Challenge offers horseplayers a chance to score big making $2 across-the-board wagers. Entry into the contest is $40, with $30 comprising the player’s live bankroll and $10 going towards the total prize pool. Registration is held on the first floor of the grandstand, near the customer service booth.

The handicapper who accumulates the most points for top ten finishes will also win a free entry into the Aqueduct Fall Tournament.