Belmont Park Notes 10.30.16

by NYRA Press Office

• Brown's Breeders' Cup contingent ready to ship to California
• Ectot puts final touches on BC Turf preparations
• 'It's been a long journey': Maragh named to ride Friday
• Ironicus works for final time before BC Mile
• McLaughlin trainee Takaful impressive in debut

 Flintshire breezed in company with Money Multiplier on Sunday morning as part of their final preparations for the Breeders' Cup, going five furlongs in 1:02.85 on the inner turf. Jockey Javier Castellano was aboard Flintshire. 

Flintshire, the likely morning-line favorite for the $4 million Longines Turf, has finished first-or-second in his last eight starts, including a runner-up in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic last out on October 1 at Belmont. The Juddmonte Farms' 6-year-old has a pair of Grade 1 wins this year to his credit in the Sword Dancer on August 27 at Saratoga and the Manhattan on June 11.

"They looked really good, it was just maintenance for them but they worked fine," trainer Chad Brown said. 

Money Multiplier is seeking his first stakes victory after 14 career starts, but has been second six times, with five of those coming in graded stakes. He is also entered in the Turf.

The son of champion Lookin at Lucky has been second in the Grade 1 Man o' War on May 14 at Belmont; second behind World Appeal in the Grade 1 United Nations on July 3 at Monmouth and second to his stablemate, Flintshire, in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on August 27.

Sea Calisi and Lady Eli, who are both expected for the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf at 1 ¼ miles, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.03 in company on Sunday over the inner turf. Regular jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. rode Lady Eli.

Sea Calisi, a 4-year-old bay filly who won the Grade 1 Beverly on August 13 at Arlington, ran third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on October 8 at Belmont.

Lady Eli, the winner of the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, made a triumphant return from a potential life-threatening battle with laminitis last year. Lady Eli was second in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa on August 27 at Saratoga in her first race off a 13-month layoff, and followed that effort with an impressive win in the Flower Bowl.

"They worked together last week well, so I did the same thing this week," Brown said. "Both horses look very, very strong."

Brown said eight of his Breeders' Cup contingent will ship out to California on Sunday, with Flintshire and Lady Eli departing on Tuesday. 

"As long as they come out of the works OK, knock on wood, everything looks good," Brown said. "All the breezing went well."

Camelot Kitten and Beach Patrol also put in a maintenance work, going four furlongs in 50.50. Brown said they aren't expected to run until the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on December 3 at Del Mar.

"They still have a ways to go, but I thought they were moving well," Brown said.
 

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Al Shaqab Racing and Gerard Augustin Normand's Ectot turned in his final work ahead of the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf over the Belmont Park turf on Sunday morning.

The 5-year-old Todd Pletcher trainee breezed a half-mile in 49.95 seconds on the inner turf labeled "good," his third local move since punching his Breeders' Cup ticket with a "Win and You're In" victory in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 1.

"He breezed well and appears to be in great form at the moment," said Pletcher. "He's got a great action, he breezed great and galloped out strongly. He's done everything you would hope after the Turf Classic win. He's come back and trained super."

Making his fourth start for Pletcher since arriving in North America earlier this year, the British-bred son of Hurricane Run is set for a rematch with the formidable Flintshire, whom he beat in the Turf Classic by five lengths with Jose Ortiz aboard.

"It's a deep race, it's going to be a new surface for him, and a little bit of a different dynamic, but I think he can show what he did in the Turf Classic," Pletcher said. "We've learned a little bit more about him as we've gone along and Jose gets along with him really well."

Ectot is set to depart for Santa Anita on Tuesday, along with Keen Ice (Classic), Photo Call (Mile), Sweet Loretta (14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies), Syndergaard and Theory (both for the Sentient Jet Juvenile). 

Curalina, likely for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, and Juvenile Turf hopefuls Made You Look and J. S. Choice left for California Sunday morning.
 

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After a 2015 spill that has kept him away from racing for nearly 16 months, jockey Rajiv Maragh is set to make his long-awaited return on Friday, opening day of the Aqueduct fall meet.

The 31-year-old Jamaica native is named to ride the Bobby Ribaudo-trained Questeq in Race 6, a 2-year-old maiden race for New York-breds on the turf, his first mount since suffering several broken vertebrae, a broken rib and a punctured lung in a racing accident on July 10, 2015 at Belmont Park.

"It's really exciting to be back," said Maragh, who is again represented by his longtime agent, Tony Micallef. "I got over a big hump, it was a long process to get healthy. I'm very fortunate to get to ride again. I went through a tough stint with the injury and rehabilitation and everything; it's been a long journey. I don't know if it's exactly struck me yet that I'm really going to be riding. It's still kind of unreal."

The regular rider of two-time Champion Female Sprinter Groupie Doll and 2014 Champion Grass Horse and Older Male Main Sequence, among many others, Maragh was barely two months into one comeback when that fateful July race necessitated another. The autumn before, Maragh was unseated in the 2014 Jockey Club Gold Cup when Wicked Strong clipped heels, requiring seven months to recover from a broken arm.

"It's been a roller coaster the last few years, lots of ups and downs," he said. "I would say this would be the lowest point in my career, to be so severely injured and it was such a tough task to get back to riding again. And now that I'm back to riding, it feels like I'm starting from scratch, business-wise. All the horses I was riding are pretty much retired. So I have to start over and I'm competing with the best jockeys in the world. Obviously, I'm kind of at a disadvantage because I don't have any horses I've been riding. I've got to hit the reset button and start back over."

Maragh, who has won 1,673 races with earnings of more than $85 million since taking out his jockey's license in 2003, has been a common sight lately on the Belmont backside and, since renewing his license earlier this month, on the back of a horse as well.

"Now that it's been a few weeks since I've been working horses, it's been a nice, steady progression for me," said Maragh. "In the beginning, it was tough, muscle-wise, strength-wise. I didn't feel athletic at all. That was a bit of a downer, when you're used to being on a horse and feeling physically strong and athletic. Fortunately, in the last couple of weeks, it's been progressing to where now I'm very confident, I'm a lot stronger. Things are a lot smoother for me. I feel like now I've gotten to where I need to be."
 

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Ironicus put in his final work Sunday morning before heading out to California on Tuesday for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile on November at Santa Anita Park. 

A 5-year-old homebred for Stuart S. Janney III, Ironicus is coming off back-to-back runner-up performances in Grade 1 starts, finishing a head behind Miss Temple City in the Shadwell Turf Mile on October 8 at Keeneland and 1 ¾-lengths behind Flintshire in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan on June 11 at Belmont.

With only three starts in 2016, Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said he was pleased with Ironicus' four-furlong breeze in 47.88 seconds on Belmont's main track.

"We're disappointed we lost the summer, but all his races have been good," McGaughey said. "Maybe this weekend, it'll be his turn. We feel good about our position. He's done well since his last race here. We'll get him shipped out there. It shouldn't be a problem; we're looking forward to the opportunity."

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Drawing away to win by eight lengths to earn a 94 Beyer Speed Figure in his first career start, 2-year-old Shadwell homebred Takaful made one of the more impressive juvenile debuts for the Belmont Fall Championship Meet on Saturday.

By Bernardini and out of an unraced Distorted Humor mare, the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Takaful left the gate at odds of 12-1 but more than out-ran his price to the delight of his veteran trainer, who admitted even he was a little taken back by the performance.

"It wasn't a shock but it was a nice surprise," said McLaughlin. "We always knew he was a talented horse but I thought he might need one race for experience. We knew the raw ability was there, but when he broke and started running like that, wow. That was a wild race. It's a little bit like when Frosted won by 14 [lengths]. Did we see that coming? No, but it wasn't a total shock either."

Although in good order one day after his race, McLaughlin was still waiting to see how Takaful bounces back from his debut before speaking with Rich Nichols, Shadwell's U.S. racing manager and plotting his next start.

"There are a lot of options of where we could go next. Of course, the [Grade 3] Remsen [on November 26 at Aqueduct Racetrack] is a possibility, but we'll continue to monitor how he comes back and I'll speak with Rich as we plot out a course."

Switching gears to the Breeders' Cup, McLaughlin was happy to report his contingent, headlined by Classic contender Frosted along with Tamarkuz, for the Dirt Mile, and Lady Shipman, currently an also-eligible for the Turf Sprint, have all settled in nicely at Santa Anita and were continuing preparations for next Saturday's races.

"I head out there Wednesday," added McLaughlin. "I've been getting good reports from everybody out west, so everything's going according to plan so far. Frosted will continue with galloping in the mornings heading into the Classic, and hopefully Lady Shipman will be able to get in. We're still awaiting to hear the final word on that."