NYRA Photo

Belmont Park Notes 5.31.19

by NYRA Press Office

• Bourbon War to enter G1 Belmont Stakes
• Hough enjoying fruitful second act, may have Recruiting Ready for G2 True North
• Come Dancing completes maintenance work for G1 Ogden Phipps
• Master Fencer feeling energized ahead of G1 Belmont Stakes
• Sir Winston breezes for G1 Belmont Stakes
• G2 Wood Memorial winner Tacitus training well

Bourbon Lane Stable and Lake Star Stable's Bourbon War, trained by Mark Hennig, will make his next start in the Grade 1 $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 8.

Bred in Kentucky by Conquest Stables, Bourbon War is the first foal out of Grade 1 winner My Conquestadory and was purchased for $410,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November Mixed Sale.

Bourbon War, working without blinkers, breezed a half-mile over the Belmont Park main track in 48.74 seconds on Friday morning.

"I was happy with him. I thought he did well, looked sharp and galloped out strong," Hennig said.

Bourbon War graduated at Aqueduct Racetrack in November ahead of a rallying fourth in the Grade 2 Remsen to close out his 2-year-old season.

The well-bred bay finished a close second to Code of Honor in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and a closing fourth in the Grade 1 Florida Derby won by Maximum Security. Bourbon War failed to fire last out when eighth in the Grade 1 Preakness.

Hall of Famer Mike Smith, a three-time Belmont winner, including last year with Triple Crown-champion Justify, will be aboard Bourbon War for the first time.

Also on the work tab for Hennig was three-time graded stakes placed Semper Sententiae, who went a half-mile in 48.87 in preparation for the Grade 2 $600,000 New York on Friday, June 7.

Owned by John O'Connor, the 4-year-old gray or roan daughter of The Factor enters the 1 1/4-mile event over the inner turf off a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay behind Santa Monica, who also is probable for the New York.

Finishing in the money in seven of her eight career starts, Semper Sententiae seeks her first win since breaking her maiden second time out, going the New York's 1 ¼ mile distance over the inner turf last September.

Hennig also worked Courtlandt Farm's Carlino on Friday morning. The 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid went a half-mile in 51.18 and is bound for the Grade 2, $700,000 Suburban on July 6. He was sixth in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special last out.

Hennig will also saddle Grade 3-winner Strike Power in the Grade 2, $250,000 True North as part of a busy Belmont Stakes Racing Festival for the New York-based conditioner.

Hough enjoying fruitful second act, may have Recruiting Ready for G2 True North

After stepping away from training in 2012, Stanley Hough re-emerged in late 2018 better than ever. Since rejoining the training ranks, the veteran horseman has won 15 of 62 races, including a pair of graded victories, and may make an appearance during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival with Recruiting Ready, who is possible for the Grade 2, $250,000 True North on June 7.

Recruiting Ready, owned by Sagamore Farm, the stable of Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank, has won two of five races since Hough took over training the 5-year-old son of Algorithms, including a 3 ¼-length score in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint. In his most recent outing, the speedy bay finished second behind Firenze Fire in the Runhappy Stakes on May 11 at Belmont.

"We're not entirely sure about the True North with Recruiting Ready," said Hough. "He stumbled at the start of his last race and grabbed a quarter. He's responded well since and worked well a couple days ago, so we'll see how he does and make a decision. We've looked into arrangements to ship in, but we're not 100 percent yet."

The other big horse in Hough's care, Global Campaign, winner of the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont last out, will not be making an appearance during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, but some big NYRA races are likely on the horizon for him, according to the trainer.

"He also has a foot issue, a quarter crack," said Hough. "He was stepped on behind in the Peter Pan and we've been doing a couple little things with him. The main thing is we've fit him with a special shoe and he's been able to train; we're hoping to get a work in in the next couple days. The dream would be to make the Jim Dandy and Travers, and we're considering the Dwyer and Ohio Derby before that."

Global Campaign stamped himself as a serious racehorse with an effortless 5 ¾-length maiden win on January 5 at Gulfstream Park in his debut, but after taking a step back in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, the son of Curlin solidified his standing as a top 3-year-old with a 1 ¼-length triumph in the Peter Pan, for which he earned a career best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

"It was great," Hough said of the race. "He's a very talented horse. You always hope for a race like that and that's what we were expecting. He was a little disappointing in the Fountain of Youth, but he's a very, very good horse and we had the utmost confidence in him."

The common thread between Hough's two stable stars is Sagamore Farm, who he cites as the impetus for getting back into training nearly 50 years after he saddled his first winner. Over $45 million in earnings later, Hough is still going strong, having already amassed $636,219 in earnings this year.

"We've been very lucky; it's been a good year," said the trainer. "We've won the last couple starts at Churchill and had a few who broke their maidens over the weekend, which was satisfying. It's great when you're winning, but not so much when you hit a slow streak. The reason I came back was because of Sagamore. It's very rewarding to be around the people I work with and I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for them."

Come Dancing completes maintenance work for G1 Ogden Phipps

With regular rider Manny Franco aboard, Blue Devil Racing Stable's multiple graded stakes winning homebred Come Dancing visited the training track on Friday morning at Belmont, breezing six furlongs in 1:11.40 in her last major work in preparation for a start in the Grade 1, $750,000 Ogden Phipps on Belmont Stakes Day.

"I thought it was a great work from her," said conditioner Carlos Martin. "We wanted to keep her fit and fresh but not squeeze too much out of her with the racing coming up with only one week to go. I thought Manny did a terrific job on her this morning."

Unbeaten in two starts this year, the 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon began her 2018 campaign with an impressive victory in the Grade 3 Distaff on April 5 at Aqueduct in which she recorded a 114 Beyer and followed with an authoritative 6 ¾ length victory in the Grade 2 Ruffian on May 5 at Belmont.

Martin said he is confident in her abilities heading into a race in which she will face a number of equally accomplished mares including Midnight Bisou, Mopotism and Spiced Perfection.

"We knew last year we had a talented horse and we ran her in her first graded stakes in the Beldame where she finished fifth," said Martin. "We weren't discouraged by that effort and I sat down with her owners Marc Holiday and James O'Reilly and we mapped out a plan focusing on races for mares in New York and she's proven herself to be worthy to compete with the best competition."

Following that fifth-place finish in the Beldame, Come Dancing ended her 4-year-old campaign with a second-place finish by a neck to multiple graded stakes winner Marley's Freedom before returning from a layoff in April.

"Right now, we love where she's out and how she's been doing so we're confident coming into the race," said Martin. "Manny knows the horse well and she's doing great, she's the type of runner that doesn't need a lot to get ready for her races but that's how the good horses do it. We think she'll be ready next Saturday."

Master Fencer feeling energized ahead of G1 Belmont Stakes

Katsumi Yoshizawa's homebred Master Fencer, trained by Koichi Tsunoda, was in good order on Friday morning at Belmont, where he continues to prepare for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

Master Fencer paddock schooled at 6:30 a.m. before heading out to the Belmont main track with the accompaniment of a pony, en route to a subsequent visit to the dirt training track where the Japanese-bred chestnut jogged once around.

"On the training track, I confirmed that he was changing leads well and just had a light training session. He was so energized today," said training assistant Yosuke Kono via translator Mitsuoki Numamoto.

Owned and bred by Yoshizawa and trained by 48-year-old former jockey Tsunoda, Master Fencer finished a rail-rallying seventh in the Derby and was elevated to sixth with the disqualification of Maximum Security.

He earned his spot in the starting gate for the first Saturday in May by accumulating 19 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Master Fencer's 2019 campaign in Japan includes a fast-closing second in the $310,830 Fukuryu at Nakayama Racecourse on March 31 and a fourth-place effort in the $330,506 Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse on Feb. 17.

Master Fencer will continue to train on the dirt training track over the weekend with his final timed workout slated for Wednesday morning on the Belmont main track under Julien Leparoux.

Sir Winston breezes for G1 Belmont Stakes

Tracy Farmer's homebred Sir Winston, a chestnut son of Awesome Again, worked four furlongs in 50.16 seconds on Friday morning on the Belmont main track. Joel Rosario, who will pilot the Mark Casse trainee in the Belmont, was in the irons for the breeze.

"He worked an easy half-mile with a good gallop out," said Jamie Begg, assistant to Casse. "He did it the way he likes to do it and he did it the right way. Joel was very happy with the breeze."

The Kentucky-bred chestnut graduated in September on the Tapeta surface at Woodbine, before completing the trifecta in the Grade 3 Grey in October. Sir Winston completed a solid juvenile campaign with a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Display at the Jewel of the North.

Sir Winston tried his luck on the Kentucky Derby trail over the winter, finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct and a rallying fifth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby. With the Derby out of consideration, Sir Winston was pointed to the Belmont and earned a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out when rallying for second behind Global Campaign in the Grade 3 Peter Pan, the local prep for the 'Test of the Champion.'

The Casse-trained War of Will, who captured the Grade 1 Preakness last out, is slated to arrive at Belmont on Monday to continue his preparations for the Belmont Stakes.

G2 Wood Memorial winner Tacitus training well

Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets winner Tacitus continues to train forwardly into the final leg of the Triple Crown, the G1 Belmont Stakes, set for Saturday, June 8 at Belmont Park.

The regally-bred son of 2004 Wood Memorial winner Tapit and multiple Grade 1 winner Close Hatches has won three of five starts including victories in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and the Wood Memorial en route to a rallying third in the Kentucky Derby.

"He's doing very well. He galloped on the training track the past couple mornings," said Leana Willaford, who was a sporting a Close Hatches Breeder's Cup hat.

Tacitus is expected to post his final breeze for the Belmont Stakes on Sunday morning on the Belmont main track.

Mitchell Road and Golden Award both made their last starts at Pimlico with the former winning the Grade 3 Galorette and the latter finishing second in the Grade 3 Alaire Dupont Distaff.

"I think you'll see Mitchell Road probably show up in the Diana [Grade 1, $500,000] up at Saratoga. We're not sure yet for Golden Award. They're both here and doing well," said Willaford.

Canadian-bred Channel Maker, who captured the Grade 1 Man o' War in his most recent outing, is still on point for the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan.

"Channel Maker is likely for the Manhattan and he's doing well," said Willaford.

Additional Mott trainees expected to take part in the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival include Giant Zinger in the Grade 2, $600,000 New York; Capla Temptress in the Grade 1, $700,000 Longines Just a Game; and Red Knight in the Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational.