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Brooklyn native Viola hopes to fulfill lifelong dream in Belmont Stakes (G1)

by NYRA Press Office

As a horse racing enthusiast, owner, and a native New Yorker, Vincent Viola holds the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes in the highest of regards. When asked by friends and family which race he most wants to win, he said he holds the American Classic at Belmont Park in the same regard as the Kentucky Derby.

Viola was able to cross the "Run for the Roses" off the checklist when Always Dreaming took him and numerous other owners, including wife Teresa Viola and fellow Brooklynite Anthony Bonomo, on a memorable ride in winning the 2017 Kentucky Derby. Two years later, the successful businessman again found himself heading to the winner's circle on one of the racing's biggest days when Vino Rosso, whom he co-owned with Repole Stable, captured the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita en route to earning the Eclipse Award for Champion Older Dirt Male.

But when Dr Post goes into the starting gate for Saturday's 152nd edition of the Belmont Stakes, he'll be attempting to give his owner a victory in the race that he holds the nearest and dearest to his heart.

"The Belmont is absolutely the race that I covet the most," Viola said. "The race has a fantastic tradition. It's a different race this year given the circumstances at hand, but it still carries the history and memories of fantastic editions in the past. I've always put the Belmont right up there with the Kentucky Derby."

Owned by Viola's St. Elias Stable, which is a nod to his father's middle name, Dr Post will be a second Belmont Stakes contender for Viola, who launched the electronic market making company Virtu Financial in 2008, five years before becoming owner of the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers.

Frequent visits to Belmont Park and Aqueduct as a child with his father piqued Viola's interest in the sport of kings.

"I went to the racetrack as a young man with my dad regularly," Viola recalled. "My dad taught me how to calculate odds, watch odds and figure out the impact of money in the mutuel pools, so from a mathematics and handicapping standpoint he taught me a lot about the game. I've been a real fan of the sport, but I never imagined that I would own a horse or help manage horses at this level. I would say it was a childhood romance. It's a heart and soul sport, I just wish more people would be blessed with opportunity to be introduced to it."

Viola got his first taste of being a part of the Belmont Stakes when Vino Rosso ran fourth to Triple Crown-winner Justify in 2018.

Though light on experience, Dr Post gives his connections reason to believe a celebration could be imminent as he enters this year's Belmont Stakes - his graded stakes debut - having demonstrated noticeable progression in each of his three career starts.

Highly regarded early on, the dark bay son of Quality Road was fourth as the favorite on debut at Belmont Park in July, where he finished behind subsequent stakes winners Green Light Go and Another Miracle.

"We were very excited about Dr Post's maiden opportunity. He didn't run to his form and was training a lot better than he ran that day," Viola said. "He may have hung a little bit but when we did work on him. We saw he was a little banged up. He's always been mature, easy to train, very professional. He's almost so talented that he measures up to the challenge at hand and taking our time with him proved to be the right thing to do."

Since returning off the bench, the lightly raced Dr Post has rewarded that patience by scoring two victories this year at Gulfstream Park. After breaking his maiden on March 29 following a nearly nine-month layoff, he handled his first two-turn test with aplomb, capturing the Unbridled Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on April 25.

"If you watch his maiden win, he was really perfectly mature in the race," Viola said. "If you watch the Unbridled Stakes, which was a decent field, he did not have an easy time and he displayed a tenacity and a real champion's heart that I hope carries him forward. People are down on the quality of the field this year, but I think these are some good horses. It's a well-stocked race. I'd love to run against [Grade 1 winners] Maxfield and Charlatan for sure, but it wasn't meant to be."

Dr Post is named after Viola's family doctor, for whom his father was a patient, and has become close to Viola's family over the years.

"He really was a saving grace in my father's life. He had heart disease and he kept him healthy for 20 years. He became my doctor and he's really become more than just a doctor for me," Viola said.

Dr Post , listed at 5-1 on the morning line, will attempt to make Viola's dream a reality when breaking from post 9 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

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Got Stormy breezes at Belmont, targets G1 Just a Game; Casse's Belmont Stakes Day contingent ready to go

Gary Barber's Got Stormy returned to the worktab Friday morning, breezing four furlongs in 49.07 seconds on Belmont's inner turf in her first work since running fourth in the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 3.

Trainer Mark Casse said the two-time Grade 1 winner looked sharp and is pointed to the Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game on Saturday, June 27 at Belmont Park.

"She looked nice. We were just going for an easy breeze," Casse said.

Got Stormy bobbled at the start of the Beaugay and jockey Tyler Gaffalione tried to have his charge recover and stay close to pacesetter Rushing Fall, who posted a two-length gate-to-wire victory. Casse said he will likely try different tactics in the one-mile Just a Game contested over the Widener turf course.

"We thought Rushing Fall was the lone speed, so we told Tyler to try and stay close to her, but that just didn't work, so we'll try a different game plan and settle her back and try to come with more of a run," Casse said.

As a 4-year-old, Got Stormy produced a stellar 2019 campaign, registering six consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures. The daughter of multiple graded-stakes winner Get Stormy competed in seven stakes and won three of them, including the Grade 1 Matriarch in December at Del Mar. Got Stormy was a runner-up three times, including the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in May, the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in September and second to Champion Turf Female Uni in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November.

Casse said he's looking forward to returning to Saratoga Race Course with Got Stormy, who earned a personal-best 109 Beyer for a 2 ½-length triumph in the Grade 1 Fourstardave last August. The 2020 edition of the Fourstardave is slated for Saturday, August 22.

"She really didn't get that good until the summer last year," Casse said. "I've trained a lot of good horses who are seasonal. We're looking forward to Saratoga. She loves that hard, hard turf. She got that at Saratoga last year and you saw what happened."

Before turning his sights to the Just a Game and the Saratoga meet, a packed Belmont Stakes Day card on Saturday will see a trio of Casse-trained contenders. The conditioner, who was elected into the Hall of Fame in May, will be looking to become the first trainer to repeat as a Belmont Stakes winner in 24 years when he sends out Tap it to Win for the 152nd edition of the American Classic. Proven Strategies will also compete in the Grade 2, $150,000 Pennine Ridge and Perfect Alibi will run in the Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Acorn.

Casse earned his first career Belmont victory when Sir Winston pulled off a surprise victory in 2019, beating stablemate and Preakness-winner War of Will and the rest of the 10-horse field to give Casse two-thirds of the Triple Crown with two different winners.

Casse, who would be the first Belmont repeat winner since fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas won three in a row from 1994-96, will send out Tap It to Win off two consecutive wins in non-stakes action.

"He's good. He was great this morning and all systems are go. We're ready for takeoff," Casse said.

Owned by Live Oak Plantation, Tap It to Win, the morning-line third choice at 6-1 behind favorite Tiz the Law and 5-1 Dr Post, drew the inside post with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who will be making his record 24th Belmont start.

"I would have preferred to have the favorite down on the inside and us on the outside, but they didn't ask my opinion," Casse said with a laugh. "For the most part, it probably doesn't matter. The only thing is when you have a horse like mine who has speed, you kind of would like to be a little outside just in case he broke a step slow."

Tap It to Win, 3-1-0 in six starts, has won each of his races breaking from either post 1, 2 or 3. The Tapit colt will be competing at the Belmont's 1 1/8-mile distance for the first time but enters of a five-length score against allowance company at a career-high 1 1/16 miles on June 4.

With the Belmont Stakes held without spectators in attendance, Casse said the environment around the race is different from last year.

"Last year I had War of Will and Sir Winston, so it's different. I'm doing a lot more phone interviews," Casse said. "Part of all of it is the crowd and the excitement and the reporters and people who love the game, and they can't get as close right now, so it's different. But for the circumstances, especially in sports, I feel lucky that we're allowed to run and allowed to compete. I've already had more friends say they'll be watching it because there's not a whole lot on."

Proven Strategies, owned by Leonard Green and Jonathan Green, will be seeking his third win in four starts in the Pennine Ridge at one mile on the Widener turf for sophomores. The Sky Mesa colt made all four of his previous starts this year at Gulfstream Park, including a hard-running second to Gufo in the 1 1/16-mile English Channel turf route on May 20.

As a juvenile, Proven Strategies made an impression in his stakes debut at Saratoga, running second to Another Miracle in the Skidmore last August before capping his 2-year-old campaign with a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Santa Anita.

Looking for his first stakes win, Proven Strategies, listed as the 3-1 second choice behind 6-5 favorite Decorated Invader, will break from post 3 in tandem with jockey Jose Ortiz.

"He's a horse we had high hopes for last year," Casse said. "We ran him in some tough spots. He ran good, but he seemed to improve this year and got bigger and stronger. It's a tough race but if he's not somewhere in the mix in the end, I'd be pretty disappointed."

The Pennine Ridge is carded as Race 4 on Saturday with an approximate post time of 1:42 p.m. Eastern.

Tracy Farmer's Perfect Alibi will make her long-awaited seasonal bow after winning a pair of graded stakes as a 2-year-old. A daughter of Sky Mesa, Perfect Alibi won her debut by 9 ½ lengths last May at Churchill Downs and immediately was placed against stakes company, running second in the Astoria at Belmont.

In Saratoga, the Pin Oak Stud Kentucky-bred found a safe haven, winning both the Grade 2 Adirondack and the Grade 1 Spinaway at the Spa, propelling that to another strong Grade 1 effort in running second to British Idiom in the Darley Alcibiades in October at Keeneland. She capped her year with a fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, marking her only off-the-board performance in six starts.

Perfect Alibi, off a seven-month layoff, has been training at Belmont since March. Casse said not having to ship in is an extra benefit for running in the one-mile Longines Acorn.

"The Acorn was our goal all along, but my hopes were to get a couple of races prior to the Acorn," Casse said. "That didn't work out, but all I can tell you is that she's been training for a long time and has a lot of works under her, so she should be fit. What we need from her is to see her make a big step from her 2-year-old to her 3-year-old year, and I think she will.

"It helps not having to ship. I think it also helps Tap It to Win, too" he added. "He has a race over the track. It's coming back quickly, but having a race over the track always helps."

Perfect Alibi, listed at 5-1, drew the outside post 7 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons. The Acorn, run one race prior to the Belmont Stakes, will go off as Race 8 at 4:15 p.m. with even-money favorite Gamine breaking from the rail.

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Duarte Jr. and Meru in search of first graded win in G1 Woody Stephens presented by Claiborne Farm

Trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr. will saddle Meru in Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Woody Stephens presented by Claiborne Farm.

Meru is one of three entries trained by Duarte Jr. on the Belmont Stakes Day card for owner Colts Neck Stables, which also includes promising maiden Shadow Boat and recent maiden-winner Strongerthanuknow.

Purchased for $300,000 at the April 2019 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Meru has demonstrated speed and ability in four career starts. Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, the Sky Mesa bay graduated on debut in July at Monmouth Park and followed up with a career-best 95 Beyer, winning the six-furlong Smoke Glacken at the Oceanport, New Jersey oval.

Meru endured a troubled trip in the one-mile Grade 3 Nashua in November at the Big A when pinched at the break and steadied before rallying to finish second behind well-regarded Independence Hall. Last out, in his seasonal debut in a May 25 optional-claiming sprint at Churchill Downs, Meru demonstrated a good late kick to be fourth, defeated less than a length by Woody Stephens-rival Echo Town.

The 35-year-old Duarte, Jr. said Meru is training well into Saturday's seven-furlong test on Big Sandy.

"He's doing very well," said Duarte, Jr. "The Churchill race was a short, but very interesting field. He's coming into this race well and we're hoping for a nice pace in front of us, so we can pick up all the pieces."

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call aboard Meru from post 2 in a compact, but talented, field of five led by Mischevious Alex and the speedy Parole. Meru won his first two races gate-to-wire, but experienced difficult starts in his last two trips before closing ground late.

Duarte, Jr. said he is hoping for a stalking trip in the Woody Stephens.

"He has natural speed for sure," said Duarte, Jr. "In the Nashua, he got pinched back at the start and at Churchill he had an outside post and broke right, which took some of his speed away. Parole is inside of us and I think their plan will be to go. I'm not sure I want to be part of a speed duel, but he's shown he can come from behind. We'll see how the break goes and let Irad make the decision. He's riding very well.

"Irad is one of the best in the business," continued Duarte, Jr. "He should be able to monitor the pace and see how the race is unfolding. We'll leave it up to him."

A victory in the Woody Stephens would mark a first graded-stakes score for both horse and trainer.

"It would be amazing," Duarte, Jr. "We're happy to be there participating. The horse is doing well and we'll see how everything unfolds."

Shadow Boat, a half-brother to Grade 1-winner Shared Account and Grade 3-winner Colonial Flag, is out of the multiple graded-stakes winning mare Silk n' Sapphire. An $80,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Shadow Boat wintered at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida before shipping back to Colts Necks Stables' training facility in New Jersey for a series of breezes ahead of his May 23 debut at Churchill Downs.

Sent to post at odds of 9-2, Shadow Boat was off slowly and raced from last-of-12 before a mild rally to finish sixth in the 6 1/2-furlong maiden sprint under Jose Ortiz. Manny Franco will have the call aboard Shadow Boat from post 6 in Saturday's seventh race at Belmont, a seven-furlong maiden sprint.

"He's a horse we thought highly enough of to send him to Churchill," said Duarte, Jr. "There's not a lot of options during the pandemic. He didn't get out great at Churchill but he made a middle move. It's not a big field on Saturday and he has a race under his belt now. We'll see if he can pick up his feet this time.

"That first race doesn't say much," added Duarte, Jr. "But he's shown us in the morning he can be okay. I won't be surprised if he runs a good race."

Strongerthanuknow, a New York-bred daughter of Mineshaft, earned a 70 Beyer in her fourth-out graduation in a six-furlong turf sprint on Opening Day of the Belmont spring/summer meet. She'll travel the same distance and surface in Saturday's seventh race, a New York-bred allowance for 3-year-olds and up, under jockey Luis Saez.

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Echo Town makes Grade 1 debut in Woody Stephens

L and N Racing's Michael Levinson expressed excitement in debuting three-time winner Echo Town against Grade 1 company in Saturday's $300,000 Woody Stephens presented by Claiborne Farm.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, a three-time winner of the seven furlong sprint for sophomores, Echo Town has never finished off the board in five lifetime starts which include three wins all over different main tracks. Following a victory on debut at Fair Grounds over next-out winners Earner and Chrystal Sphere, the son of Speightstown defeated winners at Oaklawn two starts later before a close second in the Bachelor at the Arkansas oval and a last out allowance win on May 20.

"He started off rating and now he shows some more speed," Levinson said. "We'll see how the track plays. He can go front or sit just off the pace."

All of Echo Town's starts have taken place going six furlongs and he will attempt going an extra eighth of a mile on Saturday.

"Obviously going six to seven furlongs is a big difference. [Grade 3 Gotham-winner] Mischevious Alex has gone a mile before. It's a big step up for us, but we're excited to see what he can get. He's super consistent and the races in the spring have been really tough. The allowance races are basically stakes races. That three-other-than he was in last time, you won't find a better allowance field than that."

Bred in Kentucky, Echo Town is out of the graded stakes winning Menifee broodmare Letgomyecho who also produced graded stakes winner J Boy's Echo. 

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Casual attempts to live up to her rich pedigree in G1 Longines Acorn

Winning a Grade 1 anywhere can be a lot to ask out of a young horse, especially one that has only raced twice, but John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farm believes that two-time winner Casual is up for the task when she makes her stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Acorn going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park.

Undefeated in both of her starts, an Oaklawn Park maiden victory and a Churchill Downs allowance triumph, the well-bred chestnut sophomore is by two-time Horse of the Year and multiple champion producing sire Curlin out of the dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Lady Tak, who ran second in the 2003 Acorn. Both Curlin and Lady Tak were trained by Casual's Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen.

Casual is a strong rooting interest for Sikura and the rest of his racing and breeding operation for several reasons. In addition to her sire Curlin standing at the Lexington farm for $175,000, her damsire Mutakddim also was a Hill 'n' Dale sire.

"Let's hope we see some similarities," said Sikura with a laugh. "She's out of a wonderful race mare. We stood her damsire Mutakddim at stud as well. He had been a bit of a surprise sire but was a very successful sire who produced more than a hundred stakes winners and she was his first really good horse. It would mean a lot for lots of different reasons for her to be a high quality filly."

Following her half-length victory in her career debut at Oaklawn Park going six furlongs, she beat winners at Churchill Downs going seven furlongs. She earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure in both starts and will see yet another increase in distance for the one-mile Acorn.

"I don't think that will bother her at all," Sikura said of the distance. "It will be an interesting race. It's a big ask, but she's been professional and impressive in her two starts. It's always tough to win a Grade 1 and in New York it's even tougher.

"I wish she had a little more seasoning, but Steve is confident that she'll run her race and that this is the right place to go."

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. has piloted Casual in both of her victories and will have the return mount for the Acorn.

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Call Me Love, Feel Glorious breeze; possible for G2 New York

Trainer Christophe Clement reported that graded stakes-placed Call Me Love and dual stakes-winner Feel Glorious are both possible for graded stakes action on Saturday, June 27 at Belmont Park.

Both 4-year-old fillies worked along with a slew of Clement trainees over the inner turf course at Belmont Park Friday morning.

A winner of the Memories of Silver and Winter Memories at Aqueduct last year, Feel Glorious drilled through a half-mile in 48.48 seconds which was the fastest of the 18 recorded works at the distance. Call Me Love, second on North American debut in the Grade 3 Beaugay, went 49.60 for her half-mile work.

Call Me Love could race back in next Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 New York going 1/14 miles over the inner turf, while Feel Glorious could either target the same event or race in the Grade 1, $300,000 Just a Game going one mile over the Widener turf course.

"[Call Me Love] worked well, she's eligible for the New York Handicap. It's coming up very quick but we're going to have a look at it. Feel Glorious worked very well also. She too is a candidate for the New York, as well as the Just a Game. We'll have to think about it," Clement said.

Owned by R Unicorn Stable, Call Me Love was a dual group winner in Italy before her United States debut in the Beaugay, where she sat a couple of lengths off the pace and closed late to finish second to wire-to-wire winner Rushing Fall. 

Feel Glorious, a daughter of Bated Breath, has not raced since her Winter Memories victory on December 7.

Clement also worked improving stakes winner Gufo over the inner turf. The Otter Bend Stables-owned son of Declaration of War went a half-mile in 50 seconds flat and will target the Grade 3, $125,000 Kent on July 4 at Delaware Park.

Gufo will head to Delaware attempting his fourth straight victory. After a Gulfstream Park maiden win and a first-level allowance triumph over the South Florida oval, he won his stakes debut in the English Channel on May 2.