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Domestic Spending leads slew of Chad Brown turf workers; Higher Truth targets G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational

by NYRA Press Office

• Domestic Spending leads slew of Chad Brown turf workers; Higher Truth targets G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational
• Illiogami on point for G2 Mother Goose; Cellist a contender of note for G1 Belmont Derby
• Veteran rider Mike Luzzi out 6-to-8 weeks
• America’s Day at the Races to air special Wednesday broadcast featuring Canterbury Park action
• Cross Country Pick 5 pays $37K, nets total of $89K

Klaravich Stables’ Domestic Spending, winner of the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan last out, was one of multiple horses to breeze over the inner turf at Belmont Park for trainer Chad Brown on Sunday morning.

The 4-year-old son of Kingman went a half-mile in company with multiple graded stakes-placed Rockemperor completing his four-furlong move in 49.75 seconds over the firm turf.

“He worked in company with Rockemperor just stretching his legs,” Brown said. “He went an easy half-mile and I just wanted to get him out there and assess him. It was a very routine work. He looks super.”

Prior to capturing the Manhattan over good turf on June 5, Domestic Spending dead-heated for victory with Colonel Liam in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

In the Manhattan, Domestic Spending was 11 lengths back on the backstretch before displaying a devastating turn-of-foot to gun down graded stakes-winning stablemate Tribhuvan, winning by 2 3/4-lengths.

Brown said Domestic Spending remains on target for the Grade 1, $600,000 Mister D, formerly known as the Arlington Million, on August 14 at Arlington Park.

Also on the work tab was Master Piece, who finished a late-closing sixth in the Manhattan and went a half-mile in 48.62.

“He’s looking for firm ground. I’m thinking about running him in the [Grade 1, $500,000] United Nations [on July 17 at Monmouth Park].”

Brown said he will be hoping for a better performance next out from Juddmonte’s Pocket Square, who finished fifth as the beaten favorite in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 5.

The daughter of Night of Thunder blitzed through a half-mile with a bullet work in 48.05 – the fastest of 18 recorded works at the distance. She will be pointed for the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana on July 17 at Saratoga Race Course.

“Going into the Just a Game, she missed her final work with the rainstorms. I wasn’t able to get a few horses there that weekend,” Brown said. “In hindsight, it really affected her. She was flat in her race, and I think it was because of missing a work. I’m inclined to draw a line through that race and point her to the Diana.”

Brown would be targeting a sixth straight Diana victory having won the past five with Dacita [2016], Lady Eli [2017], Sistercharlie [2018-19] and Rushing Fall [2020].

Michael Dubb, Sandford Goldfarb and Samuel Abraham’s Devamani logged his first work since capturing the Grade 3 Monmouth on June 5, travelling a half-mile in 48.75. He made his 2021 debut off nearly seven month’s rest, running fourth in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on May 1 at Belmont Park.

Brown said the $100,000 Oceanport on August 8 at Monmouth Park is among a number of potential targets.

“He’s the kind of horse who benefits from a race to kind of get in form,” said Brown. “He looks fine. Not exactly sure what we’re going to do with him next. Going back to Monmouth for the Oceanport is one idea. We’ll also look at some other spots.”

Brown said undefeated Chilean-bred Breakpoint is nearing a North American debut. The son of Constitution is a two-time Group 1 winner in his native country and worked five furlongs in 1:00.60.

“He’s getting close to his first start,” Brown said. “We’re looking for a spot with him. He’s very close to getting started. He seems like a steady horse in his works.”

Bradley Thoroughbreds, Iris Smith Stables and Rigney Racing’s Minaun, an allowance winner going six furlongs on April 30, went five furlongs in 1:00.90 in preparation for the $100,000 Wild Applause on June 26 at Belmont Park.

The bay sophomore daughter of Zoffany won the Group 3 Marble Hill last July in her native Ireland in her start prior to her first North American engagement.

“Her form looks good. She shouldn’t have any trouble with the mile. She wouldn’t mind some cut in the ground,” Brown said.

Brown noted that Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown and Team Hanley’s Higher Truth will target the Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies, on July 10.

The bay Galileo filly broke her maiden at 1 ¼ miles on April 22 over the inner turf, defeating next-out winner Community Adjusted, and then defeated winners at the same distance on June 10.

“She’s got a pair of mile-and-a-quarter wins,” Brown said. “She doesn’t have any stakes credentials so she’s going to have to get into the field. If she does, I think she fits with those horses.”

Illiogami on point for G2 Mother Goose; Cellist a contender of note for G1 Belmont Derby

Reiko and Michael Baum’s Illiogami, trained by Rusty Arnold, will make her stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 $250,000 Mother Goose, a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies at Belmont.

The Tapit grey, a $400,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is out of the multiple Group 1-winning Falco mare Odeliz.

The sizable filly made her first two starts traveling one mile on the turf in Kentucky, finishing fifth on debut in October at Keeneland and second in November at Churchill. Illiogami closed out her juvenile campaign with a closing second on November 28 on the Churchill Downs main track.

Illiogami has thrived at 1 1/16-miles on the dirt to start her 3-year-old campaign, notching a maiden score at Keeneland on April 2 and a similar late-moving score at Churchill on April 30.

“She's a vastly improved 3-year-old. We're very excited about her and think she has a big future,” said Arnold. “We started her on turf and she ran well. We decided to give her a try on dirt and she breezed good on it and then ran good on it.”

Arnold said he wanted to give Illiogami some time between starts after winning races 28 days apart.

“We ran her back pretty quick and then started trying to map out where we wanted to go and there wasn’t anything here for her,” said Arnold. “I think she'll like Belmont. She's a big filly and I think the turns will help her. We've aimed at this the whole time.”

Her dam, Odeliz, ran second to Just the Judge in the 2014 Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine and the following year captured the Group 1 Priz Jean Romanet at Deauville and the Group 1 Lydia Tesio at Rome.

Given the impressive pedigree, Arnold said he hasn’t ruled out a return to turf for Illiogami.

“She may be back to the turf at some point, but right now it’s hard to move her off the dirt when she's won two in a row,” said Arnold.

Julien Leparoux will retain the mount on Illiogami for the Mother Goose, which is expected to attract a classy field that includes graded-stakes winner Clairiere and the undefeated Always Carina.

Arnold said Calumet Farm homebred Cellist, a Big Blue Kitten colt, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational. The first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomores is contested at 10 furlongs on the Belmont turf on July 10.

A winner at second asking traveling 1 1/16-miles on the Gulfstream Park turf in February, Cellist followed with a close second in a nine-furlong Keeneland turf allowance on April 23.

Last out, Cellist made every call a winning one in the nine-furlong Audubon over good turf on May 29 at Churchill.

“We're really high on him and we're bringing him up for the Belmont Derby,” said Arnold. “He has a lot to learn but I think the distance will help him. The purse is really good and hopefully he'll handle the jump up.”

Arnold said he plans to have his usual string of 16 horses at Saratoga this summer after missing the meet last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Last year was the first year I hadn't been at Saratoga since '85,” said Arnold. “We love Saratoga and we've been there for a long time. You like it on the years when you have good horses better than when you don't and we're excited to get back.”

Among the good horses to be part of Arnold’s Saratoga contingent is A. Dunne, P. Harlow, B. Miley and J. Wilkinson's Artos, who finished fourth in the Group 2 Queen Mary on June 16 at Ascot.

“She ran very well. We wish we'd been third but she had a tough go on her side of the course. She ran very credible,” said Arnold.

The Irish-bred Kodiac filly graduated at second asking in a 5 1/2-furlong Churchill turf sprint by a nose over Overbore, who exited that effort to win the Tremont on the Belmont main track.

Arnold said Artos will target the $120,000 Bolton Landing, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for juvenile fillies on August 18 at Saratoga.

“We'll play it by how she comes back, but that's two months off and will give her a lot of time to recover,” said Arnold. “She gets back to Kentucky on Friday and we'll ship to Saratoga soon after that.”

G. Watts Humprey’s stakes-placed Navratilova will make her next start in the one-mile Tepin for sophomore fillies on the Churchill turf on June 26 before making her way to Saratoga.

The well-bred Medaglia d’Oro bay is out of the multiple graded stakes wining Smart Strike mare Centre Court, who won the 2013 Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.

Arnold said the filly’s moniker is a nod to the strong family line, including the second dam, Let, who was second in the 1998 Ashland at Keeneland and won the 1999 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff for the veteran conditioner.

“We had bought the mare, Let, who placed in a Grade 1 for us and one of her foals was Centre Court, who was a Grade 1 winner, and this [Navratilova] is her foal. The theme comes from the female line,” said Arnold. “Navratilova will run in the Tepin on the last day at Churchill and hopefully move on to the end of the stakes schedule at Saratoga.”

Notable turf route options for sophomore fillies at Saratoga include the Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, second leg of the Turf Triple series for females, at 1 3/16-miles on August 8 and the Grade 2, $200,000 Lake Placid at 1 1/16-miles on August 21.

Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables and Jean Wilkinson’s multiple graded stakes winner Leinster is enjoying a freshening at Wavertree in Ocala, Florida. The 6-year-old Majestic Warrior bay captured the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint on February 13 in his most recent effort.

“He won well at Gulfstream but came out of it with some issues,” said Arnold. “All the turf races for him are in the fall so we sent him to the farm down at Wavertree and we expect him back for the Saratoga meet. I'm not sure if he'll run there or not, but we'll have him back in training for the fall.”

Veteran rider Mike Luzzi out 6-to-8 weeks

Veteran rider Mike Luzzi broke his right ankle in a pre-race incident aboard Breaking Stones ahead of Saturday’s eighth-race at Belmont Park.

“He fractured his right ankle and will need surgery. He will probably be out about 6-to-8 weeks,” said Luzzi’s agent Mike Monroe. “He said the horse acted up at the gate and when he jumped off the horse, it was just the way he landed that caused it.”

The 51-year-old Luzzi, a native of Wilmington, Delaware, won the 1989 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. Additional honors for Luzzi include the 2001 Mike Venezia Memorial Award and the 2015 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.

According to Equibase statistics, Luzzi has won 3,529 races with purse earnings in excess of $114 million.

America’s Day at the Races to air special Wednesday broadcast featuring Canterbury Park action

A special Wednesday edition of America’s Day at the Races will air 6-10:30 p.m. Eastern on FS2, showcasing six stakes races as part of Canterbury Park's Mystic Lake Northern Stars Turf Festival.

Presented by America’s Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, America’s Day at the Races will kick off its action with the opener of Canterbury’s 10-race card at 6:12 p.m. Analyst Michelle Yu will join the broadcast live on site from Canterbury, located in Shakopee, Minnesota.

The first of the six stakes will go off in the $100,000 Curtis Sampson Oaks for 3-year-old fillies contested at one mile on the turf in Race 3 at 7:13 p.m. Saranya, the 9-5 morning-line favorite, enters off a fourth-place finish last out in the Grade 2 Appalachian going one mile over Keeneland’s turf in April for trainer Brad Cox.

Following will be the $100,000 Dark Star Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up going five furlongs in Race 4. Drena’s Star is listed at 2-1 after winning the Honor the Hero in a stakes taken off the turf at Canterbury last month for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Wellabled, a 3-1 selection trained by Larry Rivelli, has finished in the money in five of his last seven starts.

In Race 5, the $60,000 MTA Stallion Auction, a field of eight sophomores will battle 6 1/2-furlongs led by the streaking filly Star of the North, who has won four straight, including a last-out 7 1/4-length romp in the Two Altazano on February 27 at Sam Houston. Ry Eikleberry has the call aboard the daughter of The Hunk for trainer Francisco Bravo.

The $100,000 Lady Canterbury in Race 6 will see a nine-horse field of fillies and mares 3-years-old and up compete at one mile on the turf. The Mike Maker-trained Evil Lyn, second in the Pago Hop to close her sophomore year in December at Fair Grounds, will be looking for her first victory as a 4-year-old and is 2-1 on the morning line. Princess Causeway, listed at 5-1 and trained by Ian Wilkes, will be returning off a nine-month break when she ran seventh in the Grade 3 Ladies Turf in September at Kentucky Downs.

In Race 7, the $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile, featuring the 2020 Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile runner-up Parlor, will see a field of nine 3-year-olds and up compete on the turf. Parlor, conditioned by Maker and a 5-2 choice, also earned graded stakes black type last year when third in the Grade 2 Wise Dan.

Canterbury’s most lucrative stakes will be the $150,000 Mystic Lake Derby for sophomores also going one mile on the turf in Race 8. T D Dance, winner of the James W. Murphy in May at Pimlico for Cox, will look to notch his third consecutive win overall. The Can the Man colt is listed at 5-2. Modern Science, a 5-1 choice for Wilkes, broke his maiden at fourth asking last out on May 16 at Churchill.

The show will also broadcast a total of seven races from Penn National, located in Grantville, Pennsylvania.

America's Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA's YouTube channel which boasts more than 70,000 subscribers. Fans can subscribe to NYRA's channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA's YouTube channel also hosts a plethora of race replays, special features, America's Day at the Races replays and more.

Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 pays $37K, nets total of $89K

Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 featuring racing from Belmont and Churchill Downs, paid $37,936 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The total pool was $89,270.

Churchill commenced the action when Exult rallied from eighth to win a starter allowance for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the turf in Race 6. Exult, trained by Rodolphe Brisset and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, was fifth in the stretch before turning it on to post a 1 3/4-length victory with a final time of 1:35.33, returning $8.80 on a $2 win wager.

Belmont was the site of the sequence’s first stakes, as Sport Model won the $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Cupecoy’s Joy for eligible state-sired 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on the Widener turf course in Race 6. The Christophe Clement-trained Sport Model, under jockey Luis Saez, outkicked Funwhileitlasted by a half-length, completing the course in 1:21.16. Sport Model paid $14.80.

Action stayed at Belmont for Race 8, as My First Grammy edged Top Gun Tommy by a neck to win a starter allowance going a one-turn mile on Big Sandy in Race 8. My First Grammy, conditioned by Oscar Barrera, was piloted by Manny Franco, hitting the wire in 1:36.78. Off at 9-1, My First Grammy returned $20.20.

Witez bested Take Charge Ro by three-quarters of a length in Churchill’s Race 9, winning at 13-1 in paying $29.60 for the sequence’s biggest upset. The Ian Wilkes trainee completed the 1 1/8-mile turf course in 1:48.43 under Chris Landeros, topping a 10-horse field of fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in an allowance optional claimer.

The $150,000 NYSSS Spectacular Bid in Belmont’s Race 9 concluded the Cross Country Pick 5, with Ocala Dream repelling the favorite Step Dancer’s late charge to win the seven-furlong Widener turf contest for 3-year-olds by one length. Trained by Tom Morley, Ocala Dream, ridden by Junior Alvarado, notched a final time of 1:21.20 and paid $8.40.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.