Dover Street looks to graduate in style in G2 Pilgrim

• Dover Street looks to graduate in style in G2 Pilgrim
• Forever Young likely to breeze Sunday at Belmont Park
• Birdwell to saddle first New York stakes starters with Cafe Rose and My Kid’s Said No
• Delgado hopes well-bred G1 Champagne contender Earth Song can become a top-flight winner
• Rum Twist looking professional ahead of G1 Frizette
• Harper’s Corner to try turf in G3 Matron
• Kevin Rice sends a trio of stakes hopefuls in Spirited Sol, Almighty One and Uncle Kef
• Club Reign ready to roll in G1 Champagne; Let Em Know leans towards G2 Pilgrim

AMO Racing USA’s Group 3-placed maiden Dover Street brings improving form and high expectations to Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Pilgrim, at Belmont Park. The 1 1/16-mile Widener turf test for 2-year-olds provides a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in October at Keeneland.

The Pilgrim is slated as the final race on Saturday’s stacked 11-race card that features three other “Win and You’re In” qualifiers in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne [Juvenile] in Race 8, the Grade 2, $250,000 Miss Grillo [Juvenile Fillies Turf] in Race 7, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Futurity [Juvenile Turf Sprint] in Race 10. The program is supported by the Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette [Dirt Dozen] in Race 9 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Matron in Race 6. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.

General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

Trained by Richard Hannon, Jr., Dover Street arrived at Belmont Park on September 25 in pursuit of his first career score.

“He's a very nice horse and I'm hoping for a big run,” Hannon, Jr. said by phone from the Goffs Orby Sale in Ireland. “He's a big, mature fellow and he's taken to the traveling well. Hopefully, he'll run very well. I know he's a maiden, but don't be fooled by that, he's a very good horse.”

Dover Street made three starts sprinting seven furlongs in August, landing a 1 3/4-length fifth on debut on August 5 traveling right-handed over synthetic at Kempton. He returned on turf on August 21 during the Ebor Festival at York traveling left-handed and finished a two-length second to the Joseph O’Brien-trained Benjamin Hornigold in a field of 14. The third-place finisher of that event, Sole Ambition, and fifth-place Game Character, have since graduated, while two others ran second in their subsequent start.

Dover Street enters from a closing half-length second traveling right-handed in the Group 3 Solario on August 29 at Sandown Park. There, the Persian Force chestnut dwelt at the start for the second straight race but quickly made his way to the rail for a ground-saving trip under Pat Dobbs. Dover Street was asked for his best with one furlong to run and he responded with a good kick over the good-to-soft going to just miss to the more prominently-raced Alfred Wallace.

“His first run, he ran perfectly adequately but he needed it in every way, mentally and physically,” Hannon, Jr. said. “His second run, he was in what is traditionally one of the best maidens of the year at York for the big meeting and he was actually unlucky and finished second. He was second in the Group 3, and we rode him to run well. He's a very good horse. I wouldn't send him out there if I didn't think he was up to it.”

Hannon, Jr. said he was very pleased with the Solario effort.

“For me, he looked like the horse to take out of the race,” Hannon, Jr. said. “He has improved 10 or 12 pounds for every run, and he will improve for that latest run as well. I was very pleased with his run.”

Hannon, Jr. said he isn’t too concerned with the tardy starts in Dover Street’s recent outings.

“He will have to figure that out for himself. He was OK last time, and I find you end up creating a problem if you start gate-ing them over and over again,” Hannon, Jr. said. “He'll figure that out. If he got beat because he missed the gate, I think I would be alright with that.

“If he hit the gate well and he was on the pace, he'd go as fast or as slow as you want. He's a gentleman,” Hannon, Jr. added.

Dover Street made his final preparations at Hannon, Jr.’s Herridge Racing Stables before shipping stateside.

“I haven't rushed him. He only made his first run about six weeks ago. For a 2-year-old, he's a big lad and he's a horse that will be a nice horse next year as well,” Hannon, Jr. said. “He's not just a 2-year-old. He should handle the turns OK.

“He worked very well a couple days before he left and I was very happy with it,” Hannon, Jr. continued. “He's done very good out there. He's just been hacking around, and he's done very well with the traveling. I'm looking forward to Saturday.”

Paco Lopez has picked up the mount from post 11-of-12 for Saturday’s test and the trainer noted Dover Street could stay stateside with a positive result in the Pilgrim.

“If he ran well, he would stay there and go on to the Breeders' Cup,” Hannon, Jr. said.

Hannon, Jr. secured his first U.S. victory on September 7 with Haatem in the Grade 3 Mint Millions Invitational at Kentucky Downs. The conditioner has both Haatem and Persica under consideration for the 10-furlong Grade 2, $500,000 Man o’ War on November 28 here.

Wathnan Racing’s Haatem, a 5-year-old Phoenix of Spain horse, has banked in excess of $1.2 million through a 22-6-2-4 ledger that includes three additional group wins and two Group 1-placings. He launched his current campaign with off-the-board efforts traveling 10-furlongs in the Listed Fitzdares Festival in May at Goodwood and an attempted title defense in the Listed Wolferton in June at Royal Ascot.

“He needed his first run very badly after a long time off. He went to Royal Ascot and literally never saw any daylight and finished on the bridle,” Hannon, Jr. said.

Haatem rallied to finish a one-length fifth to the victorious Group 3-winner Galen in a nine-furlong conditions race in July at Goodwood ahead of his last-out Mint Millions coup. There, he made the lead inside the furlong marker and staved off the bid of multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire Lagynos to win by a neck in a final time of 1:34.32. The winning effort returned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He pulls up when he gets to the front and I think he did that there again in Kentucky, but he did it well,” Hannon, Jr. said.

Martin Hughes and Michael Kerr-Dineen’s Persica, a 5-year-old New Bay gelding, has banked $571,990 through a 28-9-2-5 record that includes a trio of Group 3 wins, including in the Superior Mile on September 5 at Haydock where he nosed out The Lost King to take the spoils.

He was most recently a five-length third in the Group 2 Joel on September 25 at Newmarket won by the well-regarded Group 1-placed Talk of New York – a British homebred for Godolphin that trainer Charlie Appleby indicated post-race could be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup here next year. Persica just missed runner-up honors in the Joel by a neck to familiar foe The Lost King.

“He just got nailed for second on the line. He'll suit the American style racing. I think he might quite like that track,” Hannon, Jr. said of the versatile Persica, who has won at distances ranging from six furlongs to a mile and a quarter.

Additional news, notes, advances and recaps are available at: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/news/.

For more information about the new Belmont Park, visit NewBelmont.com. 

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Forever Young likely to breeze Sunday at Belmont Park

Susumu Fujita’s Forever Young, recent winner of the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, has made full use of the extensive Belmont Park property since his 3 1/4-length score on the September 18 card that welcomed racing back to the Long Island track.

Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and piloted by Ryusei Sakai, the 5-year-old Real Steel horse covered 1 1/4-miles in a final time of 2:01.23 and earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure for his Jockey Club Gold Cup coup. Forever Young has remained at Belmont since the win to prepare for a title defense in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic on October 31 at Keeneland.

Assistant trainer Yuki Araki, who also gallops the Japanese Horse of the Year and reigning Champion OIder Dirt Horse, said Forever Young enjoyed three days off after the race, walking in the barn and utilizing the walking machine before returning to regular exercise over the dirt training track and Tapeta.

A powerful nor’easter saw racing canceled at Belmont on September 26-27 with Forever Young having an easy weekend indoors before returning to the Tapeta track on Monday.

“We had the nor'easter last weekend, so we gave him a couple of days walking inside,” Araki said. “We started riding him again Monday and went to the Tapeta. Yesterday, we went to the dirt training track and pony track. He handled it well. The pony track is a very nice surface.”

The Jockey Club Gold Cup was contested on the dirt main track and is one of four racing surfaces at Belmont Park, including the newly-installed one-mile Tapeta track, which will be used as the exclusive surface for winter racing while also providing a year-round training option for horses stabled on the property. Belmont also races on an inner turf track and Widener turf course.

Additional training options for horsemen at Belmont include a one-mile dirt training track, as well as a covered jogging barn with a synthetic surface, and a quarter-mile Tapeta pony track.

On Wednesday, Forever Young walked across the expansive Belmont property to warm up on the Tapeta pony track in company with Shin Emperor, who was in rein to Yuto Kamagai. The horses then walked to the dirt training track where Shin Emperor watched as Forever Young galloped once around.

Forever Young cooled out in his customary fashion since arriving in New York with multiple laps along the treelined horse path adjacent to the main track before bath time and a pick of grass.

Araki said Forever Young is likely to have his first timed work back since the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sunday over the main track.

“I think he will have an even pace work this weekend on Sunday, just three or four furlongs, and see how it goes and how he reacts,” Araki said.

Forever Young will continue to train at Belmont through October 20 when he ships to Keeneland to complete his final preparations. He has banked in excess of $32.3 million through a 16-12-1-3 record.

***

Birdwell to saddle first New York stakes starters with Cafe Rose and My Kid’s Said No

Trainer Tena Birdwell will saddle her first two starters on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit when she sends out stakes hopefuls Cafe Rose in Friday’s $175,000 Joseph A. Gimma and My Kid’s Said No in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Futurity, at Belmont Park.

Birdwell, 31, just wrapped up a solid meet at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, winning at an 18 percent clip through a 45-8-8-12 record. She grew up in Washington State and rode horses as a youth – barrel racing, eventing, and dressage.

“I went from high school to the track,” Birdwell said. “I started galloping at Emerald Downs and then the old Portland Meadows in the winter. I got talked into getting my trainer's license out and went on from there.”

Birdwell’s first horse was French Candy, a Sidney’s Candy gelding originally trained by Charles Essex. She bought the horse privately in the middle of the 2019 Emerald Downs meet and nearly pulled off a 24-1 upset with her first starter as the hard-trying chestnut landed a half-length second on August 24, 2019. French Candy would win his next two outings for Birdwell that September to close out the Emerald meet.

“I was going to retire him and make him a pony horse,” Birdwell said. “I was galloping horses and working for Blaine Wright, the leading trainer there at the time, so I kept the horse in training and decided to run him, and we finished the meet really well. He's a showjumper now.”

It was an auspicious start for Birdwell, who ended up winning four of her first five outings, taking a pair of races in December 2019 at Turf Paradise.

Birdwell’s first Empire State starter will appropriately come with Joseph Schumer’s New York-bred Cafe Rose [post 6, Fausto Henrique Da Silva] in the Gimma, a 6 1/2-furlong inner turf sprint for state-bred juvenile fillies.

The Yaupon dark bay, bred by Barry Ostrager, was a $7,000 online purchase by Schumer from the OBS June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale. She made an impressive debut at Canterbury, wiring a five-furlong turf maiden by 4 1/2-lengths under returning rider Fausto Henrique Da Silva, who will also be making his first appearance in New York. H’ray for Bombay, the third-place finisher of the maiden score, returned to win comfortably at Canterbury.

Cafe Rose set splits of 22.08 seconds and 44.89 on debut, opening up a four-length lead at the stretch call and stopping the clock in a final time of 57.49 to earn a 65 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I don't know if you ever expect them to win on debut like that because they're babies and you just never know,” Birdwell said. “In the morning, she had her mind on training and was always a very forward filly. She did everything easy in the morning in her works, showed speed. When you run first time, you play it by the break, and she broke on top...it just all worked out.”

The impetus for Birdwell and Schumer to come to New York is to try and take down a “Win and You’re In” race with My Kid’s Said No, but the conditioner said Cafe Rose has earned a chance at stakes glory, too.

“The owner was thinking about bringing My Kid's Said No for the Futurity - because we all have dreams - and I saw this race [the Gimma] in the book,” Birdwell explained. “It's 6 1/2 furlongs and maybe a little longer than I'd like coming off a five-furlong race, but we opted to bring her up here and give it a go. Being a New York-bred, you have to try it.”

Although Cafe Rose was a gate-to-wire winner, Birdwell said she doesn’t necessarily need the lead on Friday.

“It will be dependent on the break,” Birdwell said. “There's a few others that look like speed in there. She's lightly raced, so we'll have to see. She doesn't act like she'll fight too hard if she doesn't get the lead, but you never know.”

Birdwell is joined on the journey by Da Silva, who has been aboard both horses in morning training. She said both horses have adjusted well to new surroundings which were impacted by a powerful nor’easter that forced the cancelation of last weekend’s racing here.

“The jockey came up with me, so he's been getting on them, and I brought my pony. I'm very hands on. I do all the grooming,” Birdwell said. “It's been pretty nasty since we got up here, but she's been training well. She's been handling the slop pretty well.”

Cafe Rose is out of the winning Candy Ride mare Tuberose, a half-sister to stakes-winner Winter Camp. Her second dam, the Benchmark mare Winterose, is a full-sister to 2004 Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks-winner Silent Sighs and dual Grade 2-winner Proposed.

Birdwell will send out her first starter in a graded race on Saturday with Schumer’s speedy My Kid’s Said No [post 1, Fausto Henrique Da Silva], who will make her turf debut versus males in the Grade 3 Futurity. The six-furlong inner turf sprint for 2-year-olds offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in October at Keeneland.

The Omaha Beach dark bay, $70,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, is a half-sister to the turf stakes-placed pair of Kingpin and Lucky Mike.

“I think she should take to it alright. She's pretty light on her feet, but you never know until you try it,” Birdwell said. “It would have been nice to get a work on the grass beforehand, but Omaha Beach's like the grass and that was a big factor for Joe as well.”

My Kid’s Said No graduated by 10 3/4-lengths on debut in May traveling five furlongs over the Gulfstream Park main track.

“She had a nice work at OBS, and we turned her out after the sale for a 3-or-4 week break until I brought her back in to start training,” Birdwell said. “She's very sharp out of there. Our first work after the sale with her was in 35 and change [35.60, April 18] at Tampa and she did it so easy. She came back like it was a little gallop for her.

“Once we started the gate work with her, it just kind of all flowed together,” Birdwell continued. “It just clicked mentally for her, and she makes it look so easy the way she does it. She got her first start at Gulfstream, and it was amazing how she won like that first out.”

My Kid’s Said No followed with a pacesetting third in the 5 1/2-furlong Prairie Gold Lassie on July 10 at Prairie Meadows which was won by Wild Vekoma and followed with an 11 3/4-length frontrunning score at short odds in the five-furlong Debutante on August 4 at Assiniboia Downs. She returned 10 days later to finish a pacesetting 1 3/4-length third to victorious familiar foe Wild Vekoma in the Prairie Meadows Debutante at its namesake track over muddy and sealed footing.

“The thing that got us down in Iowa was that the track was very bad that night, sloppy and very hard,” Birdwell said. “She was under the lights for the first time, and she was a little green. But for being a 2-year-old, she handled it all well. She's very professional.”

My Kid’s Said No is a Florida-bred but boasts a strong Empire State pedigree being out of the dual stakes-winning Hook and Ladder mare Under Services, who won the Schenectady Handicap in September 2008 against fellow New York-breds at Belmont Park and followed that November with a score in the Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The well-traveled Birdwell is hopeful she’ll continue her journey to Kentucky should My Kid's Said No pull off the upset in the Futurity.

“I have seven horses still at Canterbury and my brother, Eugene, has horses down in Remington to fill in the gap between now and Tampa when they start running,” Birdwell said. “If ‘Kid's’ runs decent, and Joe wants to try Breeders' Cup, we'll be in Kentucky. We'll see how all the horses come out of things before we make any further plans.”

A good result by the New York-bred Cafe Rose could also tempt Birdwell to try her talent in New York.

“I wouldn't be against it,” Birdwell said, with a laugh. “With her being a New York-bred, if she runs well, you have a really good program up here and Joe has made a couple comments about breaking into New York as well.”

***

Delgado hopes G1 Champagne contender Earth Song can become a top-flight winner

Trainer Jorge Delgado is confident that AMO Racing USA’s Earth Song can follow in the footsteps of his half-brother Further Ado and become a Grade 1-winner in Saturday’s $500,000 Champagne at Belmont Park. The one-turn mile for 2-year-olds offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in October at Keeneland.

The Champagne, slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 11-race card, also awards the top-five finishers 10-5-3-2-1 respective qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs.

The Justify colt romped to an 11 1/4-length score in a three-horse field sprinting six furlongs in his September 7 debut at Monmouth Park. He will need to prove himself against steep company on Saturday that includes Saratoga Race Course maiden winners Gaudreau and U.S.S. Valor if he is to become a top-flight winner like the Brad Cox-trained Further Ado, who captured the Grade 1 Blue Grass in April en route to an 11th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

"The competition is obviously different at Monmouth than what the others have been facing, and I understand it's a jump in class, but we believe that the horse is a very nice horse,” Delgado said. “Hopefully, with the stretch out in distance and the experience he has from the first time, he can improve enough to compete against these ones.”

Earth Song was off a step slow on debut with Rich’s Best Deal marking the opening quarter-mile in 22.52 seconds before Earth Song took over and drew off to score in a final time of 1:10.43. The winning effort registered a 69 Beyer Speed Figure – a number significantly lower than the 89 earned by Gaudreau or the 105 assigned to U.S.S. Valor for his second-out score, which is the highest of any juvenile this year.

"Honestly, I think he was at a disadvantage in a three-horse field because he had to rush in the beginning to not let the other favorite be by himself on the lead,” Delgado said. “I think he will appreciate more ground - the pedigree suggests that because he's by Justify and is a half-brother to Further Ado, and when you see him galloping or breezing, he tells you he wants to go longer.

"He had to rush to get position and get the win,” Delgado added. “In the end, he separated from the rest, but I think he ran against his characteristics."

Earth Song was a $250,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the Grade 3-placed Sky Mesa mare Sky Dreamer. He is cross-entered in Saturday’s Rocky Run at Delaware Park, but is in New York and will run here Saturday exiting the outermost post 6 under Ricardo Santana, Jr.

"It's always appreciated when you have a good post position, and it couldn't be better,” Delgado said. “I expect him to be close enough because he's going a mile, but Ricardo can decide. I believe in him and he's one of the top riders in the world.”

Delgado, who described the bay as “tall and athletic,” said Earth Song is coming into the Champagne in good order and that he is hopeful that talent will overcome the lack of experience.

“He’s training amazing. I'm not concerned about his fitness,” Delgado said. “He started racing in September and few of the other horses started racing before him or breezing from May and he's a late 2-year-old for me. He's one of the last ones that came to my barn. I know he's still developing but I think he's a really good horse and I won't be surprised if he delivers a good race.”

Delgado will also be represented Saturday by AMO Racing USA’s Regent’s Park in the Grade 3, $200,000 Futurity in Race 10. The six-furlong inner turf sprint for 2-year-olds provides a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in October at Keeneland.

The Bolt d’Oro colt was a gate-to-wire winner of a 4 1/2-furlong maiden sprint on May 25 at Monmouth. There, he put away three rivals over sloppy and sealed footing en route to a 3 1/4-length score in a final time of 52.59, which earned a 56 Beyer.

He followed with a distant fifth in the Grade 3 Sanford over a fast Saratoga main track on July 4 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the irons.

“When he ran the first time, he ran in slop and it was very wet and he liked the surface that day,” Delgado said. “When he ran on the fast track, he didn't appreciate it much and Johnny told me he didn't really grab the bit or make any effort or show desire on that surface.”

Last out, Regent’s Park made his turf debut under Florent Geroux, closing from last-of-7 and more than four lengths off the pace to dead-heat for third with returning rival Golden Corsair, finishing 1 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Omaha Spirit, who is entered in Saturday’s Speakeasy at Santa Anita Park.

Delgado said he loved what he saw from Regent’s Park on turf.

“It was the first time he was feeling the grass and it took him a moment to get going but in the last furlong he made up a lot of ground,” Delgado said. “He found another gear and felt comfortable on the grass...for a second, I thought we could get it, but he came up short. Hopefully with that experience and a little more distance, he can be 1-2-3.”

The $1.4 million acquisition from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, out of the multiple stakes-placed Speightstown mare Sparked, is a half-brother to the Delgado-trained stakes winning filly Launch.

“They look alike but this horse is bigger, and their personalities are a little different,” Delgado said. “This one is more laid back and his temper is more calm, but Launch was a feisty filly and always aggressive.”

Lea Farms’ Legacy Lady [post 4, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] will add blinkers in Race 3 on Friday here, the $175,000 Joseph, A. Gimma, a 6 1/2-furlong inner turf sprint for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies.

The Highly Motivated bay, bred by Stepanie Baltzan, graduated at second asking in her turf debut sprinting five furlongs over firm footing on July 17 at Monmouth Park. She was entered in the Listed Bolton Landing on August 26 at the Spa but landed on the also-eligible list and scratched. Instead, she tried her luck one day later versus open-company males in the Skidmore traveling 5 1/2-furlongs over firm footing. There, she pressed the early pace and landed a 5 1/4-length fourth to the victorious Wood Island, who is entered in Sunday’s Grade 3 Indian Summer at Keeneland. The Skidmore runner-up, Titan Ready, returned to graduate impressively on Opening Weekend here.

“She showed effort and was competitive,” Delgado said, regarding the Skidmore try. “Now, she goes against fillies and against state-breds.”

Delgado said he expects a big effort from Legacy Lady, who has worked back twice over the Monmouth dirt, including a half-mile in 51 flat September 24.

“It's her first time running with the blinkers. I think it will be a game changer for her because she looks around too much and pays attention to everything,” Delgado said. “She's very sensitive to noises so she doesn't really focus when she's running - but she's been running well. In the morning, when she breezes with the blinkers, she's a whole different animal for the better. I know she's going to run better.”

Legacy Lady is out of the Buratino mare Queen of Lies. Her second dam, Queen of May, is a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Tizaqueena.

***

Rum Twist looking professional ahead of G1 Frizette

R. Lee Lewis and Lexi Lewis’ Rum Twist holds a co-field best 78 Beyer Speed Figure ahead of Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park.

The Frizette is a part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen series for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland. The nominated winner of the Frizette will receive a credit of $30,000 toward entry fees, with second and third places receiving credits of $15,000 and $7,500, respectively. The Frizette also offers qualifying points to the top-five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Mark Hennig, Rum Twist graduated third-out by 5 3/4 lengths going seven furlongs on September 5 at Saratoga Race Course. There, the Mandaloun bay stalked in fourth position under Paco Lopez within two lengths of the lead, then drew clear to a 5 3/4-length score, earning her 78 Beyer, tied with Frizette contenders Libby Lloyd and Velora.

“She galloped out well. I know she impressed Paco a lot that day and he was anxious to ride her back,” Hennig said. “She’s a nice, leggy filly, and she did things well all summer. She’s handled herself with class, even in spite of a couple tough trips, she didn’t get discouraged. She goes out there and trains with a smile every day, she’s shown us all along that she could end up in these kinds of spots.”

Rum Twist was previously second to now Grade 1-placed Angel of Kirk in her 5 1/2-furlong July debut at the Spa ahead of a fourth to next-out Grade 1-winner Summer Starlet sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in August there. Hall of Famer John Velazquez was aboard for both performances.

“I thought she showed us a lot in that first race. She didn’t get away good, kind of got bounced around leaving the gate, took a lot of dirt, and nothing seemed to faze her, she just kept coming. Any time a 2-year-old shows you that in their first start, they usually have some quality,” Hennig said. “Next was a rough trip. Johnny said the fact that she still tried to run after trouble showed a lot of quality. So, we were pretty optimistic last time.”

Lopez rides from post 6-of-7 in the Frizette.

“I like the draw with some pace in there. She’s pretty versatile and I think she’ll really love more ground,” Hennig said. “She’s pretty far outside in post six of seven, the one horse outside of her [Velora] should probably clear her early, I’d guess, and then hopefully she just works out a trip. It looks like there’s some pace in the race and she can certainly come from out of it, we’ve seen that, so I don’t feel like she’s got to be up there.” 

Rum Twist, a $260,000 purchase from the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the winning Congrats mare Rumandice and her second dam, Grade 3-placed Chasethegold, is a half-sister to Grade 1-winners Daredevil and Albertus Maximus.

***

Harper’s Corner to try turf in G3 Matron

Charles Biggs’ Harper’s Corner was cross-entered in the same day’s Smart Halo on dirt at Laurel Park, but will instead try the lawn in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Matron, a six-furlong inner turf sprint for juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park.

“We’re going to run her at Belmont and we’ll take a shot on turf,” said trainer Cathal Lynch. “She’s worked well on it, but you don’t know until they run whether they’re going to like it or not.”

The Speaker’s Corner dark bay wired her five-furlong debut in June at Laurel Park, and wheeled back less than one month later to do the same by 5 1/4 lengths in the six-furlong Listed Schuylerville on July 3 at Saratoga.

Lynch mentioned turf in the winner’s circle, but stuck to dirt next for Harper’s Corner, who ran a pacesetting second to the well-regarded Summer Starlet in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Spinaway on September 5 at Saratoga.

“Turf has always been a plan that we could probably try. We always try them at some point on the turf. As a 2-year-old or 3-year-old, you always want to try to give them the opportunity,” Lynch said. “She’s doing well in between races. She’s gained a little muscle and grown. She’s a lovely, well-balanced, good-sized filly.”

Harper’s Corner is out of the Speightstown mare Toscana and was purchased for $70,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 10.2 seconds. Her second dam is Nikkis Smartypants, a Grade 3-winner on turf and a three-time winner on synthetic.

***

Kevin Rice sends a trio of stakes hopefuls in Spirited Sol, Almighty One and Uncle Kef

Trainer Kevin Rice has entered a trio of hopefuls in Grade 3, $200,000 stakes this week at Belmont Park with Spirited Sol in Thursday’s Belmont Turf Sprint as well as on Saturday with Almighty One in the Matron and Uncle Kef in the Futurity.

Winterhawk Farm’s Spirited Sol, an 8-year-old Soldat gelding, has spent the majority of his 36-7-10-8 record in the care of trainer Kimberly DePasquale. He will make his first start for Rice in Thursday’s six furlong inner turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up, entering from a rallying 1 1/4-length score in the Da Hoss, which was contested over 5 1/2-furlongs of firm turf on September 7 at Colonial Downs.

The hard-knocking bay sports a perfect 6-3-1-2 in-the-money record this year, with an additional stakes win over the Presque Isle Downs synthetic in the six-furlong Karl Boyes on July 3.

“He's a class horse and it seems like this is the best he's been this year,” Rice said. “He's always showed talent. We'll take him up there and see what he can do.”

Rice said the Karl Boyes score, a stalk-and-pounce effort under returning rider Martina Rojas, was particularly impressive.

“The rail opened up and there he went. You couldn't have asked for a better set up,” Rice said.

Rice said he’s hopeful a good pace will develop in front of Spirited Sol, who will leave from post 9.

“Sometimes, those races in New York, they don't always like to go and duel up front - they like to sit and close home, but I think there's enough speed in there,” Rice said. “He's tactical where he'll be close if they're not going too fast and he should be in a good position to see if he's good enough or not. I'm bringing his rider and she knows him well.”

The Belmont Turf Sprint is slated as Race 5 on a stacked eight-race Thursday program headlined by the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in Race 7. The card’s graded stakes include the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl [“Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf], Grade 3, $250,000 Vosburgh [“Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint], Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom, Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint and Grade 3, $200,000 Winter Memories. First post is 2:10 p.m. Eastern.

Adam Blick’s Almighty One will make her grass debut in Saturday’s Grade 3 Matron, a six-furlong inner turf sprint for juvenile fillies.

The Jimmy Creed chestnut graduated at second asking sprinting 4 1/2-furlongs over the Presque Isle Downs synthetic in June and followed with a 2 1/4-length fourth in the Listed My Dear on July 12 at Woodbine. She was pulled up in the Grade 3 Adirondack on August 2 at Saratoga Race Course and provided a precautionary ride back to the barn in the equine ambulance, returning to action on August 31 at Presque Isle to romp by 6 1/2-lengths in a six-furlong optional-claimer.

Almighty One enters from a hard-fought effort in the 6 1/2-furlong Presque Isle Downs Debutante on September 18 where she crossed the wire a nose in front of Our Sweet Belle but was disqualified and placed second for drifting out late in the lane.

“That was a tough one to lose,” Rice said. “I didn't think it was enough to take us down, but I understand - we didn't win by a lot. That's racing. She showed she was good enough and that's what we were looking for.”

Rice said to draw a line through the Adirondack try under Manny Franco.

“She broke on top like a shot and she's a little heavy headed when you grab her and he said when the horses passed her on the inside, she kind of shied away,” Rice said. “When he grabbed her, she just wasn't striding right and didn't feel comfortable. He gave her a little further to see if she would smooth out, but she’s just a green baby and just felt uncomfortable and Manny pulled her up and took care of her.

“She was really ready to go when the allowance came around and we were able to enter," Rice added.

Rice said he expects a good effort on Saturday as Almighty One [post 4, Jose Lezcano] tries turf for the first time.

“She acts like a horse that will run on any surface,” Rice said. “I thought dirt was going to be her best surface but we're trying turf, and I think she won't have any problem. She's one of those efficient, strong movers.”

Uncle Kef, a Florida homebred for Rice, will also be making his turf debut in Saturday’s Grade 3 Futurity. The six-furlong inner turf sprint for 2-year-olds provides a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in October at Keeneland.

The Uncle Chuck bay won first out sprinting 4 1/2-furlongs on June 8 at Presque Isle and followed with fifth-place finishes in the Listed Victoria under Carlos Barbosa on July 12 at Woodbine and the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, on August 1.

“His start at Woodbine, he ran real green like a deer in the headlights. I expected a better race that day,” Rice said. “I took my rider along with him and he said he never tried until mid-stretch. Since then, he's been improving. We took him to Saratoga for the dirt, and he just wasn’t fit enough to go on that fast on the dirt and Irad, once he got tired, galloped him home, but Irad told me down the road he’d be a decent horse.”

Uncle Kef has made his last two starts at Presque Isle against the formidable Bossy Wossy, who is undefeated in three outings. Uncle Kef finished a 4 1/4-length second in an optional-claiming event on August 19 and landed five lengths back last out in the Fitz Dixon, Jr. Memorial Juvenile on September 18.

“Two starts ago, in the race before the stakes, he broke slow and awkward. I was expecting him to show more speed that day but the horse that beat us is a really nice horse. I thought with a better trip we had a shot at him going into the stakes last out, but he showed that we didn't. He beat us further,” Rice said, with a laugh. “That's a nice horse and I think his connections are trying to go to the Breeders' Cup. We were chasing the winner, and we held off the rest of them. My horse seems like he's getting better every start. He's a classy, smart horse.”

Uncle Kef is entered in a Thursday allowance tilt at Presque Isle, but Rice said he is leaning towards the Futurity.

“I feel we have a good shot in the stakes up there by the numbers,” Rice said. “I'm still trying to figure it out, but I think he deserves the shot to go up there and try it. Given how he ran last out, I think it would be worth the trip. He's a pretty strong mover. I don't think any surface will slow him down.”

Rice won an optional-claiming event on Tuesday at Presque Isle with Bella Mia Stables’ New York-bred Calvin’s Ride. The 4-year-old Temple City gelding, bred by Alan Jay Topal, went off at short odds and opened up impressively from the top of the lane to score by 6 1/4-lengths.

“They were all right there with him at the top of the stretch and I'm wondering, do we have horse? And then off he went,” Rice said, with a laugh.

Calvin’s Ride made a pair of starts at the Spa this summer, including a good second to the undefeated Carc Brothers in a first-level state-bred allowance traveling nine furlongs over firm turf on August 16.

Rice indicated Calvin’s Ride will make his next start at Belmont in a state-bred turf allowance at the end of October. Calvin’s Ride has banked $183,285 through a 20-7-5-2 ledger.

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Club Reign ready to roll in G1 Champagne; Let Em Know leans towards G2 Pilgrim

When the promising juvenile colt Club Reign made his debut in Race 1 on the August 29 Grade 1 DraftKings Travers program at Saratoga Race Course, it marked the first time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson sent out a horse of his own under his Three Brand Racing moniker. The son of Core Beliefs did not disappoint, cantering home a six-length winner under Edgard Zayas for trainer Whit Beckman.

“Any time you have an owner whose first horse wins impressively on Travers Day at Saratoga, that’s a huge push for everybody involved,” Beckman said of the dark bay that is co-owned by Ribble Farms and Walmac Farm. “We were pumped for him to run the way he did, and I couldn’t be happier for Russ and his family – getting to be there and cheer him on with them was incredible.”

Club Reign was a much-the-best winner in the six-furlong maiden sprint, pressing the pace early and taking charge with ease at the quarter pole to draw clear to the victory over Subjugation in a final time of 1:11.27 in front of a grandstand that included a celebrating Wilson, his wife – Grammy Award-winner Ciara – and their family.

The good times can continue to roll on Saturday at Belmont Park as Club Reign steps up to Grade 1 company in the one-mile $500,000 Champagne, with a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Debry on the line.

“We were impressed with the way he did it [on debut] and he came back great out of it,” Beckman said. “We’re in good company there with some really nice horses that have run some fast numbers, so there will have to be some improvement there, but he’s been training like it’s a real possibility.”

Club Reign was a $475,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the stakes-placed Bernardini mare Bag of Tricks, a half-sister to dual stakes-winner I’m Stoked. He has breezed twice since his maiden win, and covered a half-mile in 49.37 seconds over Belmont's Tapeta on September 27.

“He’s always been very straightforward, has handled training very well and loves to do it,” Beckman said. “He’s real easy-going around the barn and is a professional all around. We think he’s the right type to fit into this spot.”

Zayas will return to the irons from post 4 in the six-horse field on Saturday.

In addition to Club Reign, Beckman has five other stakes entrants this week at Belmont Park, including in the Grade 2, $250,000 Pilgrim on Saturday with Let Em Know, who is cross-entered in the Grade 2 Bourbon on Sunday at Keeneland. Both races are slated for 1 1/16 miles on turf and offer a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.  

The son of Jackie’s Warrior was last seen tracking the pace in the one-mile Grade 1 Summer on September 12 at Woodbine Racetrack, where he broke a bit awkwardly and attempted to advance up the rail under Zayas in the stretch, but was in close quarters at the eighth pole and steadied before keeping on for a 3 1/4-length fifth to Al Hudaiba.

“We weren’t thrilled with the trip, but breaking on the inside and not getting away real clean, he was kind of a victim of circumstance,” Beckman said. “We feel he’s kind of a more free-running horse that could use a little space to run into and keep forward momentum, but once a spot opened up, he finished well and was beat by some nice horses. We think he’s better going a little bit further than a mile, so hopefully it works out for him.”

Campaigned by Anthony Tate, Robert Ogilvie, Joe Pickerrell and Diamond T Racing, Let Em Know, who graduated at second asking going the Pilgrim distance in August at the Spa, shipped to Belmont following the Summer effort and posted a half-mile breeze over the Tapeta in 48.87 seconds on Sunday.

Beckman said the wide draw of the outermost post 12 in the Pilgrim made him take a look at the Bourbon, where he also drew wide in post 10-of-11. 

“The wide post at Belmont breaking on the turn there can be tricky and he doesn’t really break that well,” Beckman said. “We’ll see how things settle in the next couple days and if there’s scratches anywhere, but he’s in New York, so it’s very likely we run up there, so we’ll see how things develop.”

Icon Racing Stable’s Runaway Bride is entered in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile turf route for juvenile fillies that awards a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

The Charlatan chestnut was a deep-closing winner of the her 5 1/2-furlong debut in July at Saratoga, and stretched out to the one-mile Grade 1 Natalma last out on September 12 at Woodbine, rallying from well back to land a two-length fifth to the victorious Voyager while a half-length behind fourth-place returning rival Bounce Back.

“She ran extremely well,” Beckman said. “She just got beat a couple lengths for all of it. We’re back on shorter rest here, but she came back real well and this time of year with the 2-year-olds, when they come back so well and act like they can compete at the same level a few weeks later, we’re happy to run them and try to get a spot in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Following the cancelation of live racing on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 at Belmont Park due to a powerful nor’easter that brought extremely high winds and heavy rain to Long Island, last weekend’s six graded stakes were rescheduled to a loaded eight-race program this Thursday.

Beckman will send out contenders in three Thursday stakes, with Queen Jubilee in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom, Bring the Smoke in the seven-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Vosburgh [“Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint] and Kokomotion in the one-mile Grade 3, $200,000 Winter Memories.

Two Eight Racing, Joe Pickerrell, Ribble Farms, Quinn's Ride Racing and Legion Racing’s Queen Jubilee is a perfect 2-for-2 since cutting back to sprinting, including a last-out 8 1/2-length romp in a first-level allowance on August 7 at Colonial Downs in her first effort off a near seven-month respite.

The daughter of Authentic made her first six starts at a route of ground, but cut back to six furlongs in January for a half-length maiden win at Fair Grounds Race Course.

“She likes the shorter distances. She’s a big, lanky two-turn looking filly with a two-turn pedigree, but she seems to be much better going shorter distances,” Beckman said. “This is a big step up from her allowance win, but she did that very impressively and a little black type wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for her.”

Awestrike Racing, Berry Family Racing, Legion Racing, GLAM Racing and Clarke Ohrstrom’s Bring the Smoke was a distant last-of-6 last out when breaking among the topflight and being backed off the pace under Jose Ortiz in the Grade 1 Forego on August 29 at the Spa. He looks to return to the good form that carried him to a win in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint in May at Laurel Park.

“I think this horse needs to continuously move forward, and when he broke with the speed, he [Ortiz] kind of wanted to take him back and when he hit the brakes on the horse, the horse decided that was enough,” Beckman said, with a laugh. “That’s definitely not indicative of the talent he’s got and he’s a very push-button horse.”

Icon Racing Stable’s Kokomotion was a last-out sixth just 2 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Naomis in the Grade 2 Lake Placid on August 29 at the Spa. There, she emerged from post 2-of-8, and Beckman said the daughter of Quality Road should appreciate a wider draw of post 9-of-11 in the Winter Memories.

“She’s doing very well and had some tricky draws the last few times at Saratoga, but it worked out well when they canceled and redrew because we drew a little further outside, which I like for this filly,” Beckman said. “She had nowhere to go [last time] and she ran into horses with no lanes opening up. Saratoga’s got much tighter turns and Belmont’s got a little more room to work with, so we’re hoping the bigger turf course and a better draw gives her an edge.”