Chelsea Durand Photo

Fifty Five looks to repeat in Mount Vernon

by Brian Bohl

Peter Brant's Fifty Five will look to repeat as the winner of the $100,000 Mount Vernon as part of a seven-horse field of New York-bred fillies and mares 4-years-old and up on Thursday at Belmont Park.

Fifty Five won last year's Mount Vernon at one mile on the Widener turf course, building on a second-place effort in the race's 2018 edition for trainer Chad Brown. The Get Stormy mare was slated to make her 2020 debut in the Grade 3 Beaugay on Opening Day, June 3, but will now make her first start off an eight-month layoff looking to pick up where her 5-year-old year ended, with wins in the John Hettinger and Ticonderoga over the Belmont turf.

A graded stakes winner - via a rallying victory the 2017 Grade 3 Florida Oaks - Fifty Five is 11-4-5 in 22 career starts and just as consistent at Belmont, going 7-2-1 in 11 races. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, aboard for her last five starts, including three wins, will have the return call from the inside post.

Her stablemate, Michael Dubb's War Canoe, ran second in the John Hettinger in September and third in the Ticonderoga before capping her 2019 with a win against optional claimers in November at Aqueduct Racetrack. Also off a layoff, War Canoe will have the services of Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post 3.

Trainer Christophe Clement will also saddle a pair of contenders, including Munchkin Money, who started her 7-year-old season with back-to-back graded stakes appearances, running second in the 1 1/16-mile Marshua's River in January at Gulfstream Park before running seventh on the same track in the Grade 3 Honey Fox at one mile on February 29.

Munchkin Money, a daughter of Freud, wintered at Payson Park in Florida before resuming training in June at Belmont. She will be making her first start in four months, drawing post 4 with Manny Franco in the irons.

"She seems to be training forwardly," Clement said. "Do we have her back to her best form? I'm not sure yet. She's training well. We're taking a shot. I'm just hoping she's back to her best. I think she can handle anything [firm or softer turf]."

Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Classic Lady will be making her first start since Clement took over the training duties. The 5-year-old daughter of Jimmy Creed will be making her first stakes appearance in her 16th career start, going 3-4-3, and will now look to shine for her new connections in her first start since November when she bested optional claimers by a nose at 1 1/16 miles at the Big A.

Classic Lady has posted six official workouts at Belmont since May, starting on the main track before switching her training to the inner turf in the mornings.

"Her work on turf has been much better than her work on dirt," Clement said. "She's sound. She looks well and healthy, so we're ready to go."

Joel Rosario will ride from post 5.

Rounding out the field is Niko's Dream, looking to capture her first stakes for Belmont Stakes-winning trainer Barclay Tagg, in her first stakes appearance of the year [post 7, Dylan Davis]; Kreesie, a winner of the 2018 New York Stallion Stakes Series Cupecoy's Joy for trainer David Donk [post 6, Eric Cancel]; and Fetching, returning to stakes company for the first time in five starts for trainer Mark Casse [post 2, Junior Alvarado].

The Mount Vernon, slated as Race 8 on the nine-race card at 5:04 p.m. Eastern, will feature on America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, and airing live on FOX Sports and MSG+. Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the broadcast and can be accessed at www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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