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Hard Love remains on target for Turf Triple start in G1 Belmont Derby

by NYRA Press Office

• Hard Love remains on target for Turf Triple start in G1 Belmont Derby
• Sadler’s Joy looking for firm footing in potential Grand Couturier start
• Atras barn continues good run with fleet-footed Sadie Lady
• G1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer a possibility for Gufo
• Get Smokin puts in bullet breeze in final work ahead of G3 Poker
• Summer Brew to take hot streak to Finger Lakes, Saratoga
• Cross Country Pick 5 registers total pool of $87K; pays $1,437
• Belmont Park Week 9 stakes probables

Trainer Jonathan Thomas didn’t get the prep race he initially had in mind for Robert LaPenta, Augustin Stable and Madaket Stables' Hard Love, but said he still plans on running the talented son of Kitten’s Joy in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series, on July 10.

Hard Love was entered in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge on May 29, but scratched when inclement weather forced the event onto the main track. Thomas went to Plan B and ran Hard Love in a nine-furlong allowance optional claiming race against older horses on the turf in the Belmont Stakes Day finale on June 5.

Piloted by Manny Franco, Hard Love tracked the pace from second, battled to the outside of pacesetter Desert Peace in the stretch drive, and prevailed by a head.

“We felt like we had him ready for the Pennine Ridge,” Thomas said. “It was a bit of a gut punch having it come off the turf, so we were lucky the allowance race was in the book. We felt like we got a nice prep into him for the Belmont Derby. Based off what we’ve seen, it looks like the further the better. He is an efficient moving horse, and his pedigree suggests the further the better. He should appreciate the added distance.”

Thomas is targeting a second Belmont Derby victory having won in 2018 with the versatile Catholic Boy, who proceeded to win the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers that year.

“There are some similarities in his physique,” Thomas said. “He’s a big leggy colt and also a very genuine horse. He seems to show up every time. He’s a little more laid back in his disposition than Catholic Boy. But the biggest difference is that I am almost certain he’s not the same horse on the dirt. He’s a turf horse.”

Thomas said he was delighted to see Burning Bright notch a third lifetime victory in a 1 ¼-mile off-the-turf allowance optional claimer on May 30.

Owned and bred by George Strawbridge, Jr.’s Augustin Stable, the son of Empire Maker, out of 2008 Champion Grass Mare Forever Together, won the event by 7 ¼ lengths recording an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

Thomas did not rule out going back to turf with Burning Bright and mentioned the $150,000 Grand Couturier on July 5 at Belmont Park going 1 ½ miles and the Grade 1, $500,000 United Nations on July 17 at Monmouth Park as options.

Burning Bright’s lone start on grass was a well-beaten tenth on debut last March going 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs.

“He breezed on the turf before his last race and I really liked what I saw,” Thomas said. “His first race on the grass was a toss out. I’ve been looking forward to getting him on the grass. The main thing is getting the opportunity to stretch out. The further, the better.”

Thomas also eyes a return to grass for fellow Augustin Stables homebred Evoking, who won on debut by 4 ¼ lengths in an off-the-turf maiden special weight going six furlongs on May 29.

“We’ll keep our options open with Evoking,” Thomas said. “She is probably going to be better once we get her on the grass. I was very pleased with the effort.”

Thomas said McConnell Racing Stable’s War Terminator, a maiden winner in April at Aqueduct who had been pointing for Saturday’s $150,000 NYSSS Spectacular Bid, would get some time off following a minor issue.

“We like the horse quite a bit and the owners are exceptional people, but we need to back off on him unfortunately,” Thomas said.

While War Terminator will be out of action, Thomas will soon welcome LaPenta’s New York-bred stakes winner Nicky the Vest back to his stable. The son of second-crop sire Runhappy was a last out winner of the Gander on February 15 at Aqueduct but was sidelined due to a knee chip discovered following a workout in late March.

“The recovery is going well," said Thomas. "They’ve got him doing a lot of aqua therapy. I hope to get him back in a few weeks.”

Sadler’s Joy looking for firm footing in potential Grand Couturier start

Trainer Tom Albertrani is hoping for improved weather this summer to allow Sadler’s Joy to run on his preferred firm track after rain has twice delayed his plans this spring. The Woodslane Farm homebred is now slated to run in the $150,000 Grand Couturier on Monday, July 5 as part of the Stars and Stripes Racing Festival at Belmont Park.

The 1 1/2-mile turf contest for 4-year-olds and up could mark the return to racing for Sadler’s Joy after Albertrani passed on potential starts in the Grade 1 $700,000 Man o’ War in May and the Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup on June 4 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival because of earlier rainfall and the potential for softer turf, which the conditioner said does not suit the 8-year-old veteran.

“We’ve been unlucky with the weather and having a lot of rain leading up to these races,” Albertrani said. “We know he doesn’t perform as well on soft turf, so we just decided to pass on it. We’ll wait until July and that will be our next move going forward.”

Sadler’s Joy, 7-4-11 in 36 career starts, ended 2020 with a fourth-place effort in the Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct and started the current year with similar finishes in consecutive 1 1/2-mile contests, starting with the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight in January at Gulfstream and following last out at the same distance and track in the Grade 2 Pan American on March 27.

In August, Sadler’s Joy crossed the wire first in the Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga Race Course before being disqualified and placed fourth for interference. Consequently, the accomplished Kentucky bred, who has amassed more than $2.6 million in career earnings, has not won in 10 starts but has finished third on four occasions and fourth in his last five, dating to his last victory in the 2019 finale in the Grade 3 Red Smith at the Big A.

On Saturday, Sadler’s Joy breezed five furlongs in 1:02.40 over the Belmont main track. His conditioner said his works, the last six of which have come on Big Sandy dating to May 8, have continued to be impressive.

“He looks as good as ever and has been training really well,” Albertrani said. “He’s had a couple of months off now since his last race, so now hopefully we’ll get the weather to cooperate and we’ll get him back on track.”

Robert Masiello’s Fiya also worked Saturday on the Belmont main track, registering a half-mile breeze in 49.96 seconds.

After going 5-for-5 as a sophomore in 2020, Fiya made his 4-year-old debut on April 30 at Churchill Downs but was vanned off after running last-of-11 in the Grade 2 Turf Sprint. Albertrani said the Friesan Fire gelding is back to full health now and could have his next spot picked out when the condition book is released for the conclusion of the Belmont spring/summer meet that runs until Sunday, July 11.

“Everything is going really well. Yesterday’s work was really good,” Albertrani said. “We’re just waiting for the new book to come out and hopefully we’ll be able to find a spot for him in there in a couple of weeks. Yesterday, he worked as good as ever. I was really pleased with it. He’s starting to come back around. He’s feeling good and we’re looking forward to getting him back.”

Fiya, who is 5-1-1 in eight career starts, ended his 2020 with back-to-back stakes wins, capturing the Maryland Million Turf Sprint Handicap in October at Laurel Park before winning the Claiming Crown Canterbury in December at Gulfstream Park. His lone previous start at Belmont came with a 3 1/4-length win against allowance company in September in his first start for Albertrani since he took over the training duties from Michael Merryman.

Atras barn continues good run with fleet-footed Sadie Lady

Rob Atras is in third position in the trainer standings with a record of 69-15-11-11 heading into Sunday’s card - Day 32 of the 48-day Belmont Park spring / summer meet.

While four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown leads the way with 26 wins, Atras is just three wins back of second-place trainer Christophe Clement [18 wins from 81 starts] and three victories ahead of Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher [12 wins from 74 starts].

“Like everyone, we've had good runs and bad runs but it's great to be in the same category as those guys for number of wins at this particular meet,” said Atras. “We've tried to focus on quality over quantity, but both have risen. We didn't have this many horses last year and now we're up to 50 with more coming in.”

The 36-year-old conditioner saddled Dennis Narlinger’s Sadie Lady to a frontrunning score in Saturday’s $100,000 Dancin Renee, a six-furlong main track sprint for older New York-bred fillies and mares.

The 5-year-old daughter of Freud, bred in the Empire State by JMJ Racing Stables, demonstrated a nose for the wire last season winning 4-of-7 starts. The speedy mare won the six-furlong Correction by a head in March at the Big A and followed with a strong second in the Grade 3 Vagrancy on May 8 at Belmont Park.

Atras said Sadie Lady, who matched a career-best 85 Beyer for her Dancin Renee score, came out of the race in good order.

“She's great this morning. I'm very happy with her performance,” said Atras. “She had strong early speed and that's her weapon. It unfolded for her very well yesterday.

“She's continued to stay in form,” Atras added. “Last year, she didn't come to Belmont 100 percent and had little nagging issues, nothing serious, so we just gave her some time off.”

Atras has yet to consider a next start for Sadie Lady, but stakes options on the NYRA calendar include the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on July 24 at Saratoga; and the Union Avenue Handicap, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for state-bred fillies and mares 3 years-old and up on August 19.

Beach Haven Thoroughbreds’ Maracuja covered a half-mile in 49.75 seconds in company with Olliemyboy, an allowance-winning 4-year-old Ontario-bred colt, on Sunday on the Belmont main track. The breeze followed a sharp half-mile in 48.46 last Sunday on Big Sandy.

“She breezed a nice half and galloped out five-eighths. It was similar to last week but not quite as fast,” said Atras. “It was a strong, progressive half in company with Olliemyboy. They matched strides throughout.”

The Kentucky-bred daughter of Honor Code graduated at third asking in a maiden allowance sprint on February 21 at the Big A before closing to finish second to Search Results in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Gazelle in April at the same track.

Maracuja exited that effort to finish a rallying seventh after a poor start from an inside draw in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs.

“It wasn't the result we were looking for, but considering the poor break and getting shuffled back, she passed quite a few horses late and was really rolling. With a better break, she might have been fourth or fifth,” said Atras.

Atras said Maracuja will target the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose, a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies, on June 26 at Belmont. It would mark the first start for the improving filly over Big Sandy.

“That's what we're trying to pointing towards,” said Atras. “Her last few works have been over the main track. We're trying to get her used to it and I think she'll like the big, sweeping turns.

“If she can have a little better start, she can probably sit a little closer if she needs to,” Atras added. “I think the one turn will be good for her, too. She's fine around two turns but in the Oaks there's not a lot of run to get to the first turn and getting out of the gate good there and getting position is key.”

Atras will have to find a new jockey for Maracuja with her regular rider, Kendrick Carmouche, out for up to 10 weeks with a broken ankle.

“We've been together for a lot of victories and it definitely hurt when he went down,” said Atras. “Kendrick was having a good year and hit a lot of milestones recently winning his first Grade 1 [aboard True Timber in the Cigar Mile]. Hopefully, he'll be back soon.”

Michael Dubb’s Chateau breezed early Sunday with an eye towards a start at the Saratoga summer meet.

“The stakes there tend to get pretty salty. I'm not sure which way we're going to go just yet,” said Atras. “Six is a real good distance for him, but we'll see. I'll talk to Mike this week and make a plan for him.”

The 6-year-old Flat Out gelding, who boasts a record of 35-7-10-8 with purse earnings of $525,769, has made his last three starts in graded company, led by a score in the six-furlong Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap in March at Aqueduct.

The dark bay faded to fourth in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Carter Handicap in April at Aqueduct, but stayed on for second last out after setting the pace in the six-furlong Grade 3 Runhappy won by Firenze Fire on May 8 at Belmont.

The Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, is slated for July 31 at the Spa.

Sanford J. Goldfarb, Irwin Goldfarb and the Estate of Ira Davis’ American Power finished an even third last out in the Grade 2 True North that saw graded stakes-winning millionaires Firenze Fire and Flagstaff run one-two on June 4 at Belmont.

“Considering who he ran against, I think it was a good effort by him,” said Atras. “Those two got out front and the track was kind of playing that way and they did what they needed to do.”

The 6-year-old son of Power Broker made the grade in the Grade 3 Toboggan in January at the Big A and followed with a score in the Caixa Eletronica at the same distance and track in March.

Atras said American Power has come out of the True North in good order, but has no specific target.

“I gave him a little two-minute lick this morning and he did good,” said Atras. “He's come out of the race well. He's another horse, like Chateau, that's tough to spot. Six and a half furlongs is not quite his best distance. He doesn't have that sprint speed to be up there, so seven-to-a-mile is what we'll look for going forward.”

Musical Heart, owned by Dubb and Michael J. Caruso, faltered to ninth last out in the 12-furlong Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational presented by Northwell Health on Belmont Stakes Day.

The 6-year-old Maclean’s Music gelding, claimed for $62,500 in November, captured the 11-furlong Flat Out on April 30 at Belmont.

“It was maybe a little too soon back off the race before and maybe a bit too far,” said Atras of the Brooklyn effort. “I don't think he wants to go that far, but you just don't know until you try it. We're thinking about Saratoga with him, too. We don't have a race in mind but probably at a mile and an eighth.”

Robert Bone’s Nice Ace worked five-eighths in 1:01.90 on the main track Sunday. The sophomore son of Noble Mission, bred in Pennsylvania by Blackstone Farm, graduated at second asking for former conditioner Tim Girten over the Presque Isle Downs synthetic in September ahead of a runner-up effort in the Fitz Dixon Memorial Juvenile in October at the same track.

Nice Ace, who finished off the board in his last two starts, is nominated to make his 3-year-old debut in the $125,000 Woodstock, a six-furlong sprint for sophomores on the Woodbine Tapeta slated for June 20.

“He worked well this morning. I'm not sure which direction we'll go with him just yet,” said Atras. “We have him nominated to the Woodstock and we have tentative plans to go up there, but we're not 100 percent committed yet. I'll have to speak to the owner and see what we want to do with him.”

Atras said Nice Ace will likely get a chance to try turf this season.

“He is quite fast. They tried a few different things with him last year and he was most effective on the synthetic,” said Atras. “We wanted to try the turf here; there was an allowance race that didn't fill. He also might stretch out a little bit. He's a tall horse with a nice stride on him but we wanted to start him out sprinting.”

G1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer a possibility for Gufo

Trainer Christophe Clement said he has been delighted thus far with Otter Bend Stables’ Gufo following two late-closing efforts against Grade 1 company to commence his 4-year-old season.

The consistent son of Declaration of War kept a never-off-the-board record intact when making up 17 lengths to finish a late-closing third to Domestic Spending in the Grade 1 Manhattan on June 5, registering a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure. He arrived at the 10-furlong engagement off a narrow runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Man o’ War on May 8, where he made a five-wide move in upper stretch with dead aim on pacesetter Channel Cat, coming up a nose shy of victory.

“He was a bit erratic in the Manhattan. We’ve got to work on that,” Clement said. “I may put blinkers on him, I’m not sure yet. We’ll come back somewhere going a mile and a half or mile and three-eighths and get him going longer.”

Clement mentioned the Grade 1, $500,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 28 at the Spa as a likely target and said Gufo could run once before said start.

During his 3-year-old season, Gufo won the English Channel at Gulfstream Park and Grade 3 Kent at Delaware Park before coming up a head shy of victory to Domestic Spending in the Saratoga Derby Invitational. He successfully sought redemption next out in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational.

Clement has twice won the Sword Dancer Invitational, with Winchester [2011] and Honor Glide [1999].

Also pursuing Grade 1 turf action from the Clement stable is Plum Ali, who displayed a strong turf of foot with a close second when chasing a leisurely pace in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 3. Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso, Plum Ali will target the 10-furlong Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 10, first leg of the Turf Triple series for fillies.

“She should get the distance,” Clement said. “She came out of the Wonder Again in good shape. We’ll work her next week.”

Plum Ali, a daughter of First Samurai, began her racing career with wins in her first three starts, including the Grade 2 Miss Grillo on October 4. In two starts as a 3-year-old, Plum Ali gathered more graded stakes black type when third in the Grade 2 Appalachian before the last-out Wonder Again.

Clement has won the Belmont Oaks twice when raced as the Garden City Handicap with Miss World [2009] and Voodoo Dancer [2001].

R Unicorn Stable’s Call Me Love earned her first North American triumph in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming event over the inner turf on May 23.

The daughter of Sea the Stars earned black type twice last season with second-place finishes in the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park and the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga.

Call Me Love registered her second work since her last out triumph when breezing a half-mile in 49.45 seconds over the inner turf on Sunday morning.

Clement mentioned the $100,000 Perfect Sting on July 3 at Belmont, going one mile for fillies and mares, as an option for Call Me Love.

“Call Me Love worked well today,” Clement said. “There’s one stake this meet for fillies on the grass and it’s a mile which is a little on the short side for her, but we’re going to have a look at it. I think she wants to go further.”

Clement said he would send stakes winners Bye Bye and Bubbles On Ice to the $100,000 Wild Applause on June 26 going one mile.

Owned by Bach Stables, Bye Bye is a winner of both her efforts on grass, most recently in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly on May 15. Bubbles On Ice, owned by Glen Hill Farm, Madaket Stables and Cheyenne Stables, was fifth in the Hilltop on May 15 at Pimlico last out after capturing her North American debut in the Memories of Silver on April 18 at Aqueduct.

Get Smokin puts in bullet breeze in final work ahead of G3 Poker

Get Smokin looked fired up on Sunday morning, recording a bullet five-furlong breeze in 1:00.60 over the Belmont inner turf course in preparation for Sunday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Poker for 4-year-olds and up going one mile on the Belmont turf course.

The Tom Bush trainee, who is coming off a three-quarters length victory in the Seek Again going the Poker distance on May 22 at Belmont, was the fastest of 10 workers at the distance on Sunday in his second work since earning a personal-best 99 Beyer for the Seek Again score.

“He’s had a good couple of weeks since the race,” Bush said. “We’re running him back a little closer than in the past; some of his races have been spaced out pretty far apart. This one will be about a month, but that suits us right now. We wanted to put a few races a little closer together if we could manage it.”

Owned by Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust, Get Smokin is a two-time graded stakes winner, including his first stakes score by besting Decorated Invader by a head in the one-mile Grade 2 Hill Prince in October over yielding Belmont turf before winning at 1 1/16 miles over firm going in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay in February in his 4-year-old bow.

The Get Stormy gelding has won three of his five career starts at Belmont, including a maiden-breaking score at second asking in September 2019.

“He’s run well here for sure,” Bush said. “Part of it is he doesn’t have to ship, and that seems to agree with him, too.”

Summer Brew to take hot streak to Finger Lakes, Saratoga

After notching three straight triumphs, including her last two over sloppy tracks at Belmont, Dan Zanatta of NY Final Furlong Racing Stable said red-hot Summer Brew could see stakes action this summer at Saratoga, but first will ship to Finger Lakes for the $50,000 Niagara on June 28.

Trained by Jorge Abreu and co-owned in partnership with Maspeth Stable, Summer Brew has not lost since breaking her maiden at seventh asking three starts back on March 20 at Aqueduct. The daughter of Summer Front earned black type as a maiden when second in the Lady Finger on October 5 at Finger Lakes.

Summer Brew was a last out winner against open company in a first level allowance event on May 29 over a sloppy and sealed Belmont main track.

“She’s turning out to be our next stable star,” Zanatta said. “We don’t think she can run over just slop. She’s run well and run fast races over a dry surface. After winning that allowance against older open company, we’ll look to run her in the Niagara at Finger Lakes and then we’ll look for something big at Saratoga.”

Bred in New York by Michele Peters, Summer Brew was acquired for $42,000 from the 2019 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Harry Landry Bloodstock. She is the second progeny out of the stakes-placed Medallist mare Smitten by Gold.

Cross Country Pick 5 registers total pool of $87K; pays $1,437

The Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday, featuring racing from Belmont, Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack, tallied a total pool of $87,895.50, paying out $1,437 for selecting 4-of-5 winners for the 50-cent wager.

Whispering Pines started the wager by overtaking Midtown Rose in the stretch and pulling away for a 3 1/4-length victory under jockey Jose Ortiz to win the seven-furlong allowance sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 7 at Belmont. Trained by Horacio DePaz, Whispering Pines, off at 9-2, returned $11.80 on a $2 win wager.

Woodbine got into the action when Linda Loves Lace, an 11-1 selection, went gate-to-wire for a 1 1/4-length win over Elite Princess in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint over the all-weather track in Race 7. Trained by John Staples and ridden by Steven Bahen, Linda Loves Lace paid $25.90.

The sequence’s biggest surprise came in the lone stakes race, when 79-1 Informative bested favorite and last year’s Grade 1 Haskell runner-up Ny Traffic by one length to win the Grade 3 Salvator Mile in Monmouth Park’s Race 10. Informative, piloted by Jose Ferrer for trainer Uriah St. Lewis, was a $161.60 winner for topping the 10-horse field of 3-year-olds and up.

Conversely, the fourth leg saw the only favorite to win in the sequence, when Speightstown Shirl defeated Confident by three-quarters of a length to win the one-mile turf maiden event for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Woodbine’s Race 8. Conditioned by Roger Attfield and ridden by Rafael Hernandez, Speightstown paid $3.70.

Closing the sequence was Fifty Sheas Ofgrey, who returned $25.40 after holding off He’spuregold by a head in the 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up in Monmouth’s Race 11. The Carlos David trainee, ridden by Hector Diaz, Jr., topped the 10-horse field.

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.

Belmont Park Week 9 stakes probables

Saturday, June 19

$150,000 NYSSS Spectacular Bid

Probable: Dancing Buck (Michelle Nevin), Devious Mo (Rudy Rodriguez), Hold the Salsa (Richard Lugovich), Jacks American Pie (Chad Summers), King Moonracer (George Weaver), Ocala Dream (Tom Morley), Sinful Dancer (George Weaver)

$150,000 NYSSS Cupecoy’s Joy

Probable: Ava’s Grace (Robertino Diodoro), Barrel of Bliss (James Ferraro), Lot of Honey (James Ferraro), Proper Grammar (Christophe Clement), Shaker Shack (Patrick Reynolds), Shesadirtydancer (Rudy Rodriguez), Show Me the Honey (Michelle Nevin), Sport Model (Christophe Clement), Sweeter (Edward Barker)

Possible: Adriatic Rose (David Donk)

Sunday, June 20

Grade 3, $250,000 Poker

Probable: Flavius (Chad Brown), Get Smokin (Tom Bush), Oleksandra (Neil Drysdale), Penalty (Bill Mott), Raased (Alison Escobar), Raging Bull (Chad Brown), Sanctuary City (James Ferraro), Tell Your Daddy (Tom Morley)