NYRA/Coglianese Photo

Pixelate all clear for Belmont Derby (G1); Mystic Guide skips Preakness for JCGC (G1) spot

by NYRA Press Office

• Clement stars Gufo and Decorated Invader set for turf stakes assignments
• Undefeated graded-stakes winner Dayoutoftheoffice to return for Frizette (G1)
• Bright Devil to target Futurity (G3)
• Belmont Park Week 4 stakes probables

Godolphin's Pixelate captured his first career graded stakes victory last out in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby and will look to parlay that into continued success in Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf.

The ultra-consistent Pixelate has never finished off the board in 11 starts [3-5-3] and has handled a step up in company, finishing second behind fellow Belmont Derby-contender Gufo in the Grade 3 Kent before notching his first graded stakes score by outlasting Margot's Boy by a head on September 6 in California.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Pixelate, a son of City Zip, ran second in his only previous Belmont start, finishing a neck behind Buy Land and See in the Awad last October. He has been breezing at Fair Hill in Maryland before shipping back to the Big Apple.

"He's doing fantastic," Stidham said. "He's been at Fair Hill; he flew right back after the Del Mar Derby and we are really happy with the way he's training."

Pixelate drew post 6 in the nine-horse field and is 5-1 on the morning line, behind 3-1 Gufo and 5-2 favorite Domestic Spending. Jose Lezcano will have the call.

"He handled the turf at Belmont before and I don't see why he can't handle it again," said Stidham.

His stablemate, fellow Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide, was a possibility for the Grade 1 Preakness on Saturday but will instead skip the finale of the Triple Crown series and target the 102nd running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and up on Saturday, October 10 at Belmont.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup will pit Mystic Guide against older horses in a prestigious race that is a "Win and You're In" qualifier to the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7 at Keeneland.

Mystic Guide ran twice during the summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course, finishing third behind Caracaro and winner Country Grammer in the Grade 3 Peter Pan going 1 1/8 miles on July 16 and returning to compete at the same distance in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, which he won by three-quarters of a length on September 5.

In five starts, Mystic Guide is 2-1-2 with earnings of $143,200, improving his Beyer Speed Figures in every race, including a 95 for his Jim Dandy effort. Stidham said the extra week of rest in skipping the Preakness could be an asset, as well as competing in a 1 1/4-mile route over Belmont's Big Sandy.

"It's a little extra time and the added distance is another thing that we think is going to help him with the mile and a quarter, so I think the combination will be beneficial to him," Stidham said. "He's a 3-year-old we've been patient with and not rushed him into races we didn't think he was ready for. Now, we're going to take another step up and hope he can handle it."

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Clement stars Gufo and Decorated Invader set for turf stakes assignments

Last out, trainer Christophe Clement saw talented turf sophomores Gufo and Decorated Invader square off in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby Invitational, where they finished second and fifth respectively.

The Declaration of War colts will now go their separate ways, with Gufo entered in Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational and Decorated Invader shortening up to one-mile for the Grade 2, $150,000 Hill Prince on October 12.

Clement said Otter Bend Stable's Gufo, who captured the Grade 3 Kent on July 4 at Delaware Park, should appreciate the expansive Belmont turf course.

"He's doing very well," said Clement. "He will like the mile and a quarter and should love the bigger turns. He's trained very forwardly since his last race."

West Point Thoroughbreds, William T. Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning's Decorated Invader has won 5-of-8 starts including a score in the 2019 Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine along with wins this season in one-mile Grade 2 Pennine Ridge at Belmont and the nine-furlong Grade 2 Hall of Fame at Saratoga.

Clement said he had considered entering Decorated Invader in the Belmont Derby, which offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf.

"I did consider it, but I thought his last work showed so much speed we should keep him at a mile for the moment," said Clement. "I can always stretch him out again after that."

Clement said Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles' City Man, who was expected to enter the Belmont Derby, spiked a temperature.

"He was supposed to go to the Belmont Derby but had a small temperature yesterday morning so he is out," said Clement. "It's very frustrating as he has trained very well but that's horse racing. Sometimes, we have to deal with bad news. He will be fine and he just needs a few days."

The 3-year-old Mucho Macho Man colt, bred in New York by Moonstar Farm, boasts a record of 9-2-2-1, including a score in in the 2019 Funny Cide on the Saratoga main track.

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Undefeated graded-stakes winner Dayoutoftheoffice to return for Frizette (G1)

Dayoutoftheoffice, a last-out winner of the six-furlong Grade 3 Schuylerville on July 16 at Saratoga, will return to New York for the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies on Big Sandy on October 10 offering a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland.

Trained and co-owned by Tim Hamm with Siena Farm, Dayoutoftheoffice worked three-eighths in 38.20 on September 28 at Thistledown.

"She's doing great. She's on course and we think the Frizette is a great spot for her stretching out to a one-turn mile," said Hamm.

A dark bay daughter of Into Mischief, Dayoutoftheoffice won by 4 ¾-lengths in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight sprint on May 14 at Gulfstream Park ahead of her Schuylerville score.

"When she won going four and a half I was really happy because she's not a four and a half horse by any stretch of the imagination," said Hamm. "I was worried that day that it wasn't enough ground and when she did that I knew she deserved the opportunity to run in the Schuylerville."

Junior Alvarado picked up the mount in the Schuylerville and sat a stalking trip from post 6 before overtaking the pacesetting Make Mischief en route to a commanding six-length score that garnered an 83 Beyer.

"She got a dream trip," said Hamm. "Junior and I talked before the race - he had never sat on the filly before - and he asked me something a jockey never asked me before but it made a lot of sense. He said, 'Going into the turn, if you could see me sitting somewhere, where would you envision me sitting.'

"And I said to him that coming from the six-hole, I'd like to see him outside the early speed in third," continued Hamm. "Going into the turn, he was exactly there and he had plenty of horse to kick home."

Hamm said he expects the well-bred Dayoutoftheoffice will appreciate the added ground.

"She trains like a horse that wants to run further and the breeding doesn't do anything to hurt that," said Hamm. "Into Mischief is dominating in the sales ring and in the racing world right now, so I don't think she could be positioned any better."

Hamm said Ohio-bred Esplanande, last-out runner-up in the Grade 1 Spinaway to Vequist on September 6 at Saratoga, is likely to take the rest of the year off.

Owned by Hamm in partnership with WinStar Farm and Michael Lewis, the Daredevil filly won her first three starts including scores against fellow Ohio-breds in the Hoover at Belterra Park and the Best of Ohio Cleveland Kindergarten at Thistledown heading into the Spinaway.

She worked a half-mile in 48.40 on September 25 at Presque Isle Downs.

"She's training well but I'm not sure where her next start will be," said Hamm. "She's had four starts as a 2-year-old. We might give her a break or find one more spot. She's done plenty already this year so we may give her a freshening and start back the first of the year."

Hamm said Heat of the Night, a last-out fifth in the Grade 1 Summer on the Woodbine turf on September 20, will point to the $80,000 Awad, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for juveniles on October 31 at Belmont.

Owned by Hamm with John Fielding, Fred Hertich III and Blazing Meadows Farm, the Summer Front bay earned a 62 Beyer when graduating at first asking going a mile on the Gulfstream Park turf on September 3.

Hamm said the Summer effort was better than it appeared on paper after losing his path at the start before traveling wide through the turn.

"He had a very troubled trip," said Hamm. "He closed hard and got beat about five lengths."

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Bright Devil to target Futurity (G3)

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse reported that Irish-bred juvenile colt Bright Devil will make his North American debut in the Grade 3, $100,000 Futurity, a six-furlong turf sprint on October 11 at Belmont offering a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

"He's going to run in the Futurity going three-quarters on the grass," said Casse. "We got him at Saratoga and he's trained really well."

Bright Devil recently worked a half-mile in 49.77 on September 27 on the Belmont inner turf.

Owned by Team Valor and Gary Barber, the Dark Angel grey graduated at first asking in June at Newmarket but was off-the-board in subsequent stakes sprints when sixth in the Chesham over soft going at Ascot and ninth in the Group 2 Superlative on good turf at Newmarket.

"He broke his maiden impressively and then was a little disappointing, but his last two starts were on soft ground and we're hoping that a little firmer ground will help him," said Casse. "He's a mid-sized horse but he's very athletic. The way he moves you'd think he would stretch out, but we'll take it one race at a time.

"He's training very well and Joel Rosario is going to ride him," added Casse. "You never know the first time they come over, but he's training well enough that we feel he deserves a chance."

Casse also reported that 2019 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes champ Sir Winston is enjoying a freshening at owner-breeder Tracy Farmer's Shadowlawn Farm in Midway, Kentucky following a fourth-place finish in the Champions Day Marathon on September 1 at Churchill Downs.

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Belmont Park Week 4 stakes probables

Saturday, October 10, 2020
$250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1)
Probable: Forewarned (Uriah St. Lewis), Happy Saver (Todd Pletcher), Mystic Guide (Michael Stidham), Prioritize (H. James Bond), Tacitus (Bill Mott)
Possible: Danny California (Orlando Noda), Plus Que Parfait (Brendan Walsh)

$250,000 Flower Bowl Invitational (G1)
Probable: Beau Belle (Tom Albertrani), Cambier Parc (Chad Brown), Civil Union (Shug McGaughey), La Signare (Brendan Walsh), Lovely Lucky (Albertrani), Nay Lady Nay (Brown), Sistercharlie (Brown)

$250,000 Champagne (G1)
Probable: Ambivalent (Doug O'Neill), Jackie's Warrior (Steve Asmussen), Midnight Bourbon (Asmussen), Reinvestment Risk (Chad Brown), Run Casper Run (Juan Vazquez)

$250,000 Frizette (G1)
Probable: Cantata (Steve Asmussen), Dayoutoftheoffice (Tim Hamm), Fifth Risk (Todd Pletcher), Niente (Juan Vazquez), Vequist (Robert "Butch" Reid, Jr.)
Possible: Forest Caraway (Peter Miller), Rockpaperscissors (Rodolphe Brissett)

$150,000 Sands Point (G2)
Probable: Duopoly (Chad Brown), Miss J McKay (Cathal Lynch), Pure Wow (John Terranova), Selflessly (Chad Brown), Sugar Fix (Saffie Joseph, Jr.)

Sunday, October 11, 2020
$100,000 Futurity (G3)
Probable: Bright Devil (Mark Casse), Momos (Christophe Clement), After Five (Wesley Ward), Royal Approval (Wesley Ward)

$100,000 Matron (G3)
Probable: Bravo Regina (Juan Vazquez), Miss Nondescript (Wayne Potts), Royal Approval (Wesley Ward), Union Gables (Todd Pletcher)
Possible: Magical Soul (John Kimmel)

Monday, October 12, 2020
$150,000 Knickerbocker (G2)
Probable: Almanaar (Chad Brown), Breaking the Rules (Shug McGaughey), Corelli (Jonathan Thomas), En Wye Cee (Todd Pletcher), Olympico (Brown)

$150,000 Hill Prince (G2)
Probable: Decorated Invader (Christophe Clement), Get Smokin (Tom Bush), Island Commish (Saffie Joseph,)
Possible: Mr. Kringle (John Terranova)