Francesca LeDonne Photo

Pletcher contingent post final breezes for Belmont Stakes Racing Festival assignments

by NYRA Press Office

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he was pleased with the final breezes from a bevy of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival contenders on Saturday morning at Belmont Park.

Visiting the main track shortly after the renovation break were Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets contenders Intrepid Heart and Spinoff along with Grade 1 Runhappy Metropolitan contender Coal Front.

Working in company with recent maiden winner Principled, Spinoff completed five furlongs in 1:02.16 seconds.

"I thought he went well," said Pletcher. "He seemed very relaxed and got into a good comfortable rhythm. He stayed steady all the way around and put in a nice seven-eighths gallop out. He had a really strong workout last week, so we didn't have to do quite as much today. He seemed happy and moving well."

The Wertheimer and Frere homebred Hard Spun colt, who most notably ran second in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in March, will enter the Grade 1 Belmont following an 18th place finish in the Kentucky Derby over a muddy track.

"It looked like he never really appreciated the off going in that race," said Pletcher. "Since then he's seemed to continue to move forward and he's been training well so we're expecting a better effort."

Intrepid Heart, for owners Robert and Lawana Low, worked in blinkers on the inside of graded stakes placed stablemate Outshine, completing five furlongs in 1:00.92.

"I thought he [Intrepid Heart] had another good work and strong gallop out," said Pletcher. "I had him finish a mile in 1:38 and change. I think we got a solid work out of him. He seemed to be happy and moving well. He worked on the outside last time, so I just wanted to work him again with the blinkers on and have him on the inside this time and thought it went smoothly."

Multiple graded stakes winner Coal Front, preparing to make his first start since an impressive victory in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan in Dubai, worked alone with regular rider Jose Ortiz aboard and completed four furlongs in 50.02.

"Very solid work," said Pletcher. "Consistent with what he's been doing. He got into a nice rhythm. We're happy with how he's been doing since Dubai."

On the Belmont training track, Marconi completed five furlongs in 1:01.20 looking towards a start in the Grade 2 Woodford Reserve Brooklyn Invitational.

"Very solid work from him," said Pletcher. "We've been real happy with how he's been doing since his win last out in the Flat Out."

Wrapping up Pletcher's busy morning of workouts was graded stakes winner Bellavais, who breezed four furlongs in 49.09 seconds on the inner turf in preparation for the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game.

* * *

Tax works at Belmont Park; status for "Test of the Champion" still to be determined

Tax breezed Saturday morning on the Belmont Park main track, with trainer Danny Gargan saying afterwards that a decision will be forthcoming on entering the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 8.

The Arch gelding registered four furlongs in 49.03 seconds in his second breeze since being placed 14th in the Kentucky Derby last month at Churchill Downs. After breezing four furlongs on the Belmont training track on May 25, Tax went in company with New York-bred Blurred Line on Saturday, with his time the 33rd-fastest of a group of 68.

Should Tax enter the "Test of the Champion," it will mark his first start on the famed Big Sandy track. While Belmont will be a new challenge for Tax, he has never finished off the board racing in New York, running second in the Grade 2 Remsen to close his juvenile campaign before winning the Grade 3 Withers by a head over Not That Brady and running second to fellow Belmont Stakes-contender Tacitus in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Owned by R.A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch and Corms Racing Stable, Tax has one win, one runner-up effort and a third-place finish in four starts of at least 1 1/8 miles.

Tax could potentially be Gargan's first Belmont Stakes trainee. He was bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farms and Adele Dilschnieder. He is out of the Giant's Causeway broodmare Toll and comes from the same family as two-time Grade 1 winning millionaire Elate.

* * *

Fancy Dress Party on trend for G1 Acorn

Fancy Dress Party struts into the Grade 1, $700,000 Acorn with a perfect record from four starts.

Trained by Ben Colebrook, who captured the Grade 1 Belmont Sprint Championship in July here with Limousine Liberal, Fancy Dress Party will step up to the Grade 1 level in the one-turn mile for sophomore fillies to test her mettle against Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress.

Colebrook trains the filly for an ownership, LNJ Foxwoods - nom de course of the parent-daughter team of Larry, Nanci and Jaime Roth - that has enjoyed a great deal of success during Triple Crown season as co-owners of Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner County House, trained by Bill Mott; and the dynamic sprinter Covfefe, trained by Brad Cox, who captured the Grade 3 Miss Preakness in track record time on the Friday of Preakness weekend at Pimlico.

"They've been the best. They put the horse first and are so easy to deal with. It's been a blessing to train this filly for them," said Colebrook.

Colebrook said Fancy Dress Party has been a model of consistency and he is excited to enter the dark bay daughter of Munnings in the 89th running of the Acorn.

"She's a very nice filly and she's done nothing wrong so far. She's proven that she likes to win, and she's doing well coming into the race," said Colebrook. "It's a big step up going into the Acorn, but we're excited to take a shot at it. It's a Grade 1 with a lot of history."

A $280,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Fancy Dress Party was initially expected to showcase her talents on turf. She debuted in October in a 5 1/2-furlong off-the-turf sprint over a sloppy Keeneland main, winning by 3 1/4-lengths - good for a 68 Beyer Speed Figure.

"I thought her action was a little turfy and the family had some nice turf sprinters, so we wanted to debut her on the turf but it came off the grass. Her works had been good enough on the dirt that we had no reservations running her on the dirt," said Colebrook.

Her Beyer numbers continued to climb in subsequent starts sprinting six furlongs in an optional claimer over a sloppy surface at Churchill Downs [73 Beyer]; a first stakes win in the Glitter Woman at Gulfstream Park [79 Beyer]; and a last out score, off a three-month layoff, in the Grade 3 Beaumont at Keeneland, sprinting seven furlongs on a sloppy track to garner a career-best 86 Beyer when besting graded stakes winner Feedback.

On Belmont Stakes Day, Fancy Dress Party will stretch out to a mile for the first time in the Acorn - an assignment Colebrook says will suit.

"She's coming out of a race on the Beard course at Keeneland which is a little over seven furlongs. It's not like we're asking her to stretch from six furlongs to a mile. It was a taxing race last time and I don't think I had her 100 percent for the race. She did that on her own," said Colebrook. "She ran a huge race in the Beaumont and we've given her time to recover. She's coming into this race very well."

Also expected to contest the Acorn are Bell's the One (Pessin), Ce Ce (McCarthy), Cookie Dough (McLaughlin), Guarana (Brown), Jeltrin (Delgado), Proud Emma (Miller) and Queen of Beas (Abreu).

* * *

Whitmore headed to G2 True North, Stan the Man and Midnightcharly join prospective field

The Grade 2, $250,000 True North field will likely have to deal with the presence of the ultra-consistent Whitmore, who has finished in the exacta in 20 of 27 starts and compiled earnings upwards of $2.5 million. The 6-year-old gelding's trainer, Ron Moquett, confirmed Saturday morning that the son of Pleasantly Perfect is targeting the race following a bullet work on Friday at Churchill Downs.

Whitmore enters the True North off an uncharacteristically dull effort in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs, but he nearly defeated multiple Grade 1-winner Imperial Hint to win last year's True North coming off a fourth-place finish in the same race. The chestnut gelding also finished third in the 2017 edition of the True North.

"I just thought he had a bad day; it was an odd race," said Moquett. "He came back safe and sound and for whatever reason the race just didn't set up for him. He made a move but didn't finish like he normally does."

Following the same progression as last year, Moquett hopes to use the True North as a springboard to the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga, a race Whitmore won last year.

"If he runs well we'll point to the Forego," said the trainer. "With the uncertainty with the Breeders' Cup, that's our Breeders' Cup this year."

Other likely new additions to the prospective True North field are Stan the Man, who is coming off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Westchester for trainer John Terranova and Long Lake Stable, and Midnightcharly, who won a Pennsylvania-bred stake in his most recent outing.

Other probable starters for the True North include: Catalina Cruiser (Sadler), Do Share (Maker), Midnightcharly (Coletti), Mr. Dougie Fresh (Servis), Nicodemus (Rice), Recruiting Ready (Hough), Stan the Man (Terranova), Strike Power (Hennig).

Also under consideration for the 6 ½-furlong sprint are Bon Raison (Martin), Prince Lucky (Pletcher).

* * *

Lady Montdore breezes solo in preparation of G2 New York start

Godolphin's Lady Montdore recorded her final breeze before the Grade 2, $600,000 New York on June 7, working four furlongs in 50.80 seconds solo on the Belmont Park main track on Saturday morning.

The work was Lady Montdore's second in eight days over Big Sandy, where trainer Tom Albertrani said she is comfortable training as the grass specialist readies for the 1 ¼-mile New York that will be contested on the inner turf on the day before the Belmont Stakes.

"She handles the dirt fine in the mornings. I tend to get her out earlier in the day; she handles the surface and she's doing well," Albertrani said. "She's doing good and is ready to go next weekend."

Lady Montdore will be cutting back in distance after running fourth last out in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay on May 4 at Belmont. The 5-year-old Medaglia d'Oro mare was coming off a layoff in excess of five months but stayed close to the pace before tiring late in the 1 3/8-mile route over soft turf.

"She's probably better going a little longer, but the way the race comes up, there's really nowhere else to go [than the New York]," Albertrani said. "We still feel confident that off her last race, we should see some improvement. She just needed the last start off a long layoff. She got tired the last eighth of a mile. We're hoping she'll have the benefit of a race under her belt."

Lady Montdore started her career in France, going 1-1-2 through her first five starts under trainer Andre Fabre before being shipped to North America under Albertrani's care. She took to NYRA tracks well, defeating allowance company by 4 1/2-lengths at 1 1 3/8 miles in her United States debut on August 6 at Saratoga and posted a 2 ¼-length score at the same distance and surface in the Grade 2 Glens Falls on September 1.

Lady Montdore ran third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl in her first Belmont start on October 7 and capped her 4-year-old campaign with a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Long Island on November 24 at Aqueduct Racetrack before receiving a freshening.

In her return, jockey Kendrick Carmouche picked up the mount, and Albertrani said he will have the return call in the New York.

* * *

Clement happy with Saturday morning turf workers

Trainer Christophe Clement took advantage of the open time slot for turf training over the Belmont Park inner turf on Saturday and worked a handful of some of his heavy hitters around 9:30 a.m.

Working in company with one another were Grade 1 placed Chipolata and two-time stakes winner Homeland Security, who both recorded half-mile works in 50.66 seconds.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds in partnership with breeder Hubert Honroe and Robert Masiello, the French-bred daughter of Muhtathir was third last out in the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 11 while Moyglare Stud's Homeland Security was third in Pimlico's Searching on May 18.

"[Chipolata] worked well, she worked with Homeland Security it was good work," Clement said. "They started slow but finished very well. It was a very willing breeze and they were helping each other. As of now, they came back okay."

Clement said that Chipolata's next start is still undecided, while Homeland Security will likely target the $100,000 River Memories on July 5, which she won last year. A dark bay daughter of Smart Strike, Homeland Security is out of the unraced Giant's Causeway broodmare Forever Beautiful, who is a half-sister to Farda Amiga who won the 2002 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

"Not sure with Chipolata, there are a few stakes coming up," Clement said. "She's probably two weeks from a race so we'll find a spot for her. Homeland Security probably will go for the mile and a half stake in early July."

Also on the work tab for Clement was Robert Evans' graded stakes winner Have At It, who went a half mile in 48.66 seconds. The 4-year-old chestnut son of Kitten's Joy was a distant ninth in his 2019 debut in the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico and is possible for the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker on June 16 at Belmont Park.

"Have At It had a nice easy work," Clement said. "It was his first work since the Dixie and I thought he went very well. He finished very willingly. We'll find a spot for him coming up. The Poker is a possibility."

Have At It won the Grade 2 Hill Prince in October over Belmont's inner turf, marking his only graded stakes win to date.

Evans' homebred White Flag worked his half-mile in 49.51 seconds with jockey Joel Rosario up and could race back in the Grade 1 $400,000 Japiur Invitational - one of eight Grade 1 races carded for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

"He worked well. Rosario worked him and he's possible for the Jaipur but I'll have to talk to the owners," Clement said.

White Flag is by War Front and out of the unraced Gone West broodmare Shared Hope - a half-sister to Grade 1 winning and producing sire Forestry and Grade 1-winner Cash Run.

* * *

Daddy Is A Legend works for G1 Just a Game

Jim and Susan Hill's two-time graded stakes winner Daddy Is A Legend put together her final preparations for the Grade 1 $700,000 Longines Just a Game on June 8 and went five furlongs in 1:01.86 for trainer George Weaver.

The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Scat Daddy was second in her only start against Grade 1 caliber when she finished behind Uni in the Matriarch at Del Mar last winter but owns victories in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante over the San Diego turf course and the Grade 3 Lake George last July at Saratoga. Daddy Is A Legend will enter the Just a Game off of a third-place effort in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard behind fellow Just a Game aspirants Beau Recall and Got Stormy.

Also working for Weaver was Thomas Brockley's three-time winner Colonel Tom who went a half-mile in 47.88 seconds. The New York-bred son of Colonel John has not raced since a fourth-place finish in the Allied Forces behind eventual Grade 1 winner World of Trouble but will likely make his 2019 debut this month.

"Johnny worked her [Daddy Is A Legend] today and she worked perfect," said Weaver's assistant Blair Golen. "She is cooling out great, galloped out well. Happy with her. Colonel Tom went excellent. The turf really helps him. Dylan [Davis, jockey]was happy with him. There's a race on the 21st for him."

* * *

Diversify puts in maintenance breeze; Catholic Boy posts first work since G2 Dixie win

Multiple graded stakes winner and New York-bred Horse of the Year Diversify visited the training track this morning posting his third workout at Belmont this year, breezing four furlongs in 50.89 seconds

Owned by Ralph and Lauren Evans, trainer Jonathan Thomas said Saturday's breeze was a maintenance work with no set plans yet on where the 6-year-old son of Bellamy Road might begin his 2019 campaign.

"He looked like he had a lot of energy this morning," said Thomas. "He went 50 and four [fifths] going to the wire and galloped out well. We're still in the shallow end of the pool right now, but he's certainly coming along and we'll map out a plan for him in the next few weeks."

Multiple graded stakes winner Catholic Boy, for owners Robert LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farms, and Twin Creeks Racing, also appeared on the worktab Saturday morning breezing four furlongs in 49.93 seconds on the Belmont training track.

A 4-year-old son of More Than Ready, it was Catholic Boy's first breeze since winning his first start of the year on the turf in the Grade 2 Dixie on May 18 at Pimlico Race Coruse. With multiple graded stakes wins on both the turf and dirt last year, including a score in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers at Saratoga Race Course, Catholic Boy is under consideration to return to the dirt for a potential start in the Grade 2, $700,000 Suburban as part of the Stars & Stripes Racing Festival on Saturday, July 6.