Sunday’s G3 Glen Cove split into two stacked divisions
The Grade 3, $200,000 Glen Cove, a seven-furlong Widener turf sprint for sophomore fillies, drew enough entries to be split into divisions of 10 and 11 contenders, on Sunday at Belmont Park.
The divisions of the Glen Cove are slated as Races 5 and 8 on the nine-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
The first division is headlined by Pivotal Racing’s Beach Heist [post 10, Manny Franco], who has never missed the board in five starts on turf. Trained by Will Walden, the Omaha Beach chestnut defeated allowance elders last out in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint on September 27 at Churchill Downs, rebounding from her lone dirt try when off-the-board in a seven-furlong optional claimer at Saratoga Race Course, also versus older.
“She’s just incredibly consistent,” Walden said. “She’s shown up every single time. The only off-the-board effort was my fault, running on the dirt, every other race she’s won or hit the board. She’s ultra-consistent and a super nice filly.”
Beach Heist’s 6-2-2-1 record includes a close third in the six-furlong Stewart Manor last November at Aqueduct Racetrack and a head second in the 5 1/2-furlong Pea Patch in July at Ellis Park. She extends to seven furlongs on turf for the first time.
“On grass, I think this distance is OK,” said Walden. “We’ll see how it plays out, but on paper, I think it should be fine.”
Beach Heist, an $80,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the winning Graydar mare Pearl Heist, a half-sister to stakes-placed Madame X.
NBS Stable’s Ground Support [post 4, Adam Beschizza] cut back to 6 1/2 furlongs last out to finish a half-length third to Somerset West in the Grade 2 Music City on September 5 at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Kelsey Danner, the Army Mule dark bay had made all five prior starts at one-mile or beyond, including a win in last year’s 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont at the Big A ahead of a 1 1/4-length third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.
Ground Support returned this year with a pair of fifths at one-mile, including the Listed Tepin in June at Churchill Downs and the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap in July at Del Mar.
Ground Support, an $80,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase, is out of the Grade 3-placed Arch mare Arch Support and her second dam is stakes-winner Two Ninety Jones.
Dahman’s Emblaze [post 9, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] enters from a 1 3/4-length score over elders in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on September 5 at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Miguel Clement, the Yaupon dark bay launched a three-wide bid from 5th-of-10 and drew off, posting a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure in victory.
Emblaze has made all five of her career starts this year, including a five-furlong debut graduation in March at Tampa Bay Downs ahead of a third in the six-furlong Take the A Train in May at Belmont at the Big A. She was then off-the-board versus allowance elders in June at Saratoga and second to 4-year-old Stylet in July over the Presque Isle Downs synthetic, with the top three finishers and seventh-place runner returning to win next out.
Emblaze, a $350,000 purchase at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Machtree out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Forestry mare Lady Lumberjack. Her second dam is Grade 2-placed Harbor Blues.
The field for the first division in Race 5 is as follows:
1.) Light Won Up [Kendrick Carmouche]
2.) Paris Carver [David Egan]
3.) Brandy and Me [Paco Lopez]
4.) Ground Support [Adam Beschizza]
5.) Peppermint Twist [Javier Castellano]
6.) Snappy Comeback [Samuel Marin]
7.) Spirit Doll [Edgard Zayas]
8.) New Rose [Antonio Fresu]
9.) Emblaze [Ricardo Santana, Jr.]
10.) Beach Heist [Manny Franco]
The second division will see Starlight Racing and John Cronin, Jr.’s Life’s Dynamic put a 3-for-3 record on the line when making her stakes debut. Trained by Arnaud Delacour, the Practical Joke bay captured a local 6 1/2-furlong allowance versus elders last out on September 19.
There, Life’s Dynamic dueled for command through the half-mile in 45.36 seconds over the firm turf and responded gamely, holding off the rallying Queen Martina by a half-length in a final time of 1:14.79. The performance earned a career-best 86 Beyer.
Life’s Dynamic successfully stretched out from a 5 1/2-furlong Colonial Downs allowance score in July, where she defeated next-out winner Everyday’s a Bonus by a nose.
“I was happy to see she could stretch out a little bit,” Delacour said. “Her last race was the longest she’s run and she galloped out well. I’ve been very happy with her since the race and I’m anxious to run her.”
Life’s Dynamic [post 1, Mychel Sanchez] won first time out in a six-furlong dirt maiden versus elders in June at Colonial, defeating next-out winner My Steel Magnolia by 4 3/4 lengths.
“I’ve always been pretty high on her,” said Delacour. “She’s always shown speed and done things very easily. I’m not sure what her limits are as far as distance goes because so far she’s done everything we’ve asked of her. And we’ve thrown a lot of things at her – dirt, turf – all in a short amount of time, and she’s taken it in stride.”
Delacour said he believes seven furlongs is in Life’s Dynamic’s wheelhouse.
“I hope so, and I hope the turf is on the firm side,” Delacour said. “That’s just because when we stretch, I’d love to have something a little speedy.”
A $160,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale, Life’s Dynamic is out of the winning First Defence mare Amber Isle, a full-sister to multiple group-winning millionaire Dundonnell.
Emcee Stable’s Lion Lake [post 5, Manny Franco] added blinkers to land second last out in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Music City on September 5 at Kentucky Downs, a head better than the other division’s Ground Support in third. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the Dark Angel gray was shortening up from five graded stakes tries at one-mile or beyond, including a win in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in February at Gulfstream Park before a trio of placings.
Lion Lake, a $162,366 purchase from Book 1 of the 2024 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, is out of the Cape Cross mare Urjuwaan and is a full-sister to dual Group 1-winner Alfareeq.
The Estate of R. Larry Johnson’s Hark Theangelssing [post 8, Ismerio Villalobos] is 3-for-4 this year and on a two-race win streak. Trained by Michael Trombetta, the Mendelssohn gray defeated elders in a 5 1/2-furlong restricted handicap last out on August 29 at Colonial Downs after a two-length score in the six-furlong Shenandoah earlier that month there.
“She’s doing very well,” Trombetta said. “I’m excited to bring her up there to run. She’s training well. The distance part is a bit of an unknown, but I don’t have any reason to believe that it should be a problem.”
Before the Shenandoah, Hark Theangelssing was fourth to last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint victor Cy Fair in the Grade 3 Coronation Cup in July at Saratoga after a winning seasonal debut in the Stormy Blues in June at Laurel Park. She now stretches beyond six furlongs for the first time.
“She’s run hard all year,” said Trombetta. “She’s shown up every time I’ve run her. She’s done her job.”
Hark Theangelssing, out of the winning The Factor mare Questionoftheday, is 5-for-8 overall with $362,400 in earnings.
The field for the second division in Race 8 is as follows:
1.) Life’s Dynamic [Mychel Sanchez]
2.) Pillar of Beauty [Jose Lezcano]
3.) Flowerhead [Antonio Fresu]
4.) Carolyncaroline [Paco Lopez]
5.) Lion Lake [Manny Franco]
6.) Epic Lady Luck [Edgard Zayas]
7.) Catalonia [Javier Castellano]
8.) Hark Theangelssing [Ismerio Villalobos]
9.) Green Sense [Edwin Gonzalez]
10.) Amicable Farce [Ricardo Santana, Jr.]
11.) R Slew of Cash [Dylan Davis]
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