Coglianese / NYRA Photo Photo

Tacitus works five furlongs in preparation for G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets

by NYRA Press Office

• Chad Brown battalion breezes on busy Belmont weekend
• Master Fencer enjoys first tour of Belmont Park
• Code of Honor breezes three-eighths for Dwyer
• Karak gives sire Karakontie first winner; points to Royal Ascot
• Forty Under points to G2 Penn Mile
• A Thread of Blue keeps NYRA Turf Triple in sights; Qurbaan pointing for G1 Manhattan
• Rice still considering options for Nicodemus; well represented on Big Apple Showcase Day
• NYRA and Monmouth Park Cross Country Pick 5 pays $35K

Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets winner Tacitus breezed over the main track at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday at Belmont Park, working in company with Multiplier.

Both horses covered five furlongs in 1:00.16 with Tacitus, piloted by Jose Ortiz, galloping out strong in front of his graded stakes winning stablemate in preparation for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, slated for Saturday, June 8.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott for owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms, Tacitus rallied from 16th at the half-mile call in the Kentucky Derby to finish fourth and was elevated to third with the disqualification of Maximum Security.

Mott said he was pleased with the breeze from the regally-bred son of Tapit and multiple Grade 1 winner Close Hatches.

"It was very good, very even; I liked the rhythm of it - 12, 12, 12, 12. Each furlong was in about 12 seconds and he went out six furlongs in about 1:12, so I thought it was a very steady, solid work," said Mott.

Country House, who provided Mott with his first Kentucky Derby winner, developed a cough after his historic win and was forced to skip the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Preakness.

Mott said the Lookin At Lucky chestnut is in good order at Churchill Downs and will be pointed to a summer campaign at the lucrative Saratoga meet which kicks off on Thursday, July 11 featuring 76 stakes worth $20.85 million across 40 racing days, highlighted by the 150th running of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers set for August 24.

"Country House is back on the track at Churchill - he's jogging. He's doing fine," said Mott, who trains the Derby winner, bred by the late Joseph V. Shields Jr., for owners Mrs. Shields, E.J.M. McFadden, and LNJ Foxwoods. "He's a horse you'd look at for the Jim Dandy [Grade 2, $600,000 - July 27] with the Travers as the [longer term] goal."

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker earned a lofty 106 Beyer Speed Figure in his Grade 1 Man o' War score. The talented 5-year-old son of English Channel, bred in Ontario at the Tall Oaks Farm of Ivan Dalos, worked four furlongs in 48.33 on the Belmont dirt training track on Sunday morning.

Mott said Channel Maker is tentatively pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan, a 1 1/4-mile turf test for 4-year-olds and up set for Belmont Stakes Day, June 8 as part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival slated for June 6 - June 8 at beautiful Belmont Park.

"He worked very nicely on the training track. It was the first work back for him and it was very good," said Mott. "We're nominated for the Manhattan, but I'm not sure what we're doing yet. We'll see how he trains up to it."

With the 151st running of the Belmont Stakes as its centerpiece, the 2019 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 18 stakes races over the three days including an unprecedented 8 Grade 1 races on Belmont Stakes Day, June 8.

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Brown battalion breezes on busy Belmont weekend

Chad Brown, an Eclipse Award winner as Outstanding Trainer in each of the last three years, rolled out a remarkable contingent of graded stakes winners on both the turf and main track on Saturday and Sunday at Belmont Park.

On Saturday, Grade 1 winner Separationofpowers worked four furlongs on the main track in 49.77 seconds with an eye towards the Grade 3, $250,000 Bed O' Roses Invitational, a seven-furlong dirt sprint for older fillies and mares set for Friday, June 7

"She's likely for the Bed O' Roses. We're planning on running her there. She worked fine," said Brown of the 4-year-old Candy Ride filly owned by Klaravich Stables.

Three Chimneys Farm homebred Guarana, a romping 14 3/4-length maiden winner over a sloppy Keeneland track on April 19, worked five furlongs, in company with Electric Forest, in 1:00.01 on the main track.

Brown said the Grade 1, $700,000 Acorn on Belmont Stakes Day is a possibility for the Ghostzapper filly.

"She looked really well. She worked fine. She's been working at Saratoga before she came down here," said Brown. "We might take a shot and enter her in the Acorn. I'll have to talk to the owners about that."

Peter M. Brant's graded stakes placed Dunbar Road has breezed steadily since her runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. The daughter of Quality Road, who graduated at first asking on March 3 at Gulfstream Park, breezed on the main track Saturday in company with South of the Shore, covering four furlongs in 48.59 seconds.

Dunbar Road and South of the Shore, a maiden winner in March at the Big A, are both entered in an allowance race on Thursday at Belmont Park. Brown said the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose, a 1 1/16-mile event for sophomore fillies slated for June 29 is the longer term goal for Dunbar Road.

"She worked fine," said Brown. "We're using this a prep for the Mother Goose. The timing works well."

Klaravich Stables' Grade 1 winner Competitionofideas worked in company with Grade 3-winner Significant Form in 49.03 over the main track Saturday.

Competitionofideas finished second, defeated a half-length by stablemate Homerique, in her seasonal debut in the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 11 at Belmont.

Homerique, owned by Brant, was making her North American debut in the Beaugay. The Exchange Rate grey also worked Saturday, covering four furlongs on the inner turf in 49.56.

Brown said that Competitionofideas and Homerique are likely to renew their rivalry in the Grade 2, $600,000 New York, a 10-furlong turf test slated for June 7 as part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

"She [Competitionofideas] ran really well. She just ran into a filly in Homerique, who ran a tick better. They both ran great and both her and Homerique are pointed to the New York Handicap," said Brown.

Uni, who captured the Grade 1 Matriarch in December at Del Mar, worked four furlongs in 49.56 on the inner turf on Saturday as she prepares for her seasonal debut.

Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord worked in company with Grade 3 Herecomesthebride winner Cambier Parc on the turf on Saturday, with both fillies covering five furlongs in 1:02.12.

Newspaperofrecord finished second in her 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs over a turf course rated good. It was the first defeat from three starts for the Lope de Vega bay, who romped by 6 3/4-lengths in her Breeders' Cup score, earning a 96 Beyer number.

Brown said he will point the talented filly to the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again which kicks off the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Thursday, June 6 as part of her path towards the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational which kicks off the Turf Tiara, first leg of the Turf Triple Series for fillies.

"She looks good. She looks like she's moved forward from that last race and she's pointed to the Wonder Again. We're excited to run there," said Brown. "We're pointing her to the Belmont Oaks and using it as a prep."

The Belmont Oaks Invitational is contested at 1 1/4-miles on the Belmont turf as part of the July 6 Stars & Stripes Racing Festival, and will be broadcast live on NBC.

Talented maiden winners Cafe Americano and Valid Point also worked on the main track Saturday for Brown.

Brant's Cafe Americano, a 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro and Canadian champion Roxy Gap, worked four furlongs in 48.28 in company with Grade 3-placed Blowout, who was clocked in 48.38. Cafe Americano graduated at first asking on February 9 on the Gulfstream green.

Valid Point, owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Michael J. Ryan, also graduated at first asking in February on the Gulfstream turf. The 3-year-old Scat Daddy bay worked four furlongs in 48.82 in company with stakes winner Alter Moon also clocked in 48.82.

Recent maiden winner Value Proposition, who earned a 90 Beyer in her April 27 debut on the Belmont green, worked five furlongs Saturday on the inner turf in 1:01.33 in company with Demarchelier, who is undefeated in two starts.

The bustling Brown barn was busy again on Sunday with an armada of Grade 1-talent taking to both the main track and turf.

Multiple Grade 1-winner Rushing Fall, a winner of seven of eight starts for owner e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, worked five furlongs on the inner turf in company with multiple Grade 1-winner Sistercharlie who was last seen winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Both were clocked in 1:00.02.

While Sistercharlie is likely to try and defend her title in the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana set for July 13 at Saratoga, Brown said Rushing Fall, who won the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland last out, will contest the Grade 1, $700,000 Longines Just a Game on Belmont Stakes Day.

"She worked good," said Brown. "She's pointed to the Just a Game and she worked really well."

A trio of potential contenders for the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day all went to the turf with Grade 1 winners Bricks and Mortar and Raging Bull working together through five furlongs in 1:00.19 on the inner turf.

Robert Bruce, last year's Grade 1 Arlington Million winner, covered five furlongs in 1:01.56 on the inner turf working in company with Grade 3-winner Instilled Regard.

Precieuse, who won the Group 1 Abu Dhabi Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in 2017 at Deauville, worked in company with Juddmonte homebred Environs in 1:00.13 with the Longines Just a Game a potential target for both.

Irish-bred sophomore Digital Age, recent winner of the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs, worked in company with 4-year-old Olympico, recent winner of the Grade 3 Fort Marcy at Belmont, with both covering four furlongs on the inner turf in 50.03.

Brown said Digital Age is on target for the first leg of the Turf Trinity, the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby at 10 furlongs on the turf slated for July 6.

"He's going to train up to the Belmont Derby. He won't run until then," said Brown.

Wow Cat, who won the Grade 1 Beldame last year, covered three furlongs in 37.43 on the main track as the 5-year-old daughter of Lookin At Lucky prepares for her seasonal debut.

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Master Fencer enjoys first tour of Belmont Park

Katsumi Yoshizawa's homebred Master Fencer, a rail-rallying sixth in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Koichi Tsunoda, jogged at Belmont Park for the first time early on Sunday morning.

Racing manager Mitsuoki Numamoto, translating on behalf of training assistant Yosuke Kono, said the talented Japanese-bred son of Just a Way enjoyed the experience.

"Master Fencer had one lap of jogging on the training track, with a jog and light gallop at the main track as his schooling," said Numamoto. "The horse was very fresh and energized because of his day off yesterday, and shows no tiredness from shipment. Since the surface is pretty similar to Japan dirt, he seems okay for [racing on] this surface."

Master Fencer is scheduled to breeze five furlongs on the Belmont Park main track early Wednesday morning. Jockey Julien Leparoux is slated to be aboard for the work and in the Belmont.

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Code of Honor breezes three-eighths for Dwyer

William Farish's Code of Honor was back to serious business on Saturday morning and recorded his first breeze since a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby with a three-eighths work in 37.33 seconds for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

"He worked really well," McGaughey said. "Just an easy three-eighths to get him going again. He seemed to do it real easily, he came back good. We're moving forward. We're hoping to have a good summertime horse."

McGaughey is pointing the chestnut son of Noble Mission to the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer on July 6 at Belmont Park. McGaughey has won the Dwyer twice with Grade 1 winning millionaires Seeking the Gold (1988) and Coronado's Quest (1998).

Never worse than fourth in four career starts, Code of Honor won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park over the winter and was third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby before his runner-up effort in the Derby. He is a Farish homebred out of graded stakes winner Reunited.

McGaughey also spoke of impressive maiden winner Passing Out, who has not raced since breaking her maiden over the turf at Gulfstream Park in late February. The Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable-owned daughter of Orb is pointed to a first-level allowance event on Sunday, June 2 over the Widener turf course.

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Karak gives sire Karakontie first winner; points to Royal Ascot

Trainer Wesley Ward sent out yet another stellar looking 2-year-old on Saturday as Breeze Easy's Karak took the Belmont Park opener over the Widener turf course, providing Karakontie his first victory as a stallion.

Ward plans on sending Karak to the Group 2, $128,000 Norfolk at Royal Ascot. Ward and Breeze Easy teamed up to win last year's edition of the Norfolk with Shang Shang Shang.

"She came out of the race in good order and we'll bring her back to Keeneland," Ward said. "The owners won [the Norfolk] last year with a filly, so we're trying to do the same again this year."

Karak went straight to the lead under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and was able to kick clear of stable mate No Nay Maybe to win her career debut by three lengths.

Bred in Kentucky by Parrish Hill Farm, Amanda Roach Cole & Karakontie Syndicate, Karak is out of the Irish-bred Mujadil broodmare Down the Well. Karak was purchased for $350,000 from the Ocala Breeders Sales Company's Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale this past March.

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Forty Under points to G2 Penn Mile

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart plans on sending graded stakes winner Forty Under to Penn National Race Course for Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 Penn Mile.

On Saturday morning, the son of Uncle Mo worked a half-mile at Saratoga in 49.06 seconds. His lone start this year was a runner-up effort behind Clint Maroon in the Woodhaven at Aqueduct.

"He's pretty much been business as usual," Englehart said.

Englehart said that a good performance from Forty Under in the Penn Mile could mean taking a shot at the newly designed Turf Trinity series, which consists of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational, $1 million Saratoga Derby and the $1 million Jockey Club Derby.

"It's a possibility," Englehart said. "When that came out that's what I had in mind for him. I want to see him run the way we think that he can."

Bred in Kentucky by Cedar Hill, Forty Under is out of the stakes winning Black Tie Affair broodmare Argent Affair. He won the Grade 3 Pilgrim over the inner turf at Belmont Park before a sixth-place effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs.

On Memorial Day, Englehart will look to end the extended weekend on a high note with a trio of contenders in the Big Apple Showcase Day.

Harold Lerner, AWC Stables and Nehoc Stables' Pat On the Back will go for two stakes victories in a row in the $200,000 Commentator. The chestnut son of Congrats won the Affirmed Success on Opening Day last month and was a nose short of victory in last year's edition of the Commentator behind New York-bred sensation Diversify.

"We're taking kind of the same route that we took last year," Englehart said. "It looks like another tough Commentator again. Giant Expectations will be tough but hopefully he proves that he's still right there."

Englehart gives recent maiden winner Behind the Couch a boost up in class in the $125,000 Bouwerie after a 1 ½ length maiden win over the main track at Aqueduct on March 22.

"She's a filly that I've always been high on," said Englehart, who trains the daughter of Awesome Again for Blackwood Stables. "We want to go a little further than seven-eighths but she's training well and coming into this spot in good shape."

Double O Racing Stable's Indy's Lady seeks her first stakes triumph since October 2017 when she races in the $200,000 Critical Eye. The daughter of Take Charge Indy is a two-time stakes winner. In her career debut she won the Lady Finger at Finger Lakes and scored another win over the Farmington oval two starts later in the Shesastonecoldfox. Her last win came three starts back in December at Laurel Park against allowance company.

"She's doing great," Englehart said. "She's been training at Laurel. She seems to get over that track a lot easier. She has always done what we ask of her."

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A Thread of Blue keeps Turf Triple in sights; Qurbaan pointing for G1 Manhattan

With four wins from eight starts, including a graded stakes victory in the Grade 3 Palm Beach last March at Gulfstream Park, Leonard Green's A Thread of Blue has emerged as one of the top 3-year-old turf colts in the nation.

The son of Hard Spun bred by Flaxman Holdings and in the care of conditioner Kiaran McLaughlin broke his maiden in his third career start last fall at Belmont and followed up with a third-place finish in the Awad at Aqueduct. His 3-year-old campaign kicked off with a flourish at Gulfstream wheeling off three consecutive victories with an allowance race followed by the Dania Beach and Palm Beach.

Visiting the Belmont training track on Saturday morning, A Thread of Blue worked four furlongs in 49.88 seconds for his first breeze since running second in the Grade 2 American Turf last out on May 4.

McLaughlin said A Thread of Blue would first target a start in the Grade 2, $500,000 Penn Mile before looking towards the first leg of the newly created NYRA Turf Triple Series, the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby on July 6.

"We're fist going to target the Penn Mile," said McLaughlin. "We hope to use that race as a setup to the NYRA Turf Triple."

The Turf Trinity consists of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at 1 ¼ miles; followed by the first running of the $1 million Saratoga Derby on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course at 1 3/16 miles; and concluding with the newly created $1 million Jockey Club Derby on Saturday, September 7 at 1 ½ miles.

McLaughlin said he is looking forward to the debut of the Turf Triple.

"It's certainly a nice series, especially if you're a trainer that has the type of horses that can fit those races," said McLaughlin. "Horses should come from all over the world for those races, so it's great that we might have one that will fit. We certainly plan on finding out."

McLaughlin also reported Shadwell Stable's graded stakes winner Qurbaan, who has finished no worse than third in his last six starts since winning the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch last summer at Saratoga will next be pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day, Saturday, June 8.

After finishing second over good going in his most recent start in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on May 4, McLaughlin is looking for Qurbaan to move forward from that race.

Qurbaan breezed five furlongs in 1:01.80 on Saturday on the all-weather track at Greentree Training Center in Saratoga, and McLaughlin said he exited the work in good order.

"He came out of the work well," said McLaughlin. "We probably will have to run against the same horses that beat us [in the Turf Classic], but maybe we'll get a little bit of a weight advantage. He's run on all different types of ground. He might prefer a little bit more on the firm side. He's a neat horse."

Dawn the Destroyer, who last out ran fourth in the Grade 3 Vagrancy on May 11 will target the Grade 3, $250,000 Bed O' Roses Invitational on Friday, June 7.

"She's doing really well out of her last race," said McLaughlin. "We'll probably look to enter her in the Bed O' Roses if she continues to progress."

Lastly, McLaughlin said Shadwell's graded stakes winner Haikal, who scratched on the eve of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby due to an abscess in his left front, is nearing a full recovery at Shadwell Farm in Kentucky and will most likely target a return in the fall.

"We sent him up to Shadwell and thankfully he's checked out clean," said McLaughlin. "No surgery was required, but with everything that happened to him we decided to give him some time off. We'll look forward to him returning to training, targeting the Belmont fall meet."

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Rice still considering options for Nicodemus; well represented on Big Apple Showcase Day

Currently in second-place in the Belmont spring/summer meet trainer standings with nine wins entering Sunday's live racing card, conditioner Linda Rice was in good spirits for the Memorial Holiday weekend breezing newly minted graded stakes winner Nicodemus on Saturday.

Owned by Everything's Cricket Racing and Lawrence Goichman, the 4-year-old Nicodemus began his 2019 season with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Excelsior on April 6 at Aqueduct. He subsequently won the Grade 3 Westchester on May 4.

Nicodemus breezed five furlongs in 1:01.32 on the Belmont training track on Saturday, and Rice said she was still considering a number of options for the Candy Ride colt including the Grade 2, $250,000 True North on Friday, June 7 and the Grade 2, $300,000 John Nerud on June 22.

"He breezed well and has come out of the work good, but we haven't decided where we'll go yet," said Rice. We're going to continue to train him and decide in the next coming days."

Ride also has six horses entered for Monday's 11-race all New York-bred Big Apple Showcase Day card, including runners in the $125,000 Bouwerie for 3-year-old fillies with talented unbeaten runner Newly Minted for Beach Haven Thoroughbreds; multiple stakes winner Midnight Disguise for owners and breeders Dr. William B. Wilmot and Dr. Joan M. Taylor, and Fleet Warrior in the $125,000 Mike Lee for owner John Scandalios and Darryl Abramowitz.

"I stay and race in New York all year round, Monday's card is especially important for us," said Rice. "I always buy a lot of New York-bred weanlings, yearlings and 2-year-olds so I really support the New York Breeders program and New York racing of course. Showcase day is a big day for me, myself, and my clients so we're hoping for some good racing luck."

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NYRA and Monmouth Park Cross Country Pick 5 pays $35K

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 featuring races from Belmont and Monmouth Park handled $82,557 returning $35,086 for a $0.50 wager.

The sequence kicked off with the first of three legs at Monmouth Park with the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile from Monmouth Park, won by post-time mutuel favorite Sunny Ridge who returned $5.20 for a $2 win wager.

In the second leg, a first level allowance optional-claiming event, 16-1 longshot Daytime Lover ($34.80) upset a field of 11. Leg three of the sequence was the Grade 2, $200,000 Monmouth where Shadwell Stable's Almanaar ($6.80) for trainer Chad Brown bested post-time favorite Synchrony to earn his first graded stakes win since February of 2017.

The action then shifted to Belmont Park for the $100,000 Paradise Creek for 3-year-olds on the Widener turf course where Brad Cox trained Pole Setter ($10.80) drew away late to earn the victory.

In the final leg of the sequence and last race at Belmont Park, Dr. Shane ($21.20) for owner Daniel Feiss and conditioner Danny Gargan bested a field of nine sprinting on the inner turf.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents and features a 15 percent takeout. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. There will be a mandatory payout of the entire pool.

For more information on the Cross Country Pick 5, please visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.