Twenty Six Black spins back in G3 Belmont Turf Sprint
Roger Cimbora, Jr.’s popular New York-homebred Twenty Six Black brings ultra-consistent form to Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint, a six-furlong inner turf test for 3-year-olds and up, at Belmont Park.
Trained by Horacio De Paz, the 6-year-old War Dancer gelding, out of the First Dude mare Brazo de Oro, will look to go one better than his younger state-bred siblings A Little At First and Raise the Roof, who both ran second here last weekend on the return to racing at Belmont Park. Both siblings are trained by De Paz for Cimbora, Jr.
The 3-year-old full brother A Little At First, who is dual stakes-placed, finished 1 1/4-lengths back of 6-year-old Conman in a second-level state-bred optional claimer at 1 1/16-miles on turf on Friday; while the 2-year-old Raise the Roof, by Tourist, overcame a troubled start to land 1 1/2-lengths back of Captain George in a one-mile state-bred maiden on Saturday.
De Paz noted that both siblings should improve going forward if they continue to follow in the footsteps of the accomplished Twenty Six Black, who has banked $815,310 through a 21-8-5-2 ledger. His record includes a trio of stakes wins; two graded placings and a third-out state-bred allowance win here over the inner turf.
“If you go and look back at ‘Twenty Six’s PPs, he developed through those conditions, he didn't just win them right off the bat. He ran seconds and thirds and then won it,” De Paz said. “It's a credit to the New York-bred program that he was able to go through those conditions and earn that much money.
“When you go open company, you never know how a horse will continue to mature,” De Paz added. “’Twenty Six’ is a good example of how if you do right by the horse, they will take care of you. I'm very happy with what he’s been able to accomplish. He's a cool horse and a barn favorite.”
Twenty Six Black captured the restricted Disco Partner last August at Saratoga Race Course to secure his first stakes win and followed with a closing third to returning rival Alogon in last year’s Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint at Belmont at the Big A. He completed his campaign with a one-length score over reopposing Waralo in the state-bred New York Turf Sprint Championship in October at the Big A.
Twenty Six Black returned to action in May with a neck defeat to Waralo in the Listed Elusive Quality in May at Belmont at the Big A ahead of a 1 1/2-length fourth in the Grade 1 Jaipur in June at the Spa. The hard-trying bay returned to winning form on July 5 in the Spa’s Listed Harvey Pack with a rallying 2 3/4-length triumph over Possiblemente, who exited that effort to win the Grade 2 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint.
Last out, Twenty Six Black finished a 1 1/2-length fourth in the Grade 2 Troy on August 9 at the Spa won by the pacesetting John the Beer Man by a head over the pressing Waralo, who was disqualified and placed third behind Doncho following an inquiry.
“The turf course was at a disadvantage to his style of running,” De Paz said of the Troy try. “They were nice horses as well and it favored the other horses tremendously…they are good horses, so there was no disgrace to losing to them. But on a fairer turf course he might have been able to catch them.”
Twenty Six Black is in the habit of firing off bullet works ahead of his recent good efforts, including on October 18 [47 seconds flat on the Belmont dirt training track; 1/237] ahead of his New York Turf Sprint win and on June 28 [47.01 on the Belmont dirt training track; 1/96] ahead of the Harvey Pack win. He posted another bullet on August 2 [47 flat on the Spa main track; 1/149] ahead of his Troy effort and, most recently, on September 20, went a half-mile in 47.44 over the Belmont dirt training track, best of 34 efforts at the distance.
“It just seems to be working for him,” De Paz said. “I don't normally like to work horses that fast but when he did that at Saratoga, he seemed to run really good off of it. So, we kept him in that rhythm.
“He's doing very good. He's right on track for this race,” De Paz added. “We always thought the six furlongs would be more to his liking as well. He ran well at six furlongs at Aqueduct as well.”
Manny Franco, leading rider at the Belmont fall meet, retains the mount from post 2.
Trainer Ned Allard sends out a strong pair in Alogon [post 6, Forest Boyce] and Card Trick [post 4, Dylan Davis] from his Delaware Park base.
The Estate of Charles T. Matses’ Kentucky homebred Alogon competes in this event for the fourth consecutive year, having finished fourth in 2023 and third in 2024 ahead of a neck score over Bold Journey last year at Belmont at the Big A.
The 7-year-old California Chrome gelding has banked just shy of $700,000 through a 27-8-3-6 record and arrives from a three-quarter length score in the Laurel Dash on September 12 at its namesake track.
Alogon, a five-time stakes winner, won the Listed Turf Sprint Championship in November 2024 at the Big A in a dead heat with Works for Me.
C J T Stables’ Card Trick is seeking his first win since taking a turf route in February 2025 for his former conditioner William Downing. The 5-year-old Liam’s Map gelding has since made 12 starts for Allard, including a closing two-length third in the Listed Turf Sprint in May at Laurel Park. He was fifth last out in the Laurel Dash on September 12.
Winterhawk Farm’s Spirited Sol [post 8, Martina Rojas] has hit the board in each of his last 11 starts, including wins in the six-furlong Karl Boyes on synthetic in July at Presque Isle Downs and a closing 1 1/4-length score last out over firm turf in the Da Hoss on September 7 at Colonial Downs.
The 8-year-old Soldat gelding was conditioned through those starts by Kimberly DePasquale and will be saddled here by Kevin Rice.
Martha Nevins and Michael Pawasarat’s Jean Valjean [post 5, Jomar Torres] will ensure a swift pace, entering from gate-to-wire scores in the five-furlong Marhsall Jenney versus fellow Pennsylvania-breds in August at Penn National and the restricted Disco Partner at 5 1/2-furlongs last out on September 6 at Saratoga.
Trained by Elizabeth Merryman, the 7-year-old Uncle Lino gelding has won 10-of-24 starts for purse earnings of $396,441.
A salty field includes the speedy Waralo [post 1, Jose Lezcano], third last out in the Grade 2 Troy and a two-time turf stakes winner at six furlongs for trainer Chris Englehart; 2024 Karl Boyes winner Let My People Go [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for trainer Mike Maker; and three-time winner Egyptian Mau [post 7, Antonio Fresu], who makes his first start since a fifth in the Grade 2 Giant’s Causeway in April at Keeneland for Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale.
The Belmont Turf Sprint is slated as Race 7 on Sunday’s nine-race card, which also features the Grade 3, $200,000 Winter Memories in Race 8. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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