Belmont Park: Be Bullish making return

Barbara D. Livingston

Be Bullish was sidelined by a bleeding problem.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After a two-month freshening following a bleeding episode in his last start, Be Bullish returns to action Friday in the $85,000 Chasin’ Wimmin’ Stakes for New York-breds at Belmont Park.

First post at Belmont Friday is 3 p.m. for the second of three “Party at the Park” programs featuring live music after the races.

Be Bullish, claimed for $50,000 by trainer Bruce Brown and owner Thomas La Marca off a winning effort at Aqueduct on Jan. 25, hasn’t run since finishing fifth to Mine Over Matter in the Fabersham Stakes at Aqueduct on April 22. Be Bullish bled in that race and was subsequently given a break.

“We gave him plenty of time with the bleeding issue,” Brown said Wednesday at Belmont. “We had him at Saratoga and he was doing really good up there, but he’s done even better since we got him down here. He’s really training well.”

Be Bullish has shown a tendency to run well fresh and of the eight horses entered has the best record at six furlongs.

“It looks like we’re facing some horses not in their best form,” Brown said. “If he comes with his ‘A’ game he should be very tough.”

Cornelio Velasquez, the last rider to win aboard Be Bullish, has the call from post 6.

Fiddlers Afleet has been transferred to David Jacobson from John Sadler and returns to New York for the second time this year. In April, he ran fourth behind Saginaw in the Carr Heaven Stakes at Belmont before returning to Southern California, where he was third in an open-company allowance race at Betfair Hollywood Park.

While Fiddlers Afleet’s two stakes wins – the Albany at Saratoga and Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park – have come in two-turn races, he did win a maiden race at Belmont going 5 1/2 furlongs in September 2008.

Jacobson said that this race is more a prep for longer races at Saratoga. David Cohen rides from post 2.

Uncle T Seven, claimed by Richard Dutrow Jr. for $75,000 in March, has finished second in a pair of seven-furlong stakes races restricted to New York-breds. He is 1 for 2 at six furlongs, but gets the services of leading rider Ramon Dominguez.

“I don’t think it’s his best distance, but there’s no place else to run him,” Dutrow said.

The four-time stakes winner Driven by Success has been returned to Bruce Levine by owner Mike Repole. Todd Pletcher had trained the gelding for his last 18 starts. Driven by Success, who went 4 for 14 when Levine previously trained him, hasn’t run since Jan. 2 when he finished fourth in a third-level allowance race.

Mine Over Matter, winner of the seven-furlong Fabersham Stakes two back, Law Enforcement, winner of the Hollie Hughes in February, Sportswriter, and Bambi Bound complete the field.