Arzak, Smokin' Jay meet again in Allied Forces; Christiecat Stakes wide open
ELMONT, N.Y. – Arzak has gotten the better of Smokin’ Jay the two times they’ve met. Round 3 between the pair of 3-year-olds takes place Friday at Belmont Park in the $100,000 Allied Forced Stakes scheduled for six furlongs on the turf.
The Allied Forces and the Christiecat, for 3-year-old filly sprinters on turf, are the first two flat stakes of the 28-day Belmont fall meet. First post Friday is 1 p.m.
In the My Frenchman Stakes over yielding turf on July 11 at Monmouth Park, Arzak finished third and Smokin’ Jay was fifth behind favored Chasing Artie. In that race, Smokin’ Jay got the jump on Arzak, who had to wait to get outside and then came with a decent run to finish a length ahead of Smokin’ Jay.
In the Tom Ridge Stakes, over the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs, Smokin’ Jay once again got the jump on Arzak, with the latter rallying to win a bob over Smokin’ Jay.
“That was a good race for him,” said Mike Trombetta, trainer of Arzark. “He rates, but not perfectly.”
Trombetta said Arzak will be better in a race with pace and his other entrant in the field, Momos, does seem to possess plenty of speed. Momos finished ahead of both Arzak and Smokin’ Jay in the My Frenchman but then finished fourth after setting the pace in the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga. It was after that race that Momos was moved to Trombetta from Christophe Clement.
Other speed could come from Ranger Fox, who cuts back to a sprint after finishing sixth in the Better Talk Now going a mile, and Jaxon Traveler, who chased the pace before fading to third behind front-running Golden Pal in the Grade 3 Quick Call Stakes on July 15 at Saratoga.
Trainer Kelsey Danner felt Smokin’ Jay was wider than she would have liked in the Tom Ridge. She is hoping Luis Saez can work out a better trip Friday.
Saez rode Smokin’ Jay in the Palisades Turf Sprint at Keeneland in April where he got shut off at the eighth pole and finished last.
Danner also is hoping rain forecast for Thursday night into Friday doesn’t make the turf too soft.
Clement has the uncoupled entry of Big Everest and Swashbuckle. Big Everest is turning back to six furlongs after winning a one-mile maiden race at Saratoga.
“Six furlongs is sharp, but I’d like to run him sharp and see what happens,” Clement said.
Swashbuckle is stepping into open company after two losses in the New York-bred ranks.
“On numbers, I’m a little bit below, but he’s doing very well,” Clement said.
Three Two Zone, a son of Street Sense, would be trying turf for the first time in the Allied Forces. He might be a bigger player should the race be moved to the dirt.
Bay Storm needs clear sailing
Bay Storm looks to bounce back from a troubled-trip fifth in a first-level allowance when she steps up in class in Friday’s $100,000 Christiecat Stakes for 3-year-olds going six furlongs on turf.Bay Storm was beaten only 1 3/4 lengths when finishing fifth in a first-level allowance on Aug. 7 at Saratoga. She seemed to have more than that amount of trouble when she raced between horses entering the turn, was wide, and then was carried out wider in the stretch.
“I thought the effort was probably better than the placing suggests,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “If we can try to predict she’s going to take a numerical step forward at least, from what we saw, we fit.”
Bay Storm returns to Belmont, where she won a six-furlong maiden race last October. John Velazquez will be aboard Friday.
The Christiecat is seemingly wide open. Sussex Garden, who finished a half-length in front of Bay Storm in the Aug. 7 allowance race, is back for this for trainer Arnaud Delacour.
Clement has two contenders in Honey Pants, who is 2 for 2 at Belmont, and Bye Bye, who won the Grade 3 Soaring Softly Stakes here going seven furlongs May 15. Honey Pants is coming off a second-place finish to Lady War Machine in the Alywow Stakes at Woodbine.
In her most recent start, Bye Bye was beaten a neck when third to Star Devine in the Galway Stakes at Saratoga
“She got completely knocked down at the start, she ran a good race,” Clement said. “The only negative is she’s got to give a lot of weight.”
As the 124-pound highweight, Bye Bye is conceding 4 to 6 pounds to the field.
Orbs Baby Girl, Caldee, Can’t Buy Love, and Tuscan Queen compete the field on turf. Union Gables and Patty H were entered to run on the main track.