Bay Storm goes a little longer in Glen Cove Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – Bay Storm will try to stretch out, Aug Lutes will try to handle turf, and Invincible Gal will try to end her string of stakes second-itis when the trio of 3-year-old fillies heads a field of 12 entered in Friday’s $100,000 Glen Cove Stakes at Belmont Park.
The inaugural Glen Cove, restricted to 3-year-old fillies, is run at seven furlongs on turf one day before Belmont hosts the Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf. The final stakes of the weekend is Sunday’s $150,000 Floral Park for fillies and mares at six furlongs on turf.
Bay Storm was a front-running winner of the Christiecat Stakes going six furlongs here Sept. 17. Bay Storm initially was credited with running fractions of 23.67 seconds, 46.24, and covering six furlongs in 1:09.73 before Equibase officials opted to remove those fractions.
That was the first occasion in her four-race career that Bay Storm had been on the front end, and trainer Jonathan Thomas credited jockey John Velazquez with using those tactics. Still, Thomas is equally content to have Bay Storm sit if there is other speed, and will allow Luis Saez to ride her Friday as he sees fit. Velazquez is riding at Keeneland on Friday.
“She has the ability to rate or get behind horses if needed,” Thomas said. “I’d love to see what another furlong does for her. She certainly finishes her races and gallops out as if more ground should be in her wheelhouse.”
Saez will become the fifth rider in as many starts for Bay Storm, who has followed her victory with two solid breezes over Belmont’s turf.
Aug Lutes, a daughter of Midnight Lute, won her first three starts before finishing second in the 10-horse Duchess Stakes on Sept. 25 at Woodbine. All four of her races have come over synthetic surfaces – two starts each at Woodbine and Presque Isle.
“She’s been a gem,” trainer Michael Trombetta said. “She’s had a few issues, which is why she’s lightly raced, but she’s training really well and it’s time to see what she’ll do on turf. You don’t know until you do it.”
Invincible Gal won her debut in August 2020 at Saratoga but is 0 for 8 since. She has competed in seven stakes, finishing second five times including a neck loss in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly going seven furlongs here in May. Trainer Graham Motion called it “quite possibly her best race of the year.”
Motion, who added blinkers to Invincible Gal’s equipment two starts back, chose the Glen Cove over the Sands Point. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride her.
“She’s quite sharp in the morning, so I feel seven-eighths is a good distance for her,” Motion said. “Having Irad doesn’t hurt her.”
Adding to the competitiveness of the field are Caldee, second to Bay Storm in the Christiecat; Alwayz Late, second in the Music City Stakes on Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs; Por Que No; Keeper of Time; and Honey Pants.