Belmont: Belle of the Hall meets rival Kid Kate again

ELMONT, N.Y. – A change of venue may help Belle of the Hall change the result when she meets Kid Kate for the third straight time in Sunday’s $60,000 Miss Golden Circle Stakes at Belmont Park.

At Saratoga, Kid Kate twice defeated Belle of the Hall, first by 1 1/4 lengths in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Aug. 1 and then by two lengths in the Lady Tak Stakes on Aug. 31. Kid Kate ran her Saratoga record to 4 for 4.

At Belmont Park, Kid Kate is 1 for 5, while Belle of the Hall is 2 for 2, including a victory in a race similar to this, the Catinca Stakes, last Oct. 27.

Tom Albertrani, the trainer of Belle of the Hall, isn’t putting as much stock in the horse-for-course angle as much as he is the turnaround his filly has made since adding blinkers two starts back.

“I think the blinkers maybe made a difference with her,” Albertrani said. “It looked like her form got a little off and I tried blinkers on her, and it seemed like she came back around again. Maybe that’s all it took was something to get back in the game.”

The only thing the blinkers haven’t done is help Belle of the Hall get away from the gate quickly.

“Lately, she’s been tending to leave there a little slow and then making a good run,” Albertrani said. “Maybe seven-eighths will help her.”

Kid Kate finished third behind Belle of the Hall in the Catinca Stakes. Kid Kate has run eight times this yea,r and trainer Chad Brown gave her a little freshening after four strong races in a two-month time period.

“She did need to be freshened up a little bit,” Brown said. “She likes Belmont, she’s training pretty good. I know she’s going to run well, I don’t know if she’s going to win.”

Alseera, a daughter of Distorted Humor, is making her first start since being pulled up after bearing out in the Grade 1 Mother Goose here in June. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said that Alseera has a sensitive mouth and needed some time off following the Mother Goose.

Before that, she had won her previous two starts at Belmont, including an entry-level allowance in May.

Coax Liberty, who won a seven-furlong overnight stakes here in July, has an upset chance. Catch a Thief and Indian Burn finished second and fifth, respectively, behind Belle of the Hall in the Catinca last October.

C.C.’s Pal, a minor stakes winner at Monmouth, makes her first start since July 31 and first for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr.