Belmont: Jacobson duo tries to stay hot in allowances

Nifty Shindig and Golden Galaxy, who won their first starts after being claimed to help fuel David Jacobson’s run to the Aqueduct spring meet training title, appear the ones to catch in Thursday’s pair of six-furlong allowance sprints at Belmont Park.

Jacobson haltered Nifty Shindig out of a win against $35,000 maidens in March, and she returned closing week to beat starter/optional claimers and bring home a winner’s share of $30,600. A 4-year-old filly, she earned a career-best 81 Beyer Figure and will switch back to turf in race 4, a preliminary allowance scheduled for the inner course.

Nifty Shindig breaks from the rail against seven rivals on turf. She gets a class check against the likes of Nice Stuff, Quiet Ending, and Strategic Missile, New York-breds who each have won twice on turf at Belmont, as well as Spooky Kitten, a Canadian-bred mare who two years ago ran second in the Woodbine Oaks.

Quiet Ending may go favored making her seasonal debut for Christophe Clement, who saddled 21 grass winners at the 2012 spring-summer session.

Gadget Girl, Girl Code, and Vicki’s Dancer also entered for turf. Finders Key entered dirt only.

Golden Galaxy was a $14,000 pick-up for Jacobson closing weekend of the inner-track meet and 19 days later won herself out more than twice over by wiring the same kind of New York-bred fillies and mares she faces in race 8.

Golden Galaxy earned $32,400 for showing her heels to Cape Cod Carol and Newbie in that April 11 dash, upping her career record to 8-1-0 from 12 starts. She takes on those two again, as well as Alpha J, Bird House, and Effie Trinket.

Alpha J steps up seeking her third straight for breeder-owner-trainer Scott Schwartz after rolling through maiden and first-level allowance ranks with pace-pressing scores.

Effie Trinket makes her first start as a 3-year-old for Rick Violette Jr. and faces older foes for the first time. A daughter of Freud, she won both of her dirt starts at Saratoga last year – a debut maiden win and a hard-fought triumph in the Aristie overnight stakes 17 days later.

“She came out of [her debut] good . . . so there was no reason not to run,” Violette said. “She obviously has some talent.”