Belmont Park: Allowance kicks off turf-heavy Wednesday card

ELMONT, N.Y. – The richest race on Wednesday’s nine-race Belmont Park program is the first, an inscrutable $87,000 first-level allowance race for New York-breds scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course.

The first race is one of six turf races on the card. The final five are part of a pick six that begins with a $45,383 carryover.

Eight of the nine horses in Wednesday’s opener have just a maiden win to their credit. Always Home is the lone two-time winner in the field, with both victories coming in claiming races at this meet for trainer Joe Lostritto.

Kate Is a Ten makes her first start for trainer Mark Hennig after having made her last four races for Phil Serpe. The last time Kate Is a Ten raced on the turf, she won a maiden special race restricted to New York-breds at Saratoga. Her last two starts were both rained off the turf and run on the dirt, with Kate Is a Ten finishing third in the slop at Saratoga and seventh over a fast track here.

“Her turf form is good,” Hennig said. “I haven’t had her that long, but she would obviously appreciate getting back on the grass.”

Luis Saez rides from post 8.

Strike Accord is only 1 for 18 in her career, but that win did come at Belmont in spring 2012. He has finished worse than third only once in six starts over the Belmont turf.

Strike Accord has not run since finishing third in this condition at Saratoga on Aug. 19. Her trainer, John Kimmel, believes Strike Accord will appreciate getting back to Belmont. Junior Alvarado rides from the rail.

“Saratoga is very tough for horses who make late moves like she makes,” Kimmel said. “I think she’ll enjoy this oval a little bit. This filly’s been ready to run for a while. I’ve been sitting on hold with her.”

Flirtatious Spring, like Kate Is a Ten, has had her last two races rained off the turf. She finished a neck in front of Strike Accord when the two were second and third in that Aug. 19 turf race at Saratoga.

Trainer Dominick Schettino has the uncoupled entry of Hope for Tomorrow and Golden Cheetah in the field.

Hope for Tomorrow has not run since Dec. 31. She won her only turf start, a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Aqueduct last Nov. 24. She breaks from post 2.

Golden Cheetah came off a two-month layoff to run third in this condition two weeks ago. She breaks from post 5.

Chloe Bear, Take It Inside, Miz Owell, and Always Home round out the field.