Belmont Park: Catinca opportunistic spot for Lighthouse Bay

ELMONT, N.Y. – With limited options for 3-year-old fillies this time of year, trainer George Weaver has dropped his Grade 1 winner Lighthouse Bay into the $100,000 Catinca, an overnight stakes restricted to her age group at six furlongs Wednesday at Belmont Park.

As the calendar turns to October, first post at Belmont has been moved up 15 minutes to 12:50 p.m. beginning Wednesday.

Lighthouse Bay, a daughter of Speightstown, is 3 for 5 at six furlongs, including a half-length victory in the Grade 1 Prioress at Saratoga on July 27. She attempted to stretch out an additional furlong in the Grade 1 Test, but could manage only fifth, beaten three lengths.

“She ran a good race, but it was probably half a furlong further than she wants to go,” Weaver said. “She made a run, she just couldn’t sustain it.”

Weaver had thought about running Lighthouse Bay in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom here going 6 1/2 furlongs Sept. 21, but felt that race came up with a strong group of older fillies and mares. Weaver was happy to have this race – originally scheduled for last Friday – to use as a prep for the Grade 2, $250,000 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 19, which he said will be an experiment to see how Lighthouse Bay handles a synthetic surface.

“This is a good spot for her to hopefully win a race,” Weaver said. “I think we’re bringing a strong hand.”

Lighthouse Bay will break from the rail under Joe Rocco Jr.

Lighthouse Bay should get ample pace to close into with Baby J, Profetiza, and Maracuya in the field.

Baby J is 3 for 5 at Belmont, having won the Grade 3 Victory Ride here June 29 by three-quarters of a length over fellow Catinca starter Bridgehampton. Baby J then tried to run with Sweet Lulu in the Test, but Sweet Lulu put her away. Baby J finished eighth, nine lengths behind Sweet Lulu, in the Test.

Baby J, trained by Pat Reynolds, will be ridden by Javier Castellano from the outside post in the field of five.

Maracuya, a daughter of Big Brown, is 3 for 3 around one turn and 0 for 2 in races run around two turns. She has won both of her starts at six furlongs, including a front-running allowance score at Saratoga on Aug. 30. That was her first race with blinkers added.

Trainer Ralph Nicks said the blinkers were put on to make Maracuya “focus a little bit more.”

“She’s the type that pays attention to everything around her,” he said.

Nicks said that Maracuya’s allowance win was “probably her most professional” race.

John Velazquez rides Maracuya from post 2.

Bridgehampton, trained by Mike Hushion, has not run since the Victory Ride on June 29, owing to a fever that forced her to miss some time up at Saratoga. Jose Ortiz rides Bridgehampton from post 4.

Profetiza, trained by Bill Mott, will try six furlongs for the first time in her career. She won a one-mile allowance race here in June before suffering defeats by double-digit lengths in a pair of 1 1/8-mile overnight stakes at Saratoga.