Belmont Park: Chorus Music whistles in return

ELMONT, N.Y. - In her return off a five-month layoff, Chorus Music picked up where she left off, roaring to a 5 1/2-length victory in Friday’s $60,000 Irish Linnet Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares.

Chorus Music, a 6-year-old daughter of Strategic Mission, was making her first start since Nov. 21 at Aqueduct, where she won a starter allowance by 1 3/4 lengths.

Under Alex Solis, Chorus Music settled into midpack while Exclusive Scheme set leisurely fractions of 25.58 seconds, 50.12, and 1:14.21 while being hassled by a rank In Te Domine.

Turning into the stretch, Solis guided Chorus Music into the four path and she overpowered Exclusive Scheme inside the eighth pole en route to the handy victory. Exclusive Scheme held second by three-quarters of a length over Akilina.

Chorus Music, owned by Michael Devlin’s Curragh Stables and Gary Juster and trained by John Terranova, covered the mile in 1:38.71 over yielding turf and returned $6.60 as the 2-1 favorite.

Beau Choix could end up in Fort Marcy

When trainer Barclay Tagg sent Beaux Choix out for a half-mile work Friday morning at Belmont Park, it wasn’t with next weekend’s Fort Marcy Stakes in mind. But after the 4-year-old colt zipped four furlongs in 46.47 seconds over the Belmont main track, he may have had a change of heart.

“Maybe I should run him in the Fort Marcy,” Tagg said after the work, which was the fastest of six on the day.

Tagg has until Wednesday to make up his mind definitively, but Beaux Choix could look good in the Fort Marcy. A two-time listed stakes winner at 3, Beaux Choix made a successful 4-year-old debut two weeks ago at Keeneland, winning a third-level allowance race by a length, taking advantage of a quick early pace. Running in the Fort Marcy would mean coming back in 22 days, something Tagg wasn’t that keen on. However, the 1 1/16-mile distance is somewhat appealing to Tagg.

“I’d like to keep him closer to a mile,” said Tagg, who also is considering the Grade 3, $100,000 Poker at a mile here June 10.

Jersey Town resumes training

Tagg reports that Jersey Town, upset winner of the Grade 1 Cigar Mile last November at Aqueduct, had his first day of galloping Friday morning at Belmont. Tagg said that Jersey Town had chips taken out of an ankle following the Cigar Mile.

Tagg hopes to bring Jersey Town back in the late summer or early fall and get him ready for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs in early November.

“I’d like to get three races into him before the Breeders’ Cup,” Tagg said. “If it’s two, it’s two.”

◗ D’Funnybone, a four-time Grade 2 stakes winner, worked six furlongs in 1:12.41 at Aqueduct. There is an overnight stakes going six furlongs on May 8 for which D’ Funnybone is eligible.