Belmont Park: Hessonite back with New York-breds in Mount Vernon

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer David Donk wants a do-over. After being forced to miss an overnight stakes with Hessonite due to a foot bruise, Donk ran his New York-bred filly in the Grade 2 Beaugay here May 5.

It proved disastrous as she raced too close to the pace and faded to last, beaten nearly 10 lengths, in her first start in 6 1/2 months.

“If I had to do it over again, I probably wouldn’t have run there, but that was yesterday,” Donk said.

Donk hopes Sunday is a new day for Hessonite, who drops back into New York-bred competition when she meets Gitchee Goomie and six others in the $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes, one of two stakes on Sunday’s 10-race program. The Mount Vernon will go as race 5 and is run at one mile over the Widener turf course.

Hessonite, last year’s champion New York-bred turf filly, has won her last four starts against New York-breds, including a victory over Gitchee Goomie in the Ticonderoga here last October.

Perhaps more importantly, Hessonite is 4 for 4 with Ramon Dominguez aboard. Dominguez was in Kentucky when Hessonite ran in the Beaugay but will be back aboard Hessonite on Sunday.

“Ramon has so much confidence in her,” Donk said. “He gets along so well with her. Last time, she broke well, was in the clear, and never got settled enough and didn’t have that big turn of foot.”

Gitchee Goomie, trained by Rick Violette, won last year’s Mount Vernon. Since then, she has finished second in five of seven starts – she did win the Yaddo at Saratoga – including the Beaugay. Last year, she won the Mount Vernon after finishing second in the Beaugay.

“It’s a little close [back] to a very, very good race, that’s my only concern,” Violette said, referring to the timing of this race. “They certainly have her to beat. If she shows up with her ‘A’ race, which she usually does, I like our chances.”

Alan Garcia rides Gitchee Goomie from post 3.

Rogue’s Jewel and Frivolous Buck finished second and third, respectively, behind Gitchee Goomie in last year’s Yaddo at Saratoga. Rogue’s Jewel has finished second 10 times in 22 lifetime starts.

Frivolous Buck, a 7-year-old mare trained by George Weaver, has lost her last nine starts since winning an open first-level allowance race here last May.

Risky Rachel, a multiple stakes-wining sprinter on dirt, would be making her turf debut, if she starts in this spot.

Mystic City, Lisa Jean, and Dreaming of Cara complete the field.