Belmont Park: Less than firm turf a positive for Quebrada Shiner in Jazzy Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – The first full week of racing at the Belmont fall meet kicks off Wednesday with a pick-six carryover of $43,687 on a nine-race program highlighted by the $60,000 Jazzy Stakes for fillies and mares scheduled for six furlongs over the Widener Turf course.
The Jazzy is run as race seven, making it the fourth leg of the pick-six sequence that has five turf races scheduled. There was a 30 percent chance of rain Wednesday, after dry conditions prevailed Monday and were expected to continue Tuesday. Still, the turf courses will most likely be on the good to soft side as they were over the weekend.
Quebrada Shiner certainly wouldn’t mind a good or yielding turf. In two starts over less than firm ground at Belmont, she has a win and a head loss in overnight stakes. Last October, Quebrada Shiner was beaten a head by Stormy Publisher in the Glowing Honor Stakes. In July, she won the Caress Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths in her first start off a four-month layoff.
Quebrada Shiner came back 23 days later at Saratoga and finished fifth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Ahvee’s Destiny, in the Smart and Fancy Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs.
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“She might have reacted off of four months [off] and then running so big and went a little backwards,” said Robert Barbara, trainer of Quebrada Shiner. “She only got beat a length and half, but there was no fire. She seems to be very good right now. We’ll see what happens on Wednesday. That extra half a furlong will definitely help her. I think we’ll be all right.”
Ramon Dominguez, who has two wins from three rides on Quebrada Shiner, has the return call from post 9.
Legally Blanca, a fast-closing second in the Smart and Fancy, has never run six furlongs, but she did win an overnight stakes going seven here last fall. Two starts back, in her second race off a 15-month layoff, Legally Blanca won a third-level allowance race going five furlongs at Parx Racing.
Considerate looms a live longshot for John Hertler. After running eighth in the Irish Linnet Stakes at a mile, she cuts back to a six-furlong distance at which she has run well in the past. She also has shown a tendency to fire fresh, and this is her first start in 52 days. Jean-Luc Samyn rides from the rail.
Minute Limit makes her first start in more than 11 months and first since being moved by Team Valor to trainer Graham Motion. She shows eight workouts since late July for her return.
Yadira, trained by Steve Asmussen, went 2 for 2 sprinting on the turf at Saratoga.
Precision Farming, away from the races since December, is 3 for 4 at Belmont.