Belmont Park: Lovely Syn stands out in Bouwerie

ELMONT, N.Y. - Lovely Syn, undefeated in three starts, will be a short-priced favorite to make it 4 for 4 when she heads a field of five in the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the first of seven stakes on Saturday’s New York Showcase Daycard.

Six were entered in the Bouwerie, but trainer Linda Rice said La Verdad, the second choice on the morning line, would scratch because of an infection.

“That changes the whole race,” said Dominick Schettino, trainer of Lovely Syn. “[La Verdad] is a talented filly and we have similar running styles. That’s a good break for me and a bad break for Linda.”

Being on the outside of four rivals, Javier Castellano will be able to determine how to ride Lovely Syn off the break. In previous starts from the outside, she rated. In winning the New York Stallion Stakes from an inside post, Lovely Syn set fast fractions and won by 9 1/4 lengths.

“I’ll leave it up to Javier,” Schettino said. “He can do whatever he wants.”

Kelli Got Frosty, a two-time stakes winner and runner-up to Kauai Katie in an open stakes here on April 21, looms the main threat to Lovely Syn.

Carameaway, True Fortune and Kitty Panda complete the field.