Belmont Park: Whipsaw City, Trix in the City top Glowing Honor Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – A couple of city girls, Whipsaw City and Trix in the City, head a field of nine turf-meant fillies and mares in Thursday’s $85,000 Glowing Honor overnight stakes. Scheduled for seven furlongs on the Widener course, the Glowing Honor is race 9 on a 10-race program.

Whipsaw City won back-to-back allowance races to begin her U.S. career at Gulfstream Park for trainer Chad Brown. Based on those performances, the French-bred import was bet to third choice in the Grade 1 Madison on Keeneland’s synthetic track and put in a middle move to take the lead before fading to wind up fifth behind Groupie Doll.

“You can throw out” the Madison, Brown said. “Her two races on the turf [at Gulfstream] were good.”[bc_video_id:255658:]

Whipsaw City scratched out of a third-level allowance here May 28 in favor of the Grade 3 Violet Stakes at Monmouth, where she raced wide as the second choice and finished sixth.

Trix in the City has run on grass nine times for trainer Rick Violette Jr. over the past two years. During that stretch, the 6-year-old mare has developed a knack for surprising people, winning two allowance conditions at $37 mutuels, followed by a wire-to-wire theft of the De La Rose Stakes – a race Violette considered scratching from due to an anticipated pace duel that never materialized.

“When they left her alone the first quarter of a mile, I said, ‘Oh, this is very cool,’ ” Violette said.

Trix in the City comes off a sharp nose loss at 13-1 in the six-furlong Genuine Devotion here May 12.

Christophe Clement entered the uncoupled foreign-breds Miss Liberty, third in the Genuine Devotion second time in the United States; and Blue Maiden, who makes her third start of the year.

Ghostly Darkness and Lunar Mist are coupled for Eric Reed.

Lisa Jean, Sure Route, and War Prospector, a Delaware Park shipper with early speed, also entered for turf.

Belle of the Hall and Kid Kate, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Vagrancy Handicap, entered for dirt only.

◗ Saratoga’s 32nd annual pre-season Open House is scheduled for Sunday, July 15, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

Among the attractions are four hurdle races and one turf race (all non-wagering events) that serve as qualifiers for the regular Saratoga meet. First post is 1 p.m.