Belmont: Schoenthal aims for stakes double on closing day

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Phil Schoenthal had such an enjoyable experience in his last trip to Belmont Park that he decided to double his pleasure on his next visit.

Schoenthal, who won the Grade 2 Matron with Miss Behaviour here on Sept 29, has brought that undefeated filly and the 2-year-old gelding Sonny Inspired from his Bowie base for a pair of stakes races here on Sunday’s closing-day card.

In all, there are three stakes and six maiden races – all for 2-year-olds – on Sunday’s 37th and final card of the fall meet. After four dark days, racing on this circuit switches to Aqueduct for six months beginning Friday.

Miss Behaviour, undefeated in three starts, heads a field of six entered in the $100,000 Sharp Cat Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Originally, Miss Behaviour was cataloged for the Fasig-Tipton November sale, but has since been withdrawn by her owners Cal MacWilliam and Neil Teitelbaum.

“The owners recently made the decision that they were having too much fun so they took her out of the sale,” Schoenthal said. “She’s doing fantastic. She came out of that last race better than she went into it.”

As evidence, Miss Behaviour worked five furlongs in 57.60 seconds at Bowie on Oct. 19.

“The workout the other day was quite a bit faster than what anybody wanted or asked for. It was supposed to be a minute,” Schoenthal said. “It did show me she’s doing as good as I thought she was doing.”

Schoenthal is hopeful that Miss Behaviour demonstrates she can handle the 6 1/2 furlongs of the Sharp Cat because he would like to stretch her out to 1 1/16 miles in the Delta Princess next month at Delta Downs.

In the Sharp Cat, Todd Pletcher sends out the uncoupled entry of Storm Swept and Yes Liz. Storm Swept, who breaks from the rail, won her debut by two lengths. Yes Liz finished second, 8 1/4 lengths behind Miss Behaviour in the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth on Sept. 1.

Tea Time earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure winning a six-furlong maiden race here by 3 1/4 lengths on Sept. 15. She may have found the one mile – and/or the company – of the Grade 1 Frizette too far when she faded to sixth after setting the early pace.

In the $100,000 Awad Stakes at a mile on the turf, Schoenthal will start Sonny Inspired, a maiden winner going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf at Laurel on Oct. 9. Schoenthal said that he is “as excited about Sonny Inspired’s chances as I am” Miss Behaviour’s in the Sharp Cat.

“He is absolutely training out of his mind and doing fantastic,” said Schoenthal, who trains Sonny Inspired for Matthew Dorman. “We have thought since Day One he wanted to go long. He went in sprints because that’s the races that came up. We felt like he’s been crying out for more ground. Every rider that’s been on said ‘two turns, two turns.’ I’m excited about his chances about winning.”

Storming Inti, trained by Chad Brown, comes off a solid maiden score here on Sept. 28 in his second career start after finishing third behind Breeders’ Cup-bound Bashart in his debut at Saratoga on Aug. 18.

Mansion House, an Irish-bred son of Galileo who went 1 for 3 in Ireland, makes his U.S. debut for owner Will Farish and trainer Christophe Clement, who has had a phenomenal year with his 2-year-old turf horses.

Zloty tops Chelsea Flower

It speaks to the depth of trainer Chad Brown’s roster of 2-year-old fillies that he could have pre-entered four in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and still have two top contenders for Sunday’s $100,000 Chelsea Flower Stakes.

Brown will send out the uncoupled entry of Zloty and La Reine Bourbon in the competitive 12-horse field.

Zloty, who finished third in her debut at Saratoga, came back to win a maiden race here on Oct. 3.

“Both of her races were real good,” Brown said. “She caught a wide post and ran well first time out, and came back and broke her maiden nicely. She’s ready for a stakes.”

Brown will also run La Reine Bourbon, who won a two-turn maiden race first time out before running a dull sixth in the P.G. Johnson.

“I’m still not exactly sure what happened that day,” Brown said. “She was out in the middle of the track, a little wide, and basically packed it in at the three-eighths pole,” Brown said. “She’s trained well since I gave her time to regroup mentally. I don’t see any reason not to try her in a stakes.”

Recepta, whose dam Honor Bestowed is related to graded turf stakes winners Soaring Softly and Plenty of Grace, tries turf for the first time after winning her maiden on dirt and running last in the Grade 1 Frizette.