Belmont: Victoria's Wildcat, Savvy Supreme get class relief in Sometime Thing

ELMONT, N.Y. – Whether it was the mud, the competition, or something else, last month’s Grade 1 Acorn Stakes proved not to be the ideal spot for either Victoria’s Wildcat or Savvy Supreme.

Friday, those two fillies will meet again while cutting back in distance and class in the $60,000 Sometime Thing Stakes at Belmont Park. Originally scheduled for last Sunday, the Sometime Thing finally got enough entries to be carded on Friday’s nine-race twilight racing program that begins at 3 p.m. Eastern.

The Sometime Thing will be contested at seven furlongs and – given the forecast – a dry track. Victoria’s Wildcat is 3 for 4 with a neck loss in dirt sprints run on dry tracks. That includes a 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 6. In that race, Victoria’s Wildcat took advantage of hot early fractions to rally from last and win the seven-furlong race.

In the Acorn, a one-mile race run over a muddy track, Victoria’s Wildcat could do no better than fourth.

“In hindsight I wish I would have scratched because speed was winning everything and there wasn’t a whole lot of pace,” trainer Bob Hess Jr. said. “We don’t really have any excuses this time around. It’s a good distance, it looks like there’s going to be fair pace and she’s back doing well again. She was a little light going into her last race; she doesn’t carry a lot of flesh either way, but she’s put some weight on.’’

Victoria’s Wildcat will break from post 5 under Kent Desormeaux.

Savvy Supreme set the pace in the Acorn, but ended up last of six. Her connections are hoping for a rebound in the Sometime Thing.

“The filly ran below our expectations, she had trained great before the race, ran into a good group of fillies and It’s Tricky ran the race of her life to this point,’’ said Jonathan Thomas, assistant to Todd Pletcher, trainer of Savvy Supreme. “The filly continues to train well; hopefully, it’s the right spot for her.’’

Savvy Supreme could face some pressure from either Indian Lilly or A Story of Revenge, who breaks from the rail under Jose Lezcano.

You’re Kidding was a clear second to Roman Treasure in the Miss Royal Stakes. Coax Liberty won the Dearly Precious over Aqueduct’s inner track and has not run since finishing third in the Grade 3 Beaumont at Keeneland over the synthetic surface on April 17. She gets the services of leading rider Ramon Dominguez.