Blazing Sevens, Preakness runner-up, returns Saturday

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Blazing Sevens, beaten a head by National Treasure in last year’s Preakness, will make his 4-year-old debut in a second-level allowance going a mile on Saturday.

Blazing Sevens hasn’t run since July 21, when he finished third as the 3-5 favorite in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga.

“In hindsight, when he got to Saratoga, he really wasn’t moving great, or as well as he could have been going and actually in the race he was even worse,” trainer Chad Brown said.

Blazing Sevens, the Grade 1 Champagne winner in 2022, has been on a regular breeze schedule since early February.

“The time off did him a world of good. He’s moving like he was when we were heading into the Preakness, feeling good,” Brown said. “You never know, coming off a long layoff, first start as a 4-year-old, if he’s going to run the same, but he’s certainly moving similar.”

Manny Franco, who rode Blazing Sevens in his first two career starts, rides from post 5 in this seven-horse field.

Brown brings Artorius back off a nine-month layoff in this spot too. Artorius won the Curlin Stakes in 2022 but is 0 for 4 since.

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