Brickyard Belle gets up in time to win Matron

ELMONT, N.Y. - Brickyard Belle needed virtually every inch of the stretch of Belmont Park’s inner turf course to reel in pace-setting Harper’s Corner, but reel her in she did, taking the Grade 3, $200,000 Matron Stakes by a half-length.

Seventh of eight turning for home, Brickyard Belle, under Manny Franco, allowed Yolo Train, under Flavien Prat, to pass him. That opened up some room for Franco to get his filly out in the clear. Once there, Brickyard Belle closed strongly to run down Harper’s Corner strides from the wire for her second victory in as many starts.

“That stretch helped me there,” Franco said. “They came back to me. but my filly was rolling at the end. I was a little worried about getting out in the clear, but as soon as [Yolo Train] got the jump on me I was able to follow. . . . I know I got enough horse, it was a matter of if I get there or not but she gave me a nice kick.”

In addition to the stretch, Brickyard Belle got a strong pace in which to close. Harper’s Corner, making her turf debut after winning the Schuylerville and running second in the Grade 1 Spinaway on dirt at Saratoga, set fractions of 22.16 seconds for the quarter and 44.85 for the half-mile, with Almighty One attempting to apply pressure.

In the stretch, Harper’s Corner, under Paco Lopez, kicked clear and looked on her way to victory, but found either the stretch and/or the distance a tad too far. She finished second, 2 1/4 lengths clear of More Champagne.

:: DRF has you covered for the Belmont meet! Shop for PPs, Clocker Reports, Picks and more.

“She kicked clear, looked like she was home at the eighth pole, then I saw that horse coming,” Cal Lynch, trainer of Harper’s Corner said. “I wouldn’t be discouraged. She’s run so hard every time, you got love her, just love her.”

Brickyard Belle, a daughter of Yaupon, owned by Brickyard Belle Racing, Beggs and Flowers, and Briles Family Stable and trained by Miguel Clement, covered the six furlongs in 1:08.26 over firm turf and returned $4.38 as the favorite.

Both Clement and Lynch expressed interest in pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, run at 5 1/2 furlongs, at Keeneland on Oct. 30.

“Without a doubt,” Clement said.

Said Lynch, “The Keeneland stretch is definitely shorter.”

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.