Brown has three, including Robert Bruce, for Fort Marcy Stakes

Chad Brown unveiled the Chilean import Robert Bruce last May at Belmont Park in the Grade 3, $150,000 Fort Marcy Stakes, and Robert Bruce went on to win the Arlington Million last August following a troubled sixth-place finish in the $1 million Manhattan on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

Brown hopes to follow the same path – sans the troubled Manhattan trip – with Robert Bruce this season and has two more international imports set for Saturday’s renewal of the Fort Marcy. Joining Robert Bruce in the 1 1/8-mile turf race are Olympico, a 4-year-old gelding who had two busy seasons in France, and Arrocha, a Brazilian import with three Group 1 wins back home.

Nine are entered in the Fort Marcy, but Control Group runs only if the race is rained onto the main track, which seems unlikely. There’s precipitation in the local forecast, but probably not enough rain will fall to turn the course worse than “good.”

That’s good news for Robert Bruce, who struggled last fall over soft ground in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, where he finished a distant second, and in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, where he was beaten 18 lengths.

“I like starting off his campaign this year same as last year in the Fort Marcy,” Brown said. “It’s a good prep for the Manhattan, where he was terribly unlucky, and we want to get him back to the Arlington Million.”

Robert Bruce, who will have Jose Lezcano in the irons for the first time, has worked steadily during his winter and early-spring respite at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida. On April 13, he went five furlongs in company with Pegasus World Cup Turf winner Bricks and Mortar and, breezing inside his mate, appeared to marginally outwork him through an official clocking of 59.20 seconds.

Robert Bruce figures to be a short price Saturday, but provided the course remains relatively dry, he appears the most likely winner by a considerable margin.

Brown scratched Olympico from an allowance race at Keeneland when the race was rained onto dirt, and now Olympico, who ran 19 times in two seasons, makes his graded stakes debut.

“I’m anxious to get him started,” said Brown. “He gives me the feel of a mile-and-a-quarter horse.”

Arrocha’s Brazilian form looks murky, but Brown described him as a “very tough horse who gives me that feel.”

“He’s going to want further than a mile and an eighth after this race, but I think he’s going to prove to handle a strong campaign this year,” he said.

Joe Bravo has the mount on Arrocha, who drew widest.

Todd Pletcher has two entrants, Channel Cat and Maraud. Channel Cat needs more distance than he gets Saturday and might not be good enough for the likes of Robert Bruce. Maraud hit a couple high points last year at 3, nearly winning the Hall of Fame Stakes over the Brown-trained Raging Bull, and performed solidly April 7 in a comeback race that could propel him to contention Saturday.

Dr. Edgar, who won the Grade 3 Appleton at Gulfstream Park in his last start, has an appointment on the front end of the Fort Marcy, while Doctor Mounty operates from the back of the field. Cullum Road, a Keeneland allowance winner last month for trainer Mike Maker, completes the field.

Rivalry in Sheepshead Bay

Holy Helena and Santa Monica renew an established rivalry Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes.

Holy Helena won the 2018 edition of this race by a half-length over Lottie, with Santa Monica a nose farther back in third. But in June, Santa Monica finished first in the Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine, where Holy Helena was third, and on Jan. 26, Santa Monica was second in the La Prevoyante at Gulfstream Park, a race in which Holy Helena finished sixth.

Holy Helena, who has raced on Lasix only in her last three starts, returned to win The Very One Stakes on March 2, beating Ickymasho, who captured the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes on April 26 at Keeneland. Holy Helena’s subpar performance in the La Prevoyante came over a yielding course, the second time Holy Helena has failed to show her best over wet turf and a concern in the 11-furlong Sheepshead Bay with rain in the forecast.

The 6-year-old Santa Monica goes well over wet turf, trainer Brown said, and she too defeated Ickymasho in her most recent start, the Grade 3 Orchid on March 29 at Gulfstream.

Lady Montdore makes her 5-year-old debut and first start since Nov. 24, and while she got the easiest of leads in scoring her most important win in the Grade 2 Glens Falls last summer at Saratoga, her subsequent third-place finish in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl suggests the Glens Falls success was not entirely related to a favorable race flow.

Vexatious ships from California for trainer Neil Drysdale, who had Belmont turf success last spring. Her form is good enough to contend, while the 4-year-old Semper Sententiae, competitive with Holy Helena and Santa Monica over the winter, has upside for trainer Mark Hennig.