Brown’s pair look sharpest in Friday allowance
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown appears to have a solid one-two punch in Friday’s $85,000 third-level allowance feature at Belmont Park.
The 1 1/8-mile race drew a field of six fillies and mares and appears void of speed. That could favor the Brown-trained Rubindy, who comes off a pace-pressing neck victory going 1 3/16 miles in a second-level allowance at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 11.
Brown also sends out Goldy Espony, a Group 3 winner in France in 2014 who was beaten in two graded stakes in the U.S. last year. Goldy Espony is making her first start in seven months.
“She had a couple of little issues that we gave her some time for,” Brown said. “She looks good.”
The field includes several horses who are coming off layoffs or are in questionable form. Dido, trained by Graham Motion, has not run since last July 27, when she finished ninth of 10 in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth. Modernstone, trained by Bill Mott, is winless in her last 10 starts, including all eight in the U.S.
Unbelievable Dream is 0 for 16 since winning the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland in April 2013. Holiday’s Jewel has not won on turf in two years.
In Friday’s fifth, a $77,000, first-level allowance at 1 1/4 miles on turf, Brown has another top contender in Lahinch Classics, an Irish-bred daughter of Galileo who finished fourth in her U.S. and seasonal debut. That 1 1/16-mile race was run on soft turf. Brown believes Lahinch Classics will prefer 1 1/4 miles.
KEY CONTENDERS
EIGHTH RACE
Goldy Espony (Beyers: 77-82)
◗ Goldy Espony ran sixth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks last July and third in the Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland.
“Still learning about her,” Brown said. “She might want a little more pace, but this looked like a good spot to get her started.”
◗ Javier Castellano has the call.
Rubindy (Last 3 Beyers: 84-81-78)
◗ Though she is trying this condition for the first time, she is in form and looms as the controlling speed.
“She looks to me to be the pace of the race,” Brown said. “Hopefully, she’ll use that to her advantage.”
◗ John Velazquez rides.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Rubindy. Won his last start at Gulfstream Park in February; horses from that race have gone 7-0-0-0 next out. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Dido. Trainer Graham Motion is 51-13-5-15 with a $2.54 ROI over the past two years in turf routes following a layoff of 180 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
FIFTH RACE
Lahinch Classics (Beyer: 75)
◗ She was sent off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of 12 at this condition at Keeneland but finished fourth behind Radiator, who is headed to Saturday’s Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes at Belmont.
◗ Brown knew going into that race that Lahinch Classics would prefer firm turf but wanted to run her anyway to get her season started.
“She trained exceptionally well at Palm Meadows,” Brown said. “We elected to try to run her, but it’s obvious she does prefer firm turf.”
◗ She has shown an affinity for longer distances, having won a maiden race and run second, beaten a neck, in two starts at 1 1/4 miles, the distance of this race.
Perfect Flute (Last 3 Beyers: 75-78-36)
◗ She could be another who would prefer firm ground, as her lone win came over such a surface at Gulfstream in February.
◗ She ran fifth, beaten three lengths, in her first try at this condition, which came over soft ground at Keeneland on April 10.
◗ She is a half-sister to Filimbi, a multiple stakes winner at a mile. Perfect Flute is by Pleasantly Perfect and out of Flute, both Grade 1 winners at 1 1/4 miles.