Brunilda needs a fast pace

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Stanley Hough is hoping for a different pace scenario from the Grade 3 Beaugay Handicap when he runs Brunilda back in Wednesday's $65,000 Thirty Flags Stakes at Belmont Park.

In the Beaugay, was a stalking third behind Pommes Frites, who got away with a half-mile in 49.93 seconds. When Brunilda made a move to the leader, Pommes Frites turned her back and went on to a narrow victory over Naissance Royale. Brunilda finished third.

Cutting his mare back from 1 1/16 miles to one mile, Hough is hoping for a faster early pace to allow Brunilda to make her one quick run. Brunilda is 4 for 8 at one mile.

"She needs a little pace in there, she doesn't want to lay close,'' Hough said. "She doesn't finish if she's right there head and head. It's a pace factor for her. If she relaxes and makes a run she runs better.''

In her race before the Beaugay, Brunilda got a hot early pace and finished second behind Wend and in front of Honey Ryder in the Grade 3 Honey Fox. Wend and Honey Ryder each won a graded stakes in her next start.

Brunilda, the 120-pound highweight, breaks from post 11 in the 12-horse field.

It remains to be seen if there is enough pace in the Thirty Flags. , an Italian-bred mare trained by Michael Matz, tired to seventh after setting the pace in the Grade 2 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland. Her lone win from three North American starts came at Calder last December when she was allowed to come from off the pace.

"I was disappointed with the ride we received in the Jenny Wiley,'' Matz said. "She wants to sit back and come with a run. That's the way she wants to be ridden.''

Eddie Castro rides Zona from post 10.

Samsincharge set the pace when finishing second in a one-mile allowance race at Aqueduct.

Trainer Christophe Clement has entered two European imports, but is likely to run just one. Ozone Bere, a French-bred filly, is a closer, while Succession could be a pace factor.

enter the Thirty Flags following back-to-back wins. Stormina, trained by Todd Pletcher, won a second-level allowance at Keeneland last out. Thetactics Ofdance comes off a minor stakes win at Tampa.

Laurafina would be a live longshot if able to duplicate her Belmont form from last summer, when she won two races and finished second to Melhor Ainda in the Sands Point.