Cairo Memories set for Belmont Oaks road trip
Cairo Memories was pronounced ready for her 2022 Grade 1 debut in the $700,000 Belmont Oaks at Belmont Park on July 9 after working six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Santa Anita on Thursday.
“It was plenty quick and she did it beautifully,” trainer Bob Hess, Jr. said. “She’s as good as she can be.”
The Belmont Oaks, run at 1 1/4 miles on turf for 3-year-old fillies, will be the first start outside of Southern California for Cairo Memories, a winner of 4 of 7 starts and $352,500, all for David Bernsen and Schroeder Farms.
Cairo Memories won two Grade 3 stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting earlier this year – the Providencia Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths on April 9 and the Honeymoon Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths on May 29.
Mike Smith was aboard for those wins and has the mount at Belmont Park, Hess said. The Belmont Oaks will draw a nationally prominent field as well as runners from Europe.
“You have a different type of turf course with sweeping turns,” he said. “I think she’ll enjoy all those changes.”
Hess said the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Aug. 20 is another goal for Cairo Memories.
Last year, Cairo Memories started in two Grade 1 races for 2-year-old fillies, finishing ninth by 2 3/4 lengths in a field of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in November, and second by a half-length in the Starlet Stakes on dirt at Los Alamitos in December.