Celestine tries to extend winning streak to four in Wild Applause
ELMONT, N.Y. – Celestine seeks her fourth consecutive win when she heads a deep field of eight 3-year-old fillies in Sunday’s $100,000 Wild Applause Stakes at a mile at Belmont Park.
Celestine was a perfect-trip winner of the Wait a While Stakes going seven furlongs here on May 16, a day when she rallied along the inside and outfinished 6-5 favorite Sunset Glow.
“She showed good acceleration through the stretch,” trainer Bill Mott said. “She’s already won at a mile, so I don’t think the bump in distance should hurt her.”
This could be a tougher test for Celestine, who will meet Stormy Regatta, who goes out first time for Christophe Clement after a private purchase; the uncoupled Chad Brown-trained entry of Partisan Politics and Sivoliere; and Angela Renee, a Grade 1 winner on dirt who is racing on turf for the first time.
KEY CONTENDERS
Celestine (Last 3 Beyers: 86-83-76)
◗ She has three wins and a second in four tries on turf. Her lone turf loss came to Asia, a filly who is 2 for 2.
◗ She is versatile, as she won the Sanibel Island at Gulfstream pressing the pace and came from off the pace to win the Wait a While with an inside trip under Rajiv Maragh, who is 2 for 2 on the filly.
Stormy Regatta (Last 3 Beyers: 78-71-33)
◗ She is 2 for 2 on turf, with both wins coming in a 16-day span in April. First, on April 3, she won a race for $50,000 maiden claimers followed by an eye-catching last-to-first win at Gulfstream on April 18.
◗ She was purchased privately thereafter by Everett Dobson’s Cheyenne Stables and transferred to Christophe Clement.
“I like the filly, this is a very tough stakes, but she’s done nothing wrong,” Clement said. “She’s an athletic filly, average size, but she trains rather well.”
◗ Clement cautions that Stormy Regatta “may want to go farther” than the mile distance of this race.
◗ Manny Franco rides.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Stormy Regatta. Trainer Christophe Clement is 29-7-7-3 with a $3.08 ROI over the past five years in turf routes at Belmont in the first start following a trainer switch. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Partisan Politics (Last 3 Beyers: 81-68-75)
◗ She won the P.G. Johnson Stakes last summer at Saratoga as a maiden, then finished her 2-year-old campaign with losses to her undefeated stablemate Lady Eli in the Miss Grillo and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
◗ This is her first race of 2015.
“She’s taken a touch longer than expected to get her back, but I expect her to run well,” trainer Chad Brown said.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Partisan Politics. Trainer Chad Brown is 23-4-4-5 with a $1.02 ROI over the past five years in turf route stakes following a layoff of 180 days or more; 6-0-1-2 with those at odds of 3-1 and higher. – Mike Hogan
Sivoliere (Beyers: 61-83-NA)
◗ A three-time winner in France, she finished fifth in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. In her 3-year-old debut, she finished last as the 3-5 favorite in the Honey Ryder Stakes at Gulfstream.
“She didn’t seem to care for the surface,” Brown said. “She’s trained well since. I would expect her to turn it around this race and run much better.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Silvoliere. Trainer Chad Brown is 50-7-13-7 with a $0.98 ROI over the past two years in turf route stakes in the second start following a layoff; 28-1-7-4, $0.52 ROI with those at odds of 3-1 and higher. – Mike Hogan
Angela Renee (Last 3 Beyers: 85-85-85)
◗ Winner of the Grade 1 Chandelier at Santa Anita last September, this full sister to To Honor and Serve tries turf for the first time for trainer Todd Pletcher.
◗ She has three solid breezes over the Belmont turf over the last month.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Angela Renee. Foals of sire Bernardini are 32 for 470 (7%) in turf routes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan