Championofthenile first-time gelding for Mike Lee Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – Last May, trainer Linda Rice convinced her owners to pay $840,000 for a New York-bred colt by Pioneerof the Nile at the Mid-Atlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training at Timonium, Md. A year later, Rice convinced her owners to make a drastic move in hopes of getting that horse to live up to that purchase price.
When Championofthenile runs in Monday’s $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds at Belmont Park, he will do as a first-time gelding. This despite a record of 2-1-1 from 4 starts on dirt, including a three-length victory in his most recent start March 25.
“He was very rank. I could barely get the saddle on him that day. He was very difficult,” said Rice, who trains Championofthenile for Sheila Rosenblum and Iris Smith. “I told the ladies I don’t think the horse was going to be very successful as a colt. We’re hoping this will change him up.”
Championofthenile was gelded shortly after his victory at Aqueduct and has only had a couple of breezes since the procedure.
“He seems better,” Rice said. “I wish we were going three-quarters first time back off the layoff. I don’t have that many works in him since the castration, but I figure we’ll give him a run, as they say.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out a trio of runners in the seven-furlong Mike Lee – Awesome Gent, Sudden Surprise, and Cards of Stone. Awesome Gent reeled off three consecutive victories, including a four-length score in the Jimmy Winkfield. In two starts since, Awesome Gent finished fourth in both the Grade 3 Bay Shore and the Gold Fever. Both races came over wet tracks.
Pletcher didn’t feel Awesome Gent’s race in the Gold Fever was too bad.
“He got lost in the middle part of the race,” Pletcher said. “He finished up well; figured it moved him forward to this and hope he gets a dry track.”
Sudden Surprise is 6 for 9 and is the only member of this field with a win at seven furlongs and over a wet track. He likely will try to wire this field from the rail under John Velazquez.
Bag of Tricks seeks third in row in Bouwerie
Bag of Tricks seeks her third consecutive victory when she faces nine rivals in the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies.
A daughter of Bernardini, Bag of Tricks has gone 2 for 2 since returning from a knee chip that required surgery. She has enough speed to help her deal with the rail draw, and her 7 1/4-length victory going 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct in April certainly alleviates any doubts about her ability to handle seven furlongs.
“I love her,” trainer John Kimmel said. “She’s top-notch, and she’s coming into the race in great shape. I think she’s going to have a significant impact in the race. I don’t think we’ve seen her best.”
Frosty Margarita is a three-time stakes winner who has the speed to be a nuisance to Bag of Tricks. A fast pace could set things up for Frosty Margarita’s uncoupled stablemate, Katniss the Victor, who is making her first start around one turn. Katniss the Victor’s only loss in three starts against New York-breds came to Frosty Margarita.
Flatterywillgetyou, trained by Linda Rice, has won three in a row and is 2 for 2 over wet tracks.