Cheermeister makes first start in nearly two years in Perfect Sting Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s been a long time between starts for Cheermeister, a 5-year-old mare who returns from a near two-year layoff in Sunday’s $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes going a mile at Belmont Park.
A listed stakes winner at 2 and a two-time graded winner at 3, Cheermeister makes her first start since July 25, 2020, when she finished seventh in the Grade 2 San Clemente at Del Mar.
Trained by Armando De La Cerda for the first eight starts of her career, Cheermeister will make her first start for trainer Arnaud Delacour. When it became apparent there would be no turf racing this summer at Gulfstream Park, Delacour said owners Teresa and David Palmer decided to ship the horse to him.
“We’ve been breezing her every week and I’ve been happy with her,” Delacour said. “Two years is a long time. She might need the run, but I don’t think it’s a bad spot to bring her back.”
According to DRF Formulator, Delacour is 3 for 14 with a $1.80 ROI over the last five years when bringing horses back off a layoff of 365 days or longer.
Cheermeister enjoyed her success while racing over firm Gulfstream Park turf courses that favored her front-running style. At 3, Cheermeister won the Sweetest Chant and Herecomesthebride, both Grade 3 stakes. Cheermeister looks like the primary speed in the Perfect Sting, but there was rain forecast Saturday, which could take some of the firmness from the turf course.
“All the races she’s been competitive in were at Gulfstream over a very fast turf, so I’m not sure how it will work out,” Delacour said. “But the turf needed some moisture and Belmont is a good turf as opposed to some other racetracks. I think as long as it’s a good turf, I’ll be happy to give her a try.”
Cheermeister, a daughter of Bodemeister, breaks from post 4 under Trevor McCarthy.
Giggle Factory was supplemented to the Perfect String by her owner, Robert Masiello, and trainer, Tom Albertrani. She has won three of her last four starts, with two of those wins coming at Belmont, including an allowance victory on June 12.
Albertrani said the combination of a short field and the prospect for rain prompted him and Masiello to enter Giggle Factory in this race.
“She likes it soft,” Albertrani said.
Giggle Factor is cataloged to Fasig-Tipton’s July selected horses of all ages sale on July 11.
Jouster used to show speed, but has transformed into an off-the-pace runner lately for trainer Todd Pletcher. With Jouster stretching back out to a mile off two sprints and having drawn the rail, she figures to be close to the front on Sunday.
Love and Thunder, trained by Chad Brown, and Messidor, trained by Christophe Clement, both are coming off a second-level allowance win at this meet. Love and Thunder had a very wide trip in her May 15 win, which followed a seven-month freshening.
Messidor won her allowance going seven furlongs on June 10 and is running back in 24 days because, Clement said, Messidor “loves the one turn at Belmont.”
Flower Point, trained by Shug McGaughey, won the Forever Together Stakes at Aqueduct last November and is a two-time winner going one turn at Belmont.
The Perfect Sting goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 1 p.m.