Chi Town Lady preps for Saratoga; Skims drops out of stakes company

ELMONT, N.Y. – A third-level allowance for female sprinters on dirt and one for female route horses on turf highlight Friday’s 10-race card at Belmont Park.

In race 3, the Grade 1 Test winner Chi Town Lady is hoping to use a seven-furlong third-level allowance to get her ready for the upcoming Saratoga meet where the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 26 is a likely goal. This allowance was brought back from the June 7 card that was canceled due to poor air quality.

In her lone start this year, Chi Town Lady, trained by Wesley Ward, was a late-running third in an allowance on April 14 at Keeneland. The runner-up from that race, Cheetara, came back to win the Skipat Stakes on May 20 at Pimlico.

Ward said in Chi Town Lady’s last start, a 6 1/2-furlong race, she “came with a big run and it was just too late. Had that race been seven-eighths she would have had a better showing. This race being seven – that was her best distance last year – hopefully she can sit and come from way back with a late run.

“If you see her in the paddock you’re going to be betting on her because she’s so beautiful,” Ward added. “We want to get her back on track, we thought the best way to do it would be an allowance.”

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The race had five when it originally was carded for June 7. There are six in it Friday, including a new face in Rosebug, who is 2 for 2 this year including a second-level allowance win here May 12.

Linda Rice sends out the uncoupled pair of Hot Fudge, who returns to the dirt after a sixth in the License Fee on turf on May 7, and Movie Moxy, who cleared the second-level allowance condition by 5 3/4 lengths here May 26.

In race 5, Skims seeks some class relief when she heads a six-horse field entered in a 1 1/8-mile turf race. Skims won the Grade 2 Sands Point at Aqueduct last October before finishing fifth in the Grade 1 American Oaks going 1 1/4 miles on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

In her lone start this year, Skims finished fourth behind In Italian in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.

Trainer Shug McGaughey is a little concerned about the 1 1/8 miles for Skims, given she’s just had the one race this year, but “I need to get started,” he said. “I waited until Sunday before entering but I thought she had a good work Sunday morning, so I went ahead.”

Atomic Blonde, one of two in here for trainer Christophe Clement, finished third behind stablemate Amazing Grace in the Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream Park, then was third in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay here. Atomic Blonde gets Lasix for the first time.

Clement also sends out Canisy, who was a front-running winner of an allowance here May 19.

Mise En Scene is winless in her last eight starts and is skipping a condition to run here.

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