Clearly Now returns to scene for Belmont Sprint Championship
ELMONT, N.Y. - Clearly Now recorded his most impressive victory of 2013 at Belmont Park when he won the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at seven furlongs. He returns to Belmont for Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Belmont Sprint Championship, also at seven furlongs, which drew a field of nine.
The Belmont Sprint Championship was formerly named the James Marvin, and it retains its Grade 3 status. The James Marvin had been run on opening day at Saratoga.
Clearly Now, trained by Brian Lynch, is winless in three starts this year, finishing third in both the Grade 1 Carter at Aqueduct and the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes. Most recently, he was fifth in the Grade 1 Met Mile.
Clearly Now will break from post 3 under Jose Lezcano.
His competition will include Carter winner Dads Caps and Churchill Downs Stakes winner Central Banker. Dads Caps finished fifth in the True North, while Central Banker was scratched from the Met Mile after being treated with a legal medication but not within the allowed time frame.
Palace, the winner of the Grade 2 True North off a four-month layoff, also is in this field and might have benefitted from drawing the outside post in the field of nine.
The others entered are Declan’s Warrior, Moonlight Song, Mezzano, Salutos Amigos, and Big Screen.