Conquest Windycity finds softer spot

ELMONT, N.Y. – Conquest Windycity may have found the class relief he was looking for the last time he ran when he heads a field of six entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Seattle Slew Stakes at Belmont Park.

The Seattle Slew, run at 1 1/8 miles, is restricted to horses that have not won a stakes race in 2017. Those same conditions were in place for last month’s Alydar Stakes at Saratoga, where Conquest Windycity ran into a bear named Rally Cry, who won by nine lengths. In the Seattle Slew, there is no one of the ilk of Rally Cry, who came back to run second to odds-on favorite Gun Runner in the Grade 1 Woodward last Saturday at Saratoga.

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“It’s a good spot for him and he deserves to win a nice race at this stage,” Brendan Walsh, the trainer of Conquest Windycity, said. “He’s been running along nice and consistently all year. It’d be nice to get one with him.”

Conquest Windycity finished third behind Shaman Ghost and Dolphus in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special in May. His lone bad effort this year was a seventh-place finish in the Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows in July.

“He got stuck down inside and it wasn’t ideal for him,” Walsh said. “I think he’s a horse that needs to break out of there and roll along, not necessarily on the front.”

Conquest Windycity, who will have Kendrick Carmouche up, does look like he’ll be in front early in the Seattle Slew.

Far From Over ran the fastest race of his career going 1 1/16 miles over Belmont’s main track in June 2016. That was his first start in 16 months, or since winning the Grade 3 Withers in 2015. Since then, he is winless in three starts, the most recent being a nine-length loss when second to Tom’s d’Etat in an allowance race at Saratoga on July 27. Prior to that, Far From Over finished seventh in the Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park, his first start in 10 months.

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“He didn’t get much out of the Monmouth race, had some traffic issues,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He was clearly second-best [at Saratoga], still I thought it was a step in the right direction.”

Royal Posse would have to regain the form he had a year ago to be competitive. Securitiz has run well in three starts this year, but is seeking his first win in 19 months. Backsideofthemoon and Doyouknowsomething round out the field.

The Seattle Slew goes as race 8 on a 10-race card that begins at 1:30 p.m.

KEY CONTENDERS

Conquest Windycity, by Tiznow

Last 3 Beyers: 94-86-96

◗ Has been facing better than he meets here and looks like the controlling speed under good front-end rider Kendrick Carmouche.

◗ Carmouche is 4 for 11 on Walsh-trained runners the last three years, including three stakes wins on the long-distance runner Scuba.

Securitiz, by Tiznow

Last 3 Beyers: 87-89-90

◗ A consistent in-the-money performer, he just doesn’t like to win, as his 2 for 16 record suggests.

◗ Chased front-running winner Thebigfundamental around the track in second-level allowance at Saratoga three weeks ago.

Far From Over, by Blame

Last 3 Beyers: 92-72-76

◗ While no match for winner last out, he did finish 10 3/4 lengths clear of field in highly-rated allowance race over wet track at Saratoga.