Cooler weather invigorates Rewrite

ELMONT, N.Y. - Rewrite gets a shot at redemption in Wednesday's $65,000 Irish Actress Stakes at Belmont Park.

After winning her first three starts on grass, Rewrite was anointed the queen of New York-bred 3-year-old turf fillies heading into the Irish Linnet Stakes last month at Saratoga. Sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the field of 10, Rewrite was pinched back at the start then raced four to five wide under Mike Smith and did not offer her usual strong closing kick down the lane while finishing sixth, beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Homerette.

Christophe Clement, the trainer of Rewrite, said he doesn't believe his filly coped well with the hot weather during the early part of August and "was a little lifeless'' coming out of the race.

A change to cooler weather has brought about a change in Rewrite and Clement said he believes she could return to form in the Irish Actress, run at 1 1/16 miles over the Widener turf course. Noting that Rewrite did not sweat much after her last race - a sign she could have been dehydrated - Clement is taking the filly off Lasix for this race.

"If a horse is a slow sweater then the Lasix doesn't help,'' Clement said. "She was not sweating much and she was not doing well in the warmer weather. She's been eating better and training better since the weather got cooler.''

A return to Belmont shouldn't bother Rewrite. She went 3 for 3 here, including 2 for 2 over the Widener turf.

"If she comes back to the form that she showed before, she should be very competitive,'' Clement said. "I think [Homerette] is the filly to beat.''

Homerette, trained by Pat Kelly, finished three lengths behind Rewrite in a second-level allowance going one mile here in July. In the Irish Linnet, Homerette found room between horses and rallied to get the win by a half-length over Whateverwillbwillb. Edgar Prado picks up the mount on Homerette, who carries top weight of 122 pounds.

Whateverwillbwillb has finished second to both Rewrite and Homerette in her last two starts. Carlos Martin, the trainer of Whateverwillbwillb, said his filly was forced to move too soon by stablemate Fairytale Story in the Irish Linnet, when she made lead in midstretch.

Martin said jockey John Velazquez told him Whateverwillbwillb could have won if he could have waited a little longer to make the lead.