ELMONT, N.Y. – Curbstone enjoyed a strong winter at Aqueduct, winning three of four starts and finishing second once, all in races around two turns. Sunday, he’ll have to transfer that success to one turn in a second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claiming event at 1 1/8 miles that serves as the feature on Belmont Park’s nine-race card. “He really found a niche going two turns this winter,” trainer Tom Morley said. “This is a different dynamic. The distance is the same, but the race won’t be playing out the same way. He is built to enjoy Belmont. He’s a big, scopey horse with a huge stride.” Curbstone likes to be involved in his races. In his second-place finish in February, at 1 1/4 miles, he broke a bit slowly and had to settle for second behind Good Skate. “He’ll break going forward and the key to him is to keep going forward,” Morley said. Morley said he would love to see a good performance from Curbstone on Sunday and then point him to the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban at 1 1/4 miles here on July 8. “If he’s going to be a horse for the Suburban, which I think he will, he’s going to have to put in a really huge performance,” Morley said. Manny Franco rides Curbstone from post 2. :: Bet the Belmont Stakes with confidence! Join DRF Bets and get a $250 deposit match bonus, $10 free bet, and FREE DRF Formulator! Tonal Impact has finished third as the favorite in three consecutive tries in this condition. He was finishing well at the end of a one-mile race in his last start when beaten three-quarters of a length by Uncle Moonlight. Jose Ortiz will ride Tonal Impact for Linda Rice from the rail. Galt, a full brother to the champion and recent Hall of Fame inductee Songbird, will make his third try in this condition for Bill Mott. In March, at Gulfstream Park, in his first start off a nine-month layoff, Galt finished fourth behind Milliken. Most recently, over a sloppy track at Aqueduct, Galt finished second behind Uncle Moonlight, edging out Tonal Impact by a neck. Javier Castellano rides Galt from post 4. Systemic Change, trained by Chad Brown, has won two straight, both by a nose. Both of those wins came in races around two turns. Back Ring Luck was beaten a nose in a $50,000 claiming race last Sunday and is being wheeled back in a week by trainer David Jacobson. ◗ Sunday’s eighth race, a second-level New York-bred allowance/optional $45,000 claimer going one mile on turf, drew a solid field of 11. Hush of a Storm, coming off a half-length defeat to Daddy Knows in this condition on May 11, is trying to win for the first time since he upset the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park in February 2021. His last race was his best since the Battaglia. Catch That Party was beaten a nose by Straw Into Gold the last time he ran in this condition, last Nov. 11. Catch That Party has a win and two seconds from four runs on the Belmont turf. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.