Danny California has hot trainer in his corner for Miner's Mark Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Hoping to build on the success he enjoyed at Saratoga, trainer Orlando Noda will look to win his first stakes race when he sends out Danny California against four rivals in Friday’s $80,000 Miner’s Mark, the opening-day feature on Belmont Park’s 10-race card.

Noda, in his second full year training on this circuit, went 9 for 29 at Saratoga. Danny California, a 5-year-old New York-bred gelding by Afleet Alex, provided two of those wins, one in a statebred first-level allowance, the other in an open-company first-level allowance. Both races were run at 1 1/8 miles. The Miner’s Mark will be his first try at 1 1/2 miles.

“I think the two turns is the difference,” Noda said Wednesday. “He can sit and relax and make a run from the half-mile pole.”

Going this far, Noda believes Danny California could “dictate terms” on the front end under Manny Franco.

“We have the wind in him to go the distance,” Noda said.

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Belmont Clocker Report

Noda, who is 0 for 12 in stakes, claimed Danny California for $20,000 last October and has three wins, a second, and three thirds with him from 11 starts.

You’re to Blame and Rocketry will likely vie for favoritism in the Miner’s Mark. You’re to Blame, trained by Todd Pletcher, and Rocketry, trained by Jimmy Jerkens, were a nose apart when second and third behind Moretti in the $100,000 Birdstone Stakes going 1 3/4 miles on Aug. 2 at Saratoga.

You’re to Blame won the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup going 1 1/2 miles two years ago, but is just 1 for 11 since. John Velazquez rides from the rail.

In 2018, Rocketry won the Temperence Hill Invitational going 1 5/8 miles here and followed that up with a victory in the Grade 2 Marathon on Breeders’ Cup weekend at Churchill. He is 0 for 8 over the last 21 months, but did run second in the Flat Out and Grade 2 Brooklyn, both marathon races at Belmont in the spring of 2019.

Junior Alvarado rides Rocketry from post 4.

Counter Offer and Petit Fils are two turf horses looking to carry their affinity for marathon distances to the dirt.

:: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more.

Counter Offer, trained by Ian Wilkes, won back-to-back allowance races on turf at Churchill Downs and Saratoga before finishing last of six in a third-level allowance on turf Aug. 16 at Saratoga.

Trainer Ian Wilkes said the combination of tougher competition and firm turf may have worked against Counter Offer last time out. Counter Offer did run second in a dirt allowance at Tampa Bay Downs as a 3-year-old.

“He always worked good on dirt, he’s run good on dirt before,” Wilkes said. “I think the distance helps him, which is a surprise because he’s out of a City Zip mare.”

Petit Fils has gone winless in three starts in the United States, all on turf. He won a Group 3 in France in May 2019 being sent to the lead. Perhaps new trainer Chucky Lawrence will try to employ similar tactics, as he has reached out for Kendrick Carmouche.

The Miner’s Mark, with only a five-horse field, goes as race 4 on the 10-race card that begins at 1 p.m.