Earring set to go long in U.S. debut
ELMONT, N.Y. – The Heider Family Stables this summer purchased a package of horses from Europe to race, breed, and sell in the U.S. One was Most Beautiful, who was beaten a length when fourth in the Christiecat Stakes at Belmont Park last Friday. Another is Earring, a regally bred 3-year-old filly who looks like the horse to beat in Wednesday’s featured first-level allowance race at Belmont.
The 1 1/4-mile turf race goes as the fourth and is the first leg of a pick-six wager that begins the day with a $39,740 carryover after going unhit Sunday.
Earring is by the Britain-bred stallion Dansili and out of the Galileo mare Together, who in 2011 won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. Earring is her first foal; in five starts in Europe, she had one win and three seconds. Most recently, she finished second in the Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes at The Curragh on July 17.
Earring, previously trained by Aidan O’Brien, was transferred to trainer Tom Proctor, who has breezed her twice at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.
“Obviously, she has a beautiful pedigree and a wonderful race record,” said Scott Heider, who heads Heider Family Stables. “She’s doing extremely well, though Tom hasn’t done a lot with her. I think she’s going to fit really well over here. We’ll have to pick our spots because she does like a distance of ground.”
Based on her running lines, Earring does appear to have enough speed to gain a forward position early in a race without much pace. Jose Lezcano rides from post 5.
Trainer Christophe Clement also sends out a European import in Chicadoro, a daughter of the Irish-bred stallion Paco Boy. Chicadoro shows only one work since coming to Clement in the summer following a ninth-place finish in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Ascot in June.
“We’re running her a little bit unfit, but she’s moving very well, and she had a very good work the other day,” Clement said, referring to a half-mile move in 48.60 seconds at Belmont on Sept. 6.
Jose Ortiz, coming off his first Saratoga riding title, rides his first race of the Belmont fall meet on Chicadoro.
Texting, trained by Chad Brown, returns to Belmont, where she won a 1 1/4-mile maiden race in June.
Key Contenders
Earring, by Dansili
◗ Beaten a half-length by Bocca Baciata, a multiple group stakes winner, in the Kilboy Estate Stakes just six days after running seventh in a listed stakes. Hawksmoor, whom Earring nosed out for second in the Kilboy, had previously won a Group 2 in Germany.
◗ Pedigree suggests the 1 1/4 miles should be ideal for this filly.
Texting, by Candy Ride
Last 3 Beyers: 83-79-75
◗ Two races here at 1 1/4 miles in the spring were solid, including a maiden win in June. Her last three races, all since having blinkers added, have been her best.
◗ John Velazquez, winning at a 20 percent clip for Brown over the past 21 months, has the call.
Chicadoro, by Paco Boy
◗ Was second in a listed stakes going 1 1/4 miles at Newmarket in May to Even Song, who came back to win the Ribblesdale Stakes, in which Chicadoro finished ninth.