Eight-time stakes winner City Man fresh for Fort Marcy Stakes
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City Man will be looking for the ninth stakes win of his career Saturday, when he takes on European invader Ottoman Fleet, Grade 1 winner Rockemperor, and the developing Fort Washington in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy at Belmont Park.
The Fort Marcy, which is for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf, shares a card with the Grade 2 Ruffian and $150,000 Elusive Quality. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, a high of 67 degrees, and a 25 percent chance of precipitation.
The Fort Marcy lineup of nine includes Grade 2 winner Law Professor, who is entered for the main track only. The race goes as the ninth on an 11-race card Saturday.
City Man, who has earned $987,120, won the most significant race of his career on Dec. 31, when he captured the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park. The performance sent the New York-bred to Gulfstream’s Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on Jan. 28, where he finished 12th as the favorite, beaten five lengths. He has not raced since, and has been working at Belmont Park.
“It was a terrible trip,” trainer Christophe Clement told the publicity department at the New York Racing Association. “He was very wide. He had no chance, so we turn the page.”
Trevor McCarthy has the mount from post 6 for owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles, and Patty Searles.
Ottoman Fleet makes his North American debut off a Group 3 win in the Earl of Sefton on April 18 at Newmarket. He was favored in the 1 1/8-mile race and won by two lengths under 128 pounds. Ottoman Fleet also has won a pair of 1 1/4-mile races, both under 131 pounds. He will tote 122 pounds in the Fort Marcy, with Richard Mullen aboard from post 3 for trainer Charlie Appleby.
Rockemperor is making his first start since Oct. 8, when he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, a race he won in 2021. Rockemperor shows a strong series of works for his return for trainer Chad Brown, who wins at a 32 percent clip with runners returning from layoffs of more than 180 days, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form.
Dylan Davis has the mount from post 5.
Fort Washington has run close thirds in a trio of stakes leading into the Fort Marcy, including the Grade 3 Canadian Turf at Gulfstream.
“Even though he’s run quite a few times, he still wants to be a little green,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “He’s learning. He’s training well here.”
Fort Washington is a stakes winner over 1 1/16 miles on the grass and will be racing beyond that distance for the first time Saturday.
“We’ve been wanting to get him stretched out and get a chance on Saturday,” McGaughey said. “I think the mile and an eighth is going to help him.
“He’s a nice horse. He’s a better horse than his record shows, even though he’s got a decent record. I think he can break through, be a top-quality kind of horse.”
Feargal Lynch has the mount from post 4.
King Cause is moving from the synthetic track at Turfway Park back to turf, where last fall he won the Grade 3 Knickerbocker at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct. He is trained by Mike Maker, who also sends out supplement Keystone Field.
Grade 3 winner Tide of the Sea exits a key allowance run in November at Aqueduct. He finished seventh in the race, won by Atone, who returned to win the Pegasus World Cup Turf. There were two other next-out winners to emerge from the allowance. Tide of the Sea goes for trainer Thomas Morley, as does the rail-drawn stakes winner Dynadrive.
Siblings in Elusive Quality
The half-brothers Thin White Duke, 5, and Yes and Yes, 7, will meet in the Elusive Quality, which is for 4-year-olds and up over seven furlongs on turf.
Yes and Yes won a two-other-than allowance at the distance last June at Belmont. Thin White Duke is a stakes winner sprinting on turf, with his latest such victory the Lucky Coin in September at Saratoga.
Phil Gleaves bred and co-owns both horses, which are trained by David Donk.
◗ Honor King, a 3-year-old son of Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, debuts in the seventh race. He’s a half-brother to Grade 2 Remsen winner Leave the Light On. Disappearance, a 3-year-old half-brother to millionaire Bankit, also debuts in the maiden special weight
◗ Kid Kreesa, a 3-year-old by Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, debuts in the 11th race, a maiden special weight for New York-breds.
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