European mare Zhukova to face males in Man o' War

Zhukova, a Group 3-winning mare in Europe, will take on the boys in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park.

Zhukova, a 5-year-old mare trained by Dermot Weld, arrived in New York on May 4 and has been cantering over Belmont Park’s main track since Sunday.

Caroline Cashman, a groom who traveled here with Zhukova, said Weld “loves running horses over here.”

“He would like a crack at a Grade 1, and it’s a nice, big, galloping track, which she likes,” Cashman said.

Zhukova has twice taken on males and won both races. In April 2016, Zhukova won a listed stakes at The Curragh in Ireland, defeating the filly Found, who had won the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Zhukova won her only start this year, the Noblesse Stakes, by two lengths. Cashman said Zhukova would prefer a turf course with give in the ground. Sylvester de Sousa is expected to ride Zhukova in the Man o’ War.

Among those expected to run in the Man o’ War are Highland Sky, Patterson Cross, and Wake Forest.

Highland Sky scratched out of Saturday’s Fort Marcy due to soft turf. Trainer Barclay Tagg said he wouldn’t want to run Highland Sky unless the turf was firm.

On Monday, Wake Forest, last year’s Man o’ War winner, worked a half-mile over the Belmont turf in 50.20 seconds in company with Elysea’s World.

Sadler’s Joy, the winner of the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream, worked five furlongs in 1:05.12, shading 24 seconds for the final quarter.