Excellent Timing should fare better with return to statebreds in Mike Lee

ELMONT, N.Y. – After a failed turf experiment in a graded stakes, Excellent Timing returns to dirt and New York-bred company in Monday’s $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs at Belmont Park.

Excellent Timing, a son of Not This Time, won a maiden race by 7 1/2 lengths and the Damon Runyon Stakes by 6 3/4 lengths – both versus statebreds – on dirt Aqueduct during the winter. Trainer Chad Brown was pointing Excellent Timing to the Grade 2, $500,000 Pat Day Mile on dirt at Churchill Downs on May 1. Some missed training time, due to a minor foot issue, and the depth of the field prompted Brown to redirect Excellent Timing to the Grade 2 American Turf.

Breaking from the rail in a 14-horse field, Excellent Timing ran off and used himself up, finishing last.

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“It was poor decision on my part and we drew a line through it and hoped he came out of it good, which he did,” Brown said. “Go back to the basics here.”

Excellent Timing will break from post 3 in the eight-horse field. Manny Franco rides.

River Dog, a son of Twirling Candy, was a seven-length debut winner here on May 2, running six furlongs in 1:09.05 and earning a gaudy 96 Beyer Speed Figure. He’s followed that up with two solid workouts at Saratoga as he faces winners for the first time. Jose Ortiz rides from post 6.

Thin White Duke won the Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga and the Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes as a 2-year-old. He finished last of six in an open-company allowance race here on April 24, but was diagnosed with ulcers afterward which have subsequently been treated, according to trainer Phil Gleaves.

Thin White Duke was entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Paradise Creek Stakes, scheduled for seven furlongs on turf. As of Friday, Gleaves was unsure in which race Thin White Duke would run.

Dr. Blute was a sharp debut winner of a six-furlong maiden race at Aqueduct in February. Unable to find a suitable dirt allowance, trainer John Kimmel ran Dr. Blute on turf, where he ran quite well finishing second, beaten just a half-length by Dancing Buck. Dr. Blute encountered traffic trouble in the stretch, which Kimmel felt cost him.

“He should be 2 for 2,” Kimmel said.

John Velazquez rides Dr. Blute from the rail.

Devious Mo won a division of the New York Stallion Series on April 17 after he won for maiden $25,000 claiming in March.

Market Alert, Lobsta and Here’s Waldo complete the field.

Bouwerie Stakes

Pay Grade has won only a maiden race from three starts, but her last-out win was impressive enough for trainer Christophe Clement to step her up into Saturday’s $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.

Pay Grade was beaten a head in a maiden race at Aqueduct on Jan. 10. Seventy-five days later, racing on Lasix for the first time and over a muddy track, Pay Grade was a dominant 6 3/4-length winner. The five horses she beat that day have gone a combined 1 for 8 since, the one win coming in a maiden $40,000 claiming race.

“You would like to run her a mile or more, but that doesn’t exist,” trainer Christophe Clement said.

Laobanonaprayer was a dominant winner of two stakes at age 2, but she has disappointed in all three of her starts this year, including a last-place finish as the 1-2 favorite in a New York Stallion Series race here on April 18.

Trainer Danny Velazquez said Laobanonaprayer may have been in heat for that race.

“We’ve made some adjustments and we’re expecting a better race this time,” Velazquez said.

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Secret Love has two wins and two seconds from five starts, all for trainer John Kimmel. She won the Franklin Square Stakes in the mud in January, but threw in a clunker when last in the Maddie May Stakes. She rebounded with a second in a second-level allowance to Bank Sting when facing older horses for the first time. Bank Sting has won three straight races.

After the Maddie May, Kimmel said, jockey Pablo Morales told him Secret Love “just didn’t feel right.”

Betsy Blue, Beach Banker, and Rainbow Gal complete the field.

The Bouwerie, at seven furlongs, will be the first stakes to be run on the card, going as race 3 (2:02 p.m.).