Fear No Evil may offer value in Floral Park Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Fear No Evil is winless in six starts this year and has dropped 10 in a row since her last victory in June 2018, which should only serve to help her price in a very competitive renewal of the $100,000 Floral Park Stakes at Belmont Park.

Fear No Evil, at 7-1, finished second in this race last year and she was coming off a good race in the Sensible Lady Turf Dash at Laurel Park. Saturday, she is coming off a ninth-place finish in the Sensible Lady with a bit of a troubled trip.

“Her form’s a little bit dirtied up but it’s been wide post positions, big fields,” said Dan Stupp, assistant to trainer Tom Albertrani. “She’s not an easy filly to ride. She kind of wants cover and make one late run, but she’s had wide, late-running trips that she doesn’t really care for. We like her quite a bit. She’s training fantastic. I would expect a pretty big effort.”

Fear No Evil gets a rider switch to Joel Rosario, who is 34 for 152 in turf sprints this year. Overall, he is 77 for 428 on turf.

Fear No Evil would benefit from a fast pace and she may get it with Goldwood and Mominou in the field. Goldwood, trained by Jorge Duarte, is cross-entered in Friday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland, but Duarte wants to run at Belmont, provided the turf is firm. Goldwood has won five consecutive races including the Sensible Lady last out.

Mominou, trained by Jimmy Toner, hasn’t run since upsetting the Caress Stakes at odds of 29-1 at Saratoga on July 21. She was training for one of two spots out of town before a setback kept her off the work tab for most of September.

“She just wasn’t doing well enough and she’s not a good shipper,” Toner said. “She’s doing well now.”

Mominou’s two victories this year have come on the lead, and with Kendrick Carmouche aboard she is likely to be on or near the lead again on Saturday.

Fire Key won this race last year and won the License Fee Stakes – beating Fear No Evil – earlier this year. She is coming off a second-place finish to Goldwood in the Sensible Lady.

Misericordia, Dynatail, I’llhandalthecash, and Lady Mamba complete the field.