A fresh Quezon dangerous in Vagrancy Handicap

The Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park on Friday has drawn a deep field of 11 filly-and-mare sprinters. While the Bob Baffert-trained Pretty N Cool likely will be favored and By the Moon is a top contender, others also figure in the mix.

Quezon has developed into a nice mare for trainer Bobby Ribaudo, winning five of 10 starts over three seasons, including a trio of New York-bred stakes. Her best effort may have come last October in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, where she finished a close second to Paulassilverlining, a winner of four stakes in 2016 and an Eclipse Awards finalist.

“At the end of the season, we had a couple of options,” Ribaudo said. “We could retire and breed her, take her to the sale in November at Keeneland and take some money off the table, or rest her up and bring her back at 5. She’s sound, and her numbers got real good at the end of the year, so we figured we already have a good one, why give her up?”

Ribaudo and owner Marc Keller gave Quezon a two-month break at Niall Brennan’s training facility in Ocala, Fla. Ribaudo then put her back in training at Palm Meadows.

While the 6 1/2-furlong Vagrancy isn’t an easy spot for Quezon, she runs well following layoffs and on off tracks. Rain is in the forecast.

Quezon has never lost her first start of the season. She won her career debut at 2; won the Bouwerie, her lone start at 3, off a six-month break; and won an optional-claiming race at Gulfstream Park last year after being away for 10 months.

“Certainly, she’s ready and has shown she runs well fresh, but it’s also about the competition,” Ribaudo said. “This is the toughest race she’s come back in.”

Quezon has a 5-3-1-0 record on wet tracks. The Gallant Bloom was run in the mud, and she concluded the year by winning the Iroquois at Belmont over an extremely sloppy track.

“I’m surprised they got so many for this race, but the forecast is for a wet track, and we’ll see how many start,” Ribaudo said. “The track won’t hurt us.”

Quezon should settle a few lengths off the pace, which could be set by Pretty N Cool.

Vagrancy Handicap, Race 7

Key Contenders

Quezon, by Tiz Wonderful

Last 3 Beyers: 94-94-91

◗ Ribaudo usually has 10 to 14 horses. He has come up with several top runners, including European import Grand Couturier, a two-time winner of the Grade 1 Sword Dancer who also won the Grade 1 Turf Classic; Met Mile winner Bribon; and New York-bred Biogio’s Rose, with whom he won 11 races.

Pretty N Cool, by Scat Daddy

Last 3 Beyers: 90-82-77

◗ The 120-pound highweight, she ships here off a win in the Grade 3 Las Flores at Santa Anita. In her only prior start outside California, she won the Grade 2 Matron at Belmont in 2015.

By the Moon, by Indian Charlie

Last 3 Beyers: 94-98-87

◗ She was given a brief freshening by Michelle Nevin following her neck defeat in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie in February.

◗ She has stakes wins over sloppy and muddy tracks.

Kathryn the Wise, by Uncle Mo

Beyers: 90-83

◗ Trained by Chad Brown, she has been impressive in winning her two starts but is facing much tougher competition. She will need an amazing effort to beat this seasoned group.

Bar of Gold, by Medaglia d’Oro

Last 3 Beyers: 88-81-109

◗ In a better-than-it-looks effort, she was fourth while making her turf debut in the April 15 Plenty of Grace following a four-month break. She was pinched back at the start and fanned wide in that race.

◗ Trained by John Kimmel, she is 5 for 5 over wet tracks, including an 18-length victory in the Empire Distaff Classic at Belmont last October.