Front Run the Fed in his element for Elusive Quality Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Front Run the Fed has produced two of his best efforts when racing seven furlongs at Belmont Park. He will need to bring a similar performance Saturday in order to win a highly competitive renewal of the $100,000 Elusive Quality Stakes, scheduled for seven furlongs over Belmont’s Widener turf course.

Front Run the Fed heads a three-ply uncoupled entry from the barn of Chad Brown, a two-time winner of this race. Value Proposition, like Front Run the Fed owned by Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stable, and Seismic Wave are Brown’s other entrants.

Front Run the Fed won a seven-furlong allowance here last July 5 in 1:20.13. The course record is 1:19.23, set by Brown’s A Lot in the 2016 Elusive Quality. Front Run the Fed didn’t run again until the Runhappy Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs in September, dead-heating for second, a neck behind Imprimis.

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In the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland, Front Run the Fed was attempting to rally from 11th-place but had some traffic in the lane and had to wait a stride or two before finishing sixth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths.

Front Run the Fed shows a series of solid works at Payson Park, including a bullet half-mile in 48.60 seconds last Saturday.

“He’s fresh, he looks good, seven [furlongs] is perfect for him,” Brown said. “That horse has run good off layoffs.”

Value Proposition also has run well fresh for Brown, winning his career debut in April 2019 here going 1 1/16 miles and then taking a second-level allowance off an 11-month layoff going a mile last June 3. He ended his 4-year-old campaign with a third in the Grade 3 Poker and a last-place finish in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.

This will be the shortest distance Value Proposition has run.

“I like the distance for him,” Brown said.

Seismic Wave was a new acquisition for Brown after Michael Dubb and partners purchased him for $60,000 at last November’s Keeneland sale. He ran fifth in the Grade 3 Appleton at Gulfstream in March.

The New York-bred Therapist has won eight stakes, including the 2019 Elusive Quality. Last year, the Elusive Quality wasn’t carded, but a similar seven-furlong race known as the First Defence took its place, and Therapist won that, also.

“He loves Belmont,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “Seven-eighths is a good distance for him. It’s time to bring him back.”

Casa Creed is 0 for 7 since he won the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga in 2019. Four of those starts did come in Grade 1 races, including a sixth-place finish in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 6 at Santa Anita. He was beaten only 1 1/4 lengths and may appreciate turning back in distance for trainer Bill Mott. He could end up stalking likely pacesetter Proven Strategies in the Elusive Quality.

Proven Strategies is trained by Mark Casse, who also sends out longshot Olympic Runner.

Tell Your Daddy, making his first start since being claimed for $40,000 by Tom Morley, completes the field.