Ghoul may creep up on them at longer distance

ELMONT, N.Y. – Ghoul ran well in two turf sprints at Saratoga, but his connections are hoping a little more distance and a change of venue might help him run better when he makes his Belmont Park debut in Friday’s optional-claiming turf sprint feature.

Ghoul finished third and then second in two tries in this same condition at Saratoga going 5 1/2 furlongs. At Belmont, the turf sprints are run at six furlongs, and this one may have a contested pace with Readyforprimetime and Sayyaaf in the field. That scenario would aid Ghoul, who tried to come from last in both Saratoga starts.

“We’re hoping that the extra sixteenth of a mile and the long stretch might suit him,” said Peter Miller, who trains Ghoul for Adam Wachtel and Gary Barber. “On firm turf, I think he’s live in there.”

The turf should be firm Friday as there is no rain in the local forecast until late Sunday.

Though Ghoul is only 1 for his last 12, Miller believes the addition of blinkers three starts back has helped the 5-year-old gelding by Put It Back.

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“I think they’ve moved him up a little bit, certainly on Beyers,” Miller said. “They seem to have given him a little more focus, not really more speed but that’s okay, too.”

Joel Rosario, aboard for Ghoul’s last victory, in this same condition last Dec. 29 at Santa Anita, rides Ghoul from what figures to be post 6. Twelve were entered in this race, but five were designated as main-track-only runners.

Readyforprimetime, Fig Jelly, and Pagliacci finished third, fourth, and sixth, respectively in the $85,000 Lucky Coin Stakes three weeks ago at Saratoga. Friday, they are all in for the $62,500 claiming tag. Only Sayyaaf and Honey Won’t are racing under the second-level allowance condition.

Readyforprimetime won this condition at Saratoga before running third in the Lucky Coin. He figures to be one of the speeds in here along with Sayyaaf.

“There are not a lot of opportunities, there are a lot of good turf sprinters around, and I just thought this was a spot that he fit,” Rice said. “He seems to really favor the Saratoga course – I think that’s where he runs his best races – but I think he fits very well in this spot.”

Rice also entered Twelfth Labour, whose lone turf start came going 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds in the winter of 2019. He finished sixth.

Rice, who claimed Twelfth Labour for $35,000 on Sept. 2 at Saratoga, said his “up and down action” in a recent dirt workout indicated to her to try the grass. Twelfth Labour is out of the dam Kitty Wine, a three-time winner on turf including a listed stakes at Canterbury.

Sayyaaf finished sixth in two tries in this condition at Saratoga. He returns to Belmont, where he has run second three times from as many starts.

Honey Won’t finished fourth, 1 1/4 lengths behind Ghoul, in his most recent start at Saratoga for trainer Bill Mott. Two starts back, at Belmont, he won a first-level allowance going seven furlongs.