Green Mask tries to end long drought in Elusive Quality
ELMONT, N.Y. – He has traveled across the country and around the world, but when Green Mask runs in Saturday’s $100,000 Elusive Quality Stakes at Belmont Park, he will be returning to the site of his most recent victory.
Green Mask hasn’t won since May 2014, when he captured the Paradise Creek Stakes over this same Widener turf course and at the same seven-furlong distance of the Elusive Quality. Since then, he has lost seven straight races but has finished second or third in four stakes, including a third in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, where he was beaten just three-quarters of a length by Mongolian Saturday.
“We got in some traffic trouble early, and in a race like the Breeders’ Cup, if you have traffic, you can get in a world of hurt trying to get there,” trainer Wesley Ward said.
Ward then sent Green Mask to Sha Tin for the Hong Kong Turf Sprint. Following a fast workout a few days before the race, Green Mask developed a foot bruise. Though “he came around” by race day, according to Ward, Green Mask finished eighth, beaten six lengths.
Green Mask got a break following the trip to Hong Kong but has come back with a sharp work tab, including a bullet five-furlong move in 59.40 seconds over the Keeneland turf on April 24.
Green Mask will break from post 5 in what figures to be a nine-horse field. Twelve were entered, but two – Ready for Rye and Stallwalkin’ Dude – will run only if the race is switched to dirt, and Saturday’s forecast is for dry conditions. Aztec Brave is expected to scratch to run in an allowance race Sunday at Laurel, according to trainer Joe Sharp.
Elusive Quality, Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Green Mask, by Mizzen Mast
Last 3 Beyers: 104-95-98
◗ Ward chose this spot over the Grade 3 Twin Spires Turf Sprint to bring Green Mask back to the races off a 139-day layoff “more for the distance,” said Ward, who preferred the seven furlongs of this race over the five furlongs of the other.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Green Mask. Trainer Wesley Ward is 25-9-6-1 with a $3.40 ROI over the past two years in turf sprints at Belmont. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
FORMULATOR FACT: Over the last three years, Ward is 10 for 73 with a $0.77 return on investment when bringing horses back in a turf sprint off a 60-to-180-day layoff.
A Lot, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 92-97-90
◗ Is 2 for 2 sprinting over Belmont’s turf course, including a 5 3/4-length victory in the Paradise Creek here last year.
◗ Following two seconds and three thirds in his last six stakes tries, the Tapit colt has been transferred to Chad Brown, who starts him for first time in this spot.
Mosler, by War Front
Last 3 Beyers: 80-98-88
◗ Has only raced three times since winning this race last year by two lengths, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 102.
FORMULATOR FACT: Over the last three years, trainer Bill Mott is 10 for 63 with a $1.25 ROI when bringing back horses on turf off a layoff of 180 days or greater. He is just 1 for 6 in turf sprints in that scenario.