L'Antharis primed to end win drought; $49K pick six carryover

The French import L’Antharis ran a winning race in his North American debut. Trainer Bill Mott looks to have him fine-tuned for Thursday’s featured first-level allowance/optional claimer at Aqueduct, a 1 3/8-mile turf event with a $92,000 purse. The race is the penultimate leg in the pick six, which starts with a carryover of $49,757 after the bet went unsolved on Sunday.

L’Antharis won 2 of 13 races in France, including a 1 1/4-mile allowance over soft ground in summer 2022. The 5-year-old lost his next 10 races while competitive on occasion in handicaps and allowances at such tracks as Longchamp and Saint-Cloud.

When adding Lasix for a Saratoga allowance July 26, L’Antharis rallied between rivals to take the lead in midstretch before getting overhauled late by Better Bet and finishing second. Better Bet returned to finish fourth and third in second-level allowances at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland.

Owned by Team Valor International, L’Antharis has worked weekly since late August over Belmont’s training track and is picking up the barn’s go-to rider, Junior Alvarado.

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Be Like Clint has maintained solid form at the first allowance category since landing a $16,000 starter handicap March 30 at Gulfstream. The closer finished a lapped-on third behind Better Bet and L’Antharis on July 26. He’s coming off a chalky second in another 1 3/8-mile Saratoga marathon, won by El Rezeen, who subsequently finished third in the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational.

Be Like Clint is being reunited with Javier Castellano, who will get a leg up from trainer Fernando Abreu on the former mid-level claimer at Woodbine. The son of Point of Entry is a must-use underneath in vertical wagers.

Speed could be effective with the rail at 35 feet. Brees and Tide of the Sea could vie for the lead.

Brees ran the race of his life July 4 when a narrow loser over this course and distance after dueling up front throughout. Trainer Shug McGaughey gave him a break after he ran up the course in El Rezeen’s Aug. 23 triumph.

The Joe Sharp-trained Tide of the Sea is going back on Lasix after coming up empty at Laurel in the Japan Cup Stakes, which was switched from turf to dirt. He was previously a leading second over an undulating course that was kind to speed at Kentucky Downs.

Trainer Graham Motion entered Swore and California Sober.

Swore rallied for third last out in a 1 1/2-mile allowance at Kentucky Downs won by Goldeneye, who returned to double up in a second-level allowance at Keeneland. This third start of his form cycle could be even better, and it may have to be if he’s to make his presence known.

California Sober, the lone 3-year-old in the body of the race, notched his debut in an off-the-turf maiden special at Delaware in August. He was never a factor during a wide trip most recently in an allowance over the Laurel lawn.

Also-eligible Yamato captured last year’s Japan Turf Cup and didn’t start again until a year later, in this year’s edition of the race, in which he checked in third in his first dirt race since his formative years.

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