Lion Lake, Ground Support headline split divisions of Glen Cove
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Lion Lake and Ground Support both ran winning races but did not win when finishing second and third, respectively, in the Grade 2 Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs last month.
Sunday, both 3-year-old fillies find themselves in the same venue but will line up at different times in split divisions of the Grade 3, $200,000 Glen Cove Stakes at Belmont Park. There were 21 entrants for the Glen Cove, so, for the second time in three days, the New York racing office opted to split a seven-furlong turf stakes. Friday, there were two divisions of the Perfect Sting for fillies and mares.
In race 5, the first division of the Glen Cove, Ground Support will face nine rivals. Ground Support is looking for her first win since she took the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Aqueduct by two lengths last October. That race led to a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, where she finished third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths.
Ground Support, a daughter of Army Mule, is 0 for 3 this year, but trainer Kelsey Danner believes her first two defeats came with excuses. In finishing fifth in the Tepin in June, Ground Support was coming off an eight-month layoff and caught soft turf at Churchill Downs. In the Grade 2 San Clemente at Del Mar in July, Ground Support blew up mentally in the paddock. An early departure from the paddock helped Ground Support when she ran as well as she did in the Music City.
“We did things differently at Kentucky Downs,” Danner said. “We went to the post parade early; she was good. We plan on doing the same thing in New York.”
In the Music City, Ground Support raced up close in fourth and rallied along the rail when an opening presented itself. She was outfinished by Somerset West, who beat Ground Support in the San Clemente, and Lion Lake, who had been running alongside Ground Support for most of the trip.
“I thought she ran really good. I thought turning back in distance helped,” Danner said. “I think she’ll get two turns, but I think she liked the cutback.”
Ground Support, who will be ridden by Adam Beschizza, should have pace to stalk as Paris Carver, in post 2 and Beach Heist, in post 10, figure to be on the lead.
Brandy and Me went 2 for 2 over Woodbine’s synthetic for trainer Evette Chartrand-Hoek and has since been privately purchased by St. Elias and Turf Express Racing and turned over to Saffie Joseph Jr. Joseph also sends out Spirit Doll, who won the Honey Ryder Stakes in May.
In race 8, Lion Lake will face 10 rivals. Lion Lake, trained by Brendan Walsh, had blinkers on for the first time in the Music City, where she just got outfinished by Somerset West when rallying four wide in the stretch.
“She was shortening up. I just wanted to sharpen her a little bit more. I thought it worked out good,” Walsh said. “She ran a great race, she was right there. She’s a model of consistency. Anytime she hasn’t won she hasn’t been beaten very far.”
Lion Lake has competed in six consecutive graded stakes, winning the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park and suffering narrow defeats in the Appalachian at Keeneland, Edgewood at Churchill, and Wonder Again at Saratoga.
Life’s Dynamic, trained by Arnaud Delacour, is 3 for 3, including a win going 6 1/2 furlongs over the Belmont course on Sept. 19. The Glen Cove marks her stakes debut.
Hark Theangelssing, a five-time winner trained by Michael Trombetta, ships in off two sprint wins at Colonial Downs.
Green Sense, who was a Group 2 winner in France for Joseph O’Brien, makes her second start for Saffie Joseph Jr. in this spot. In her first start, she broke slowly in the Music City and finished 11th.
Amicable Farce, trained by Chad Brown, is coming in off a maiden win at seven furlongs over this turf course.
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