Litfin: Belmont preview for Saturday, May 24

Saturday, May 24, preview

Track conditions
After rain late yesterday afternoon and overnight, the main track was being called “good” during training hours, but that is subject to change, as a threat of scattered storms remains.

Races 3, 5 and 7 have been taken off the turf.

Races 4 and 9 remain on the turf, which is labeled yielding.

Competitive Sheepshead Bay
Considerable give in the ground may work to the advantage of Fitful Skies in the Sheepshead Bay, which is the ninth of 10 races, and the third leg of a late pick 4 with a $300,000 guaranteed pool.

In her North American debut last fall, Fitful Skies narrowly missed in the E.P. Taylor to soft-turf specialist Tannery. Her seasonal debut for new trainer Kiaran McLaughlin in the one-mile Jenny Wiley on firm turf has all the looks of a useful conditioning race.

On firmer footing, Irish Mission would have rated a big chance while also stretching out second time for Christophe Clement, whose five Sheepshead Bay winners include Dsicreet Marq last year. She has lost all five attempts on non-firm courses since September 2012.

Any discussion of the early pace begins and ends with Viva Rafaela, who captured the Group 1 Brazilian Oaks in her native country, before being sent to Todd Pletcher last year. She is winless from six starts on firm turf in the United States, but won her only outing on good going at Gulfstream Park last fall.