Litfin's preview: Fans can see Jeter
Jeter at Belmont on Friday
No, not the future Hall of Fame shortstop who was scheduled to play his last home game at Yankee Stadium on Thursday evening, but the New York-bred gelding who breaks from the rail against open company in race 2, a $25,000 claiming sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Despite being blanked this season, Jeter has been a popular commodity at age 5, having been haltered each of the last four times he has run for a tag since March 8.
This will be Jeter’s first start for Diane Balsamo, who is his eighth different trainer overall.
Turf races in jeopardy
As rain persisted in the area through mid-afternoon Thursday, no announcement had been made regarding the status of Friday’s five grass races, which include two optional claimers on the inner course and a pair of maiden special-weight events scheduled for the Widener turf.
Whether any or all of them remain on turf as scheduled depends on how long into the evening the rain continued.
Among the more interesting horses entered for the main track only is Three Alarm Fire (race 3), a 3-year-old gelding who would be stretching out to 1 1/16 miles after winning a maiden sprint at Saratoga with a 95 Beyer Figure for West Point Thoroughbreds and Tom Albertrani.
The silver lining is the weather is supposed to improve dramatically. It will be mostly sunny Friday with highs in the mid-70s, leading into a Super Saturday with fair skies and a high near 80 degrees.
Polar opposites
Through Wednesday’s racing, Chad Brown and David Jacobson were locked in a close battle atop the trainer standings, but they had taken very different roads to get there:
Brown was 9 for 29 on grass; 0 for 13 on dirt.
Jacobson was 8 for 21 on dirt; 0 for 10 on grass.
Horse to watch
INCA SAINT
Trainer: Chad Brown
Last race: Sept. 24, 2nd
Finish: 3rd by 10 1/4
Beyer: 70
Claimed from a comeback race on turf at Saratoga, the gelding switched to dirt with blinkers added and rallied mildly after chasing a strong pace in a one-mile maiden claimer.