Litfin's preview: Favorites having strong Belmont meet

Wednesday, June 25, preview

T-MINUS 15 RACING DAYS TO SARATOGA!

Heading into the final three weeks at Belmont, favorites are having a solid spring-summer meet at 136 for 369 (36.8 percent) overall, with negligible differences between their records on dirt (87 for 227, 38.3 percent) and turf (49 for 142, 34.5 percent). Oddly enough, the most unreliable post-time choices have come in graded stakes (5 for 20, 25 percent).

While reigning Eclipse Award winners Javier Castellano and Todd Pletcher top the standings, the jockey and trainer races are not foregone conclusions just yet.

Castellano enters the new racing week with a 39-34 lead on Irad Ortiz Jr., primarily because of an outstanding record on grass, where he is 25 for 84 (29.7 percent). Pletcher, who tops all trainers in starters with 96, has a 23-19 lead on Chad Brown, who has the best win rate (32.2 percent) among 13 conditioners with at least six wins.

STREAKING

Spearheaded by stakes wins from Palace (True North) and Kid Cruz (Easy Goer) in early June, Linda Rice has saddled 11 winners in the last 13 racing days to vault into third place with 16 victories – one more than David Jacobson.

Only two of Rice’s meet winners have come on turf – Double the Energy ($9.10), who won her 5-year-old debut after dictating an easy pace June 15, and Mark My Way ($5.30), who was up in time in a division of Sunday’s New York Stallion Series.

Rice, who captured the 2011 Belmont spring-summer crown, has three runners on Wednesday’s card, all on grass: Ave’s Halo (6th) and Ballerina Belle (8th) will be well regarded in their respective allowance sprints on the Widener course, while Fightin Irish (9th) makes his career debut at 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf.

PROMISING 3-YEAR-OLDS CLASH

Nine 3-year-olds go a mile out of the chute in race 7, a $77,000, first-level allowance with several relatively unfamiliar faces that bear watching: Big Guy Ian, Magic Cash, Protonico, and Venetian Mask.

Big Guy Ian’s first and only try at this level came in the toughest spot imaginable at Gulfstream Park, where he pressed the pace against eventual Grade1 winners Constitution, Tonalist, and Wicked Strong. He was against a speed bias in the sloppy Sir Bear Stakes after that.

Protonico, a respectable sixth in the Nashua Stakes after a blowout debut win at Delaware Park last fall, was subsequently purchased by Sumaya US Stable and has trained forwardly at Saratoga for his return.

Magic Cash (wide from post 11) and Venetian Mask (off slowly) each overcame adversity to post lengthy last-out maiden wins at Pimlico and Parx Racing, respectively.

HORSE TO WATCH

JOLENE
Trainer: Graham Motion
Last race: June 22, 2nd
Finish: 3rd by 1 1/2
Beyer: 75
This Fair Hill-based filly stretched out and switched to turf second time out, raced up close throughout, and finished willingly along the rail in an improved performance.