Litfin's preview: Four allowance races

Thursday, May 15 preview

IT’S ALL GOOD – FOR NOW

Showery conditions had the main track and turf courses both listed as “good” this morning, with the New York Racing Association noting that both are subject to change depending on the weather. It’s probably wise to wait and see about things, especially for those considering multi-race exotics.

FOUR ALLOWANCE RACES

It’s never a bad thing when four allowances or optional claimers are part of a mid-week program. A look in chronological order:

RACE 3 – A case can be made for or against just about anyone in this preliminary allowance sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs, and there has to be some question as to who is going for the lead. Define and Real Estate Rich, both trained by David Jacobson, were next-to-last and last early in their respective races here just last Friday, and none of the other five usually show much early initiative, either.

RACE 4 – A full gate of 14 New York-bred sprinters (including one for dirt only) signed on for this six-furlong race scheduled for the Widener turf, and it qualifies as the most wide-open race of the day. If it stays on, a big key will be whether Sol the Freud or Station Chief handles the surface switch. The stakes-placed Sol the Freud has the pedigree to handle anything, as full sister Franny Freud won stakes on dirt, turf and synthetic. Station Chief showed considerable ability on the main track at Aqueduct in April, and comes off a bullet work for Gary Contessa, who collected his fourth turf winner of the meet in yesterday’s opener.

RACE 7 – This optional claimer is all about B Shanny, and whether he can work out a trip from the rail against six rivals while making his first start at Belmont since a fine third in the Hudson Stakes last fall. The best scenario for him would be for Bass River Road and The Rhythmisright to hook up early, as they did in their prior meeting back in mid-winter on the inner dirt.

Chilton is 3 for 3 sprinting on three different surfaces this year, has adapted to all pace situations, and comes off the fastest race of his life, which came at Parx Racing for Michelle Nevin.

RACE 8 – Christophe Clement has two of the seven 3-year-olds in this first-level allowance scheduled for the Widener turf, and bettors may be hard-pressed to choose between them - Belly of the Whale, who was victimized by a snail’s pace in his seasonal bow at Aqueduct, and Mansion House, a rallying third in the Awad Stakes in his only U.S. start, which came on closing day here last fall.

Canzoni, Part, and Patent are lightly raced and have shown ability, although, like Belly of the Whale, they lack experience on non-firm ground.

In the event of a switch to the main track, J to the Croft potentially becomes loose on the lead based on his front-running debut win on April 2 with Jose Lezcano, who is back on.