Lochte to face formidable rivals in confidence-building start

ELMONT, N.Y. – It may not be as tough as Sunday’s Grade 1 United Nations would have been, but Wednesday’s $85,000 third-level allowance feature at Belmont Park is no easy spot for the Grade 1-winning Lochte.

Lochte, who has a win, a second, and a third in three Grade 1 races this year, was scratched out of Sunday’s United Nations at Monmouth by trainer Marcus Vitali in favor of Wednesday’s one-mile race over the Widener turf course. Lochte is one of eight stakes winners entered in this race, which also carries an optional-claiming tag of $80,000 for which three of the horses are eligible.

Lochte won the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in February, was second in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March, and third to Wise Dan in the Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland in April. After a brief freshening, Lochte finished 13th in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes as the 2-1 favorite on June 8.

“I gave him a little break and I thought he would have stayed a little tighter than he did,” Vitali said. “I didn’t think he was mentally prepared for the U.N., and I still have the three-other-than. He needs a little confidence booster.”

Lochte landed in the outside post in this 12-horse field. He will be ridden by Orlando Bocachica.

Red Rifle is running as a gelding for the first time in Wednesday’s race. Trained by Todd Pletcher, he won his first two starts before tailing off. In his second start this year, he won the Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston, beating Frac Daddy, who has since won a pair of graded stakes. Red Rifle went off form, though, running ninth in the Grade 3 Ben Ali at Keeneland and then fourth and last in the Grade 3 Westchester here April 30.

“We felt like he was a horse that might benefit from castration,” Pletcher said. “His stud career wasn’t going anywhere. He’s run decently on all three surfaces. He was a useful horse that we felt like needed to pay his way.”

Two Months Rent, winner of the Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby in 2012, is making his first start in nearly 14 months, or since he finished fifth in the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico in May 2013. Trainer Jimmy Toner said Two Months Rent required knee surgery last year and has been training well at Fair Hill for his return.

“We gave him as much time as we could,” Toner said. “He’s had some nice works at Fair Hill. He’s probably going to need one. He’s one of those hard-knocking horses you love having around. We’re happy to get him back, get him started, and go from there.”

Two Months Rent may benefit from what should be a good pace with Plainview and Fredericksburg in the field.

Other notable names include Black Onyx, the 2013 Spiral Stakes winner who is making his first start for Joe Orseno in his second start of the year, and Swift Warrior, a multiple graded winner who finished second of four in a spot like this on June 14.