Lord Commander, Loose On the Town give turf a try

ELMONT, N.Y. – The feature on Friday at Belmont Park is a second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claimer scheduled for six furlongs on the grass. The two most intriguing horses in the field have run exclusively on dirt.

Lord Commander, away from the races for eight months, and Loose On the Town, who returned from a nine-month layoff to win impressively at Saratoga, headline the field, which figures to scratch down to five, for the third on the nine-race card.

Lord Commander has won two of five starts, both sprinting on dirt, and has never run on grass. Lord Commander is by Giant’s Causeway and out of the Silver Deputy mare Air Marshall and is a half-brother to Vivo Per Lei, who won two races on turf and was graded-stakes-placed on grass.

“It’s something that has been in the back of our minds for a while, but timing never quite worked out,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Lord Commander for John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock. “I think I entered him in a grass race that didn’t fill and ended up running him on the dirt, and he didn’t fire, which is unusual for him when he’s fresh. He ended up needing time off. He came back and trained well, so we thought now is the time to explore the grass and see what he does.”

Lord Commander has not raced since Jan. 9, when he finished sixth of 10 in a second-level allowance at Gulfstream.

Loose On the Town came off a nine-month layoff to win a first-level allowance by 2 1/2 lengths at Saratoga. Trainer Brian Lynch said he would like to run the gelding in the Phoenix Stakes on dirt at Keeneland on Oct. 7. He couldn’t find a second-level allowance on dirt.

“I don’t think the turf race will be too hard on him if he runs like I hope he will,” Lynch said. “If he took a big step forward, I’d run him in the Phoenix. I like the turf-to-dirt angle.”

Burndines, Dowse’s Beach, and Sandy’z Slew are all being offered for the $62,500 claiming price. Aktabantay, trained by Tom Morley, ran third at this condition last out at Parx. Story to Tell, who has never run on turf, is coupled with Burndines, and one will have to scratch because trainer David Jacobson has named Jose Lezcano on both.

Key Contenders

Lord Commander, by Giant’s Causeway

Last 3 Beyers: 78-77-84

◗ Worked four furlongs in 47.40 seconds on turf, breaking off not far behind a pair of Chad Brown-trained runners.

◗ Though he’s making his first start in eight months, he won as a first-time starter and off a seven-month layoff.

Burndines, by Scat Daddy

Last 3 Beyers: 89-89-72

◗ Finished first but was disqualified to third in his lone try sprinting on turf, which came at Belmont in June 2015.

◗ Goes first off the Jacobson claim after running second to Farhaan going a two-turn mile at Saratoga.

Loose On the Town, by Speightstown

Last 3 Beyers: 87-61-33

◗ Was sidelined for the first half of the year to recover from a hairline fracture diagnosed last November.

◗ Came back as a new gelding and ran very well in his allowance win at Saratoga.