Mahaamel finds softer spot; week begins with $74K pick six carryover
ELMONT, N.Y. – The way Mahaamel had run in his first two starts, it stood to reason he’d at least been in, if not won, a stakes by now.
Remarkably, though, Mahaamel remains eligible for a first-level allowance condition. He seems to have found a much easier one than the two he competed in at Saratoga, heading a short field in Belmont Park’s Thursday feature going a mile.
Mahaamel was beaten by First Captain when both debuted April 21 at Belmont. Mahaamel came out of that race to win his maiden by 3 1/4 lengths on June 3. On July 17 at Saratoga, he ran into the freaky Beau Liam and finished third behind that one and Witzel. On Aug. 14, Mahaamel was again third behind Speaker’s Corner and Defeater.
All four of his races have been at seven furlongs. Trainer Todd Pletcher is looking forward to getting him out to the mile and perhaps beyond.
“I think he’s looking for more distance, and we just haven’t gotten those races to fill for three months,” Pletcher said. “He’s held good company, he just hasn’t quite punched through yet to that next level. He’s shown hints that he could.”
Thursday’s allowance drew just six runners. Arham, also trained by Pletcher, is winless in five starts in this condition since a seven-length debut victory at Gulfstream in December. Also, Pletcher supplemented Arham to Saturday’s Kelso Handicap, entries for which are taken Wednesday.
Mahaamel and Arham, both owned by Shadwell Stable, are coupled as an entry.
Chowda is a three-time-winning New York-bred who finished eighth of nine in his lone try against open company. That race came in the slop.
Will Sing for Wine and Treason are an uncoupled entry from the barn of Bill Mott. Full Court Press rounds out the field.
The allowance was carded as race 3 and thus is not part of the pick six that begins in race 4 and has a $74,372 carryover after not getting hit Sunday. With first post at 2:05 p.m., the pick six will begin at 3:39 p.m.
Five of the pick six races are scheduled for turf, and they all have oversubscribed fields. There also is a chance of rain Thursday.
Race 4 is a skullbuster, with Parlor, runner-up in the 2020 Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile, plummeting to the $25,000 level and Jack the Cat, returning from a nine-month layoff following a win at the level on Dec. 11 at Aqueduct.
Race 5 is a maiden event on turf for 2-year-olds. Maseta is a half-brother to Little Dutch Girl, a debut winner on turf last fall. Kingham Hill is related to two turf winners and got rained off the grass on debut at Saratoga.
Race 6 is a starter allowance where Actuary goes out first off the Rob Atras claim and could get a nice pace setup. Determined Fury has twice placed in this condition, and Subsidize won for $40,000 when last seen in June for trainer Chad Brown.
Race 7 is the lone dirt race in the sequence. Got the Gold and Blitz to Win look like the strength. Big Castle is a newcomer to this group in that he’s made his three previous starts on turf and now moves to dirt and gets blinkers.
In race 8, Tis a Pity, Highway Queen, and Social Whirl should be on most tickets.
In race 9, King James drops in for a tag for Jimmy Jerkens and has run his two best figures over Belmont’s turf. K.K. Ichikawa closed as best he could when fifth at Saratoga for this price.