Man o' War Stakes a good fit for Irish filly Zhukova

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Ireland-based trainer Dermot Weld has shipped horses here from across the pond to win the Belmont Stakes and the Flower Bowl. On Saturday, Weld looks for another big prize at Belmont Park when he runs the mare Zhukova against the boys in the Grade 1, $400,000 Man o’ War Stakes.

Zhukova, a 5-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock, has already won two races against males. Last September, Zhukova won the Group 3 Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown, where she defeated the highly regarded Us Army Ranger. Earlier last year, Zhukova won a listed stakes against males and the filly Found, who won the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“The Man o’ War is a very prestigious race,” said Weld, who won the 1990 Belmont Stakes with Go and Go and the 2003 Flower Bowl with Dimitrova. “It’s a race I’ve always admired. I thought the distance would be suitable for her, and I was looking for something for her at this time of year and thought we’d have a crack at it.”

Zhukova drew post 4 in an eight-horse field scheduled to run 1 3/8 miles over Belmont’s Widener turf course. The field includes the winners of the last two runnings of the Man o’ War – Wake Forest last year and Twilight Eclipse in 2015 – as well as the in-form runners Sadler’s Joy and Patterson Cross.

Taghleeb, Charming Kitten, and Highland Sky complete the lineup. Highland Sky and Twilight Eclipse are likely to scratch if forecasted rain makes for a soft turf course.

The Man o’ War is one of four stakes on a Saturday card that includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian for fillies and mares on dirt; the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan for 3-year-olds with Belmont Stakes aspirations; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Rain would favor Zhukova, who finished seventh of 13 in the Group 1 British Champions Stakes at Ascot last October over turf firmer than she prefers. She returned from a six-month layoff to win the Noblesse Stakes over yielding ground at Cork on April 15.

“She needed that race,” Weld said. “I thought she won impressively.”

Her running style suggests that Zhukova has a forward presence, and in a race that, at least on paper, seems void of speed, she could even be the pacesetter in the Man o’ War. John Velazquez rides Zhukova, the 112-pound low weight.

Wake Forest, last year’s Man o’ War winner, and Sadler’s Joy, a potential rising star in the male turf division, head the local contingent.

A 4-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy, Sadler’s Joy has won four of his last five starts, including a head victory in the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream Park on April 1. That win followed a head loss to Taghleeb in the Grade 3 William L. McKnight on Jan. 28.

“I thought he was a little unlucky not to win the McKnight,” trainer Tom Albertrani said. “He had to pause that day behind Taghleeb and just needed an extra jump or two to get up.”

Sadler’s Joy’s first two victories came over ground that was less than firm, so Albertrani isn’t overly concerned about course condition come Saturday.

“This horse will run on anything – soft, firm, it doesn’t matter,” Albertrani said.

Albertrani won the Man o’ War in 2015 with Twilight Eclipse, who earlier this year was transferred to Graham Motion and is entered in this race.

Highland Sky came off a seven-month layoff to win a second-level allowance at Gulfstream on Feb. 25.

KEY CONTENDERSZhukova, by Fastnet Rock◗ Should find the distance and course condition to her liking in her first start in the U.S.◗ Gets Lasix for the first time.

Sadler’s Joy, by Kitten’s Joy

Last 3 Beyers: 103-102-96

◗ After taking four tries to win his first race, he now has won four of his last five.

◗ Had a clear trip and closed swiftly when running down Designed for War to win the Pan American.

Wake Forest, by Sir Percy

Last 3 Beyers: 101-98-99

◗ Has not finished worse than third in seven of nine graded stakes tries in the U.S., including a three-quarter-length victory in the 2016 Man o’ War as the 2-1 favorite.

◗ Rallied seven wide and got up late to edge Patterson Cross in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream on March 4, his lone start this year.