Mean Mary part of strong 12-horse field in New York Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – When Mean Mary won the Grade 2 New York Stakes last year, she did so off a three-month layoff, due in large part to the disruption of racing schedules caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Friday, when she seeks a repeat victory in the $750,000 New York Stakes at Belmont Park, Mean Mary will be running back in three weeks, following a facile victory in the Grade 3 Gallorette Stakes at Pimlico. The relative ease in which Mean Mary achieved her Pimlico victory played a role in trainer Graham Motion choosing to run in the New York.

“I don’t feel like she had a hard race,” Motion said. “I’m always reluctant to run a horse back quickly off one race off a layoff. It was in the back of our mind, if she handled it well, and she obviously did.”

The New York, run at 1 1/4 miles over the inner turf, came up a terrific race with a 12-horse field. Grade 1 winners Harvey’s Lil Goil, Civil Union, and Magic Attitude are in the field as are the Chad Brown-trained duo of My Sister Nat and Virginia Joy. Completing the field are Antoinette, who won the Saratoga Oaks; Micheline, second to Harvey’s Lil Goil in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth; Thundering Nights, a Group 3 winner trained by Joseph O’Brien; the uncoupled entry of Mutamakina and Traipsing from trainer Christophe Clement; and Always Shopping.

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As winners of the Saratoga Oaks and Belmont Oaks, respectively, Antoinette and Magic Attitude are running for bonus money for their connections. A win by either in the New York would earn their owner $315,000 and their trainer $35,000 as the result of a bonus announced earlier this year by the New York Racing Association.

The New York tops an 11-race Friday card that includes five stakes, four graded. First post is 12:50 p.m.

In the Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup, at two miles on turf, Motion will send out Ziyad, a Group 2 winner in Europe at marathon distances. Ziyad has made three starts for Motion in the U.S., finishing third in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland and Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct last year and sixth, beaten three lengths, in the Grade 1 Man o’ War here on May 8.

“He has a history of handling these longer distances,” Motion said. “I was a little disappointed in his last race. I thought Manny [Franco] had him in a great spot and he didn’t kick home. Maybe this is more what he wants to do.”

A field of nine was entered Monday for the Belmont Gold Cup, including the Mike Maker-trained trio of Ajourneytofreedom, Conviction Trade and Tide of the Sea, Irish invader Baron Samedi, Fantasioso, Kinenos, So High, and Strong Tide.