Mentality shows blazing works for Hessonite Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – If Mentality shows the same affinity for Belmont Park’s firm turf course in the afternoon that she has in the morning, she could be tough to beat in Friday’s $75,000 Hessonite Stakes for New York-bred female sprinters.

Due to a lack of rain, the Belmont courses – on which there have been 66 races run through 13 days – have firmed up and produced fast times in the afternoon. In the morning, Mentality has put in two eye-catching and fast works over the course.

Mentality, a 5-year-old daughter of Freud, is already 4 for 6 over Belmont’s turf and is coming off a second-place finish in an optional claimer on May 21 at Churchill Downs.

“She’s been breezing fast times. She came out running her first race. Hopefully, it translates to success Friday afternoon,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “She’s a hard trier.”

Dylan Davis rides Mentality from post 4.

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Kid Is Frosty has won New York Stallion Stakes races at seven furlongs and a mile and now tries six furlongs on turf for the first time. She is making her first start since November and figures to be a pace factor.

“She seems very sharp, her works have been very good,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I think it was pretty firm last summer when she won up there. I think she likes Belmont.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard for both of those aforementioned stakes wins, has the call Friday.

David Donk, who trained the nine-time stakes-winning mare Hessonite, for whom this race is named, sends out the uncoupled entry of Saratoga Treasure and Jc’s Shooting Star.

Saratoga Treasure was victorious the last time she raced six furlongs at Belmont last September on firm ground. As well as she ran that day, Saratoga Treasure won last December’s Autumn Day Stakes over yielding ground by 3 1/2 lengths. She came off a seven-month layoff and finished fifth – behind four Chad Brown-trained runners – in the 10-horse, Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes here June 6.

“Seven-eighths is probably a little farther than I wanted to run her first time out,” Donk said. “She should move forward off it. My biggest concern will be the ground – who is going to like the ground so firm? She’s run okay on it, but I was pretty impressed with her last fall with some give in the ground.”

Jc’s Shooting Star is now 8 and has likely lost a step or two, Donk said.

“But this is a good option for her,” he said. “We’ll find out where she stacks up and where we go from here.”

Hannah’s Smile is a three-time winner over Belmont’s turf, including an allowance victory on Sept. 23 in which she rallied from last in an 11-horse field.

Purrageous Dyna beat statebreds here in October going seven furlongs on turf.

The Hessonite goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 1:15 p.m.