Mewannarose looks to fire off layoff
ELMONT, N.Y. – Last year, Mewannarose got good at about the same time as Salutos Amigos, for whom he was no match in three consecutive stakes races. After tailing off in February and having problems in the spring, Mewannarose returns to the races Friday at Belmont Park seeking to recapture his form from last fall.
Mewannarose is one of eight horses entered in a third-level optional-claiming race that goes as race 9 on a 10-race card.
Friday marks the first start for Mewannarose since May 1, when he finished fifth, 4 1/4 lengths behind winner Stallwalkin’ Dude, who has come back to win two stakes.
“I don’t think I had him tight enough for that race,” said Chris Englehart, the trainer of Mewannarose. “He came out of the race with some issues, and it’s taken a while to get him back good again. But he seems to be doing really well. I think he’s tighter than he was for that other race. I’m very hopeful he’ll run real well.”
Jeremiah Englehart, Chris’s son, brings Scatman back to the races off an 18-month layoff in the same race. When he was with Bill Mott, Scatman won the Grade 3 Aristides at Churchill Downs in June 2013. He has run only twice since, both times for trainer Eddie Kenneally, and makes his first start for Jeremiah Englehart on Friday.
Englehart said the horse had a splint-bone issue and a problem with a hind suspensory. Englehart said he had him at Finger Lakes because he can take advantage of a swimming pool that horses use to get fit.
“I was going to run him at Saratoga, but he got sick,” Englehart said. “I probably did extra work with him than other horses coming off a layoff, and I think he should be ready.”
There seems to be plenty of early speed in this race, with Gombey Dancer, Classic Salsa, and Green Gratto in the field.
KEY CONTENDERS
Mewannarose (Last 3 Beyers: 92-84-103)
◗ Chris Englehart believes Mewannarose is ready off a nearly five-month layoff and is just hopeful that jockey Cornelio Velasquez can get him to relax in the early stages of the race.
“If he can get him to relax without having to pull on him, I think that will be good,” Englehart said. “If that’s the case, I think he’ll come running and run real well in there.”
◗ Finished second to Salutos Amigos in both the Grade 3 Fall Highweight and Gravesend last year at Aqueduct.
Doubledown Again (Last 3 Beyers: 96-95-88)
◗ Like Mewannarose, this gelding should benefit from a highly contentious pace.
◗ He makes his first start off the claim for Phil Serpe and Drawing Away.
◗ He is 0 for 5 at Belmont Park, with three seconds.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Doubledown Again. Was claimed last out away from Michelle Nevin; over the past five years horses are 17-2-1-1 with a $0.72 ROI over the past five years at Belmont in their first start after being claimed away from Nevin. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Loki’s Vengeance (Last 3 Beyers:81-90-88)
◗ Has run his better races at Belmont Park, including a victory against New York-bred sprinters in the Affirmed Success last May.
◗ Comes out of a last-place finish in Tale of the Cat Stakes at Saratoga.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Loki’s Vengeance. Trainer Michael Hushion is 22-7-4-2 with a $3.39 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprints at Belmont in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Gombey Dancer. His last win sprinting at Monmouth on June 21 featured three next-out winners and two runner-up finishes from seven runners to race. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan