Mid-Atlantic shippers set to attack Artie Schiller

ELMONT, N.Y. – Mid-Atlantic-based runners Souper Forces and Air Recruit, both coming off listed stakes wins at Monmouth Park, will cross the Hudson River on Friday looking for continued success in a seemingly wide-open renewal of the $175,000 Artie Schiller Stakes, scheduled for one mile over Belmont Park’s Widener turf course.

Souper Forces, a 4-year-old son of Laoban trained by Mike Trombetta, is coming off a 3 1/2-length victory in the Red Bank Stakes on Sept. 6 at Monmouth Park. That was his fourth win from six overall starts and first from two starts this year. In July, coming off a seven-month layoff, he finished second in a six-furlong race over the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs.

Souper Forces was one of three next-out winners from that race, and Spirited Sol, who didn’t win his next out, has since come back to win the Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs. Souper Forces had won the first three races of his career before finishing sixth, beaten just 2 1/4 lengths, in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream. His trip in that race could best be described as wide, wider, widest.

“That horse has been a pleasant surprise since Day One,” Trombetta said. “He’s done everything right. We brought him back off a layoff and I was looking for a race and took him to Presque Isle, where he ran very respectable in a sprint race. That race set him for the following race at Monmouth.

“He’s always done a little better than we had him pegged for,” Trombetta continued. “For him to have a second and a win this year is great. This is probably a little bit of a tough task for him, but he always seems to show up.”

Antonio Fresu has the call from post 7.

Air Recruit, who missed his 3-year-old season due to a soft-tissue injury, has won stakes at ages 2, 4, and 5. He has run just twice this year, losing a 1 1/8-mile allowance by a neck off an eight-month layoff before winning the Oceanport, at 1 1/16 miles, by a nose, over the stakes winner Running Bee. Air Recruit is 0 for 2 at a mile.

“I think he can be effective at a mile. He’s got tactical speed, he doesn’t have to be in front, he can sit off the pace. [The distance] doesn’t really bother me,” trainer Arnaud Delacour said. “He’s had many setbacks in his career, but when he delivers, he runs well. I’m hoping for a good performance.”

Paco Lopez, 2 for 3 on Air Recruit, rides the 5-year-old gelding from the outside post in this nine-horse field.

Capitol Hill and Sounds Like a Plan both have run well enough to win a stakes, but neither of them has just yet.

Capitol Hill, who typically comes with a late run, was beaten a nose by his Bill Mott-trained stablemate Pass the Hat in the Grade 3 Poker at Saratoga in June. After two more graded tries, including a last-place finish in the Grade 1 Fourstardave, Capitol Hill won a stakes-caliber allowance by a nose on Aug. 28 at Saratoga.

Sounds Like a Plan, a New York-bred son of Twirling Candy, has won five of his last nine starts. His four defeats over that span have come by a combined two lengths. He is coming off a half-length defeat to multiple Grade 1 winner Spirit of St Louis in the West Point Stakes, restricted to New York-breds.

Sounds Like a Plan, who will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. for trainer Horacio De Paz, has the tactical speed to be on or close to the lead.

Intellect and Cosmic Year, who finished one-two in a second-level allowance race for trainer Chad Brown on Aug. 14, are both entered in the Artie Schiller. In 2025, Intellect finished second in three consecutive graded stakes at Saratoga, including the Grade 1 Fourstardave.

Cosmic Year, a Group 1-placed runner in France in 2025, is winless in three starts for Brown and gets blinkers added Friday.

Silent Heart, Itsallcomintogetha, and Clever Mischief complete the field.