Mihos will need to get outside in Bold Ruler Handicap

ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s been nearly two years since Mihos won the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park, beating, among others, Code of Honor.

Mihos has won just once in nine starts since. Saturday, though, circumstances may be right for the 4-year-old son of Cairo Prince to return to the winner’s circle in the Grade 3, $100,000 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park.

The Bold Ruler, run on dirt at seven furlongs, drew only a field of six. However, it could scratch down to four as Wendell Fong was scheduled to run in an off-the-turf allowance race Thursday and Phat Man, the Grade 3 Fred Hooper winner, was found to have tied up, akin to a muscle spasm, following training, putting his status very much in jeopardy.

That leaves Mihos, Share the Ride, Arch Cat, and Majestic Dunhill in the Bold Ruler.

Mihos is coming off a third-place finish behind Lenstar and Majestic Dunhill in an allowance race here Sept. 25. That was his first start in two months and first since undergoing throat surgery to correct a breathing problem.

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“I thought his race was good,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. “He compromised himself by not running at all down inside and then he was very wide in that race. I thought he finished up pretty good. He’s got to have a lot go his own way.”

Because of his dislike for running inside of horses, Jerkens is not thrilled with the rail post for Mihos. Going seven furlongs though, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. should have ample time to get Mihos off the rail and in the clear.

Share the Ride looks like the horse to catch in the Bold Ruler, though he is attempting seven furlongs for the first time. Two starts back, he won the Mr. Prospector Stakes, a six-furlong race at Monmouth Park, in front-running fashion. Last out, he was third, beaten four lengths by Firenze Fire, in the Grade 2 Vosburgh.

He figures to be a forward factor breaking from post 2 under Manny Franco.

Arch Cat has proven to be a solid claim for $16,000 by owner Russell Berns and trainer Daniel Velazquez in June 2019. He has won 5 of 14 starts since then and is coming off a third in a Parx Racing allowance where Velazquez felt the horse was too far back.

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Velazquez, who won a pair of New York-bred stakes here last weekend, is going back to Kendrick Carmouche, who has five wins from six rides on Arch Cat.

“I’m excited about him,” Velazquez said. “I think he can go there and compete if not win.”

Majestic Dunhill seeks his first win since capturing the City of Laurel Stakes at Laurel in November 2018. He may have raced closer to the pace than he prefers when beaten a neck by Lenstar in the aforementioned allowance last out.

The Bold Ruler is scheduled as race 9 on a 10-race card that begins at 12:40 p.m. and includes the $80,000 Zagora Stakes for females at 1 1/2 miles on turf and the $80,000 Awad Stakes for 2-year-old males going 1 1/16 miles on turf.