Miles D gets some class relief in Belmont feature

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Belmont Stakes is in the rearview mirror and the countdown to Saratoga has begun, opening day being four weeks from Thursday.

In the interim, there are 16 cards remaining in the Belmont Park spring/summer season and Thursday’s nine-race card (first post at 3:05 p.m.) is solid with three open-company allowance races.

Linda Rice and Chad Brown, one-two in the trainer standings at the meet, have four of the eight runners in Thursday’s third-level allowance feature that runs at a mile over the main track.

Rice has the coupled entry of Tonal Impact and Sheriff Bianco, while Brown sends out the uncoupled pair of Miles D and Stage Raider.

Miles D is seeking his first win since the 2021 Discovery at Aqueduct. He has made only four starts since then, his two most recent efforts being a third to Law Professor in the Excelsior on April 1 and a second to Repo Rocks in the Stymie on Feb. 25, both at Aqueduct.

Miles D is 2 for 3 at Belmont.

Stage Raider, a half-brother to Triple Crown winner Justify, won a second-level allowance last July at Saratoga and didn’t run again until April, when he finished fourth behind Unbridled Bomber in this condition. Stage Raider has a win and a second in two starts at Belmont.

“They both seem like they’re crying for some class relief,” Brown said. “Both horses have had their respective minor setbacks and such. They’re very healthy and look good right now; it seems like a spot to hopefully get them back on track.”

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Irad Ortiz Jr., whose six wins over the weekend put him atop the jockey standings, will ride Stage Raider from post 2. Flavien Prat is on Miles D from post 4.

Tonal Impact is coming out of a second-level allowance win going 1 1/8 miles here May 28. Sheriff Bianco won an off-the-turf allowance on April 23, then came back a week later to finish second behind Today’s Flavor in the Affirmed Success Stakes for New York-breds. He comes out of a third, beaten one length by Bankit, in the Commentator Stakes here May 29.

David Jacobson, enjoying a strong meet with eight wins from 24 starters, sends out Business Model first off the claim in this spot. Jacobson said he tried to buy the horse at the Fasig-Tipton digital sale last October, but said he stopped bidding at $125,000 and the horse sold for $130,000.

Jacobson did claim Business Model for $50,000 on May 21, the day he beat the Jacobson-trained Back Ring Luck by a nose. Business Model, a 5-year-old half brother to the Grade 1 winner Matareya, is 3 for 4 at a mile.

“He’s a nice horse, I don’t know if he’s this good,” Jacobson said.

Uncle Moonlight is coming off a front-running, second-level allowance victory in the mud on April 29 at Aqueduct, beating, among others, Tonal Impact. Uncle Moonlight, trained by Michelle Nevin, has recorded his three other career victories at Belmont.

Shooters Shot, away since April 2022, goes out first time for trainer Joe Sharp. Kinetic Sky makes his first start off the claim for Richard Dutrow Jr.

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