Miss Alacrity drops from stakes into turf allowance
ELMONT, N.Y. – Five of the nine races on Friday’s Belmont Park card are restricted to New York-breds, including the co-featured allowance races scheduled for the turf.
In race 6, a second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming event, the 3-year-old filly Miss Alacrity takes on seven older females in a race scheduled for seven furlongs over the Widener turf.
Thirteen months ago, Miss Alacrity won her debut on dirt against New York-breds by 10 lengths. In August, she won the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park going five furlongs on turf. She is winless in three starts since, including a fifth-place finish in the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes over Woodbine’s synthetic surface on April 30.
“I’ve been searching for a spot with her,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “It was nice we won that stakes with her for her value, but it knocks you out of your conditions.”
In her lone start this year, Miss Alacrity got involved in a bit of a pace duel, ultimately finishing fifth of six in that Woodbine stakes.
“I think she bounced out there and got beat with no excuses,” Ward said. “It came back numbers-wise a pretty decent race.”
On June 19, Miss Alacrity breezed over the Belmont turf course with Castle Leoch, who won an allowance on Saturday at 14-1. Miss Alacrity finished about a head back in the work.
Miss Alacrity could play out as the primary speed breaking from the outside post under John Velazquez.
Khali Magic is a three-time beaten favorite in this condition, including a three-quarter-length defeat on dirt June 17.
Finest Work steps up into this condition after winning a first-level allowance May 14 for trainer George Weaver. Social Whirl could not overcome a bad break when fourth in this condition here May 27.
Race 8, a first-level allowance for males going 1 1/8 miles on turf, drew 11 runners for turf plus two horses entered for the main track only.
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Agent Creed makes his 4-year-old debut in this spot. He is making his first start for trainer Michelle Hemingway, who is looking forward to stretching him out to this distance.
“This is everything he wants,” Hemingway said. “Added distance should allow him to have an advantage. He’s a very stout horse, he’s a robust horse, it makes sense he would want to go that extra distance.”
Agent Creed had trouble in midstretch in each of his two starts in this condition last fall, once at Belmont and once at Aqueduct.
Luis Saez rides Agent Creed for the first time.
Lord Flintshire and Rally Squirrel finished second and third, respectively, in this condition going 1 1/16 miles on May 28. In that race, Lord Flintshire put a head in front of eventual winner Barrage before being passed by that horse late. Meanwhile, Rally Squirrel had to wait for room and alter course in the stretch and finished third.