Mission of Joy going a little longer in Belmont Oaks
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ELMONT, N.Y. – Mission of Joy is one tough trip away from being undefeated on turf, which is why she is the 2-1 morning-line favorite and very much the horse to beat in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies.
Misson of Joy, a daughter of Kitten’s Joy trained by Graham Motion, is 4 for 5 on turf, with victories in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs and Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs. In between, she finished third in the Grade 2 Edgewood, where she was blocked behind horses turning for home, clipped heels with a horse in front of her at the three-sixteenths, altered course several paths thereafter, and kicked hard to fall one length short of Heavenly Sunday.
“I thought she was really unlucky on Oaks Day, she had a tough trip,” Motion said, referring to the Edgewood. “I wasn’t surprised that she bounced back in the Regret. She couldn’t have done it any easier.”
The way Mission of Joy won the Regret at 1 1/8 miles gives Motion confidence she’ll be able get the 1 1/4 miles of the Belmont Oaks, which will be run over Belmont’s inner turf, where the rails will be down for the first time since Belmont Stakes weekend.
“I don’t see why she wouldn’t handle it off that performance,” Motion said. “Every time I run her, she improves.”
Mission of Joy will break from the rail under Tyler Gaffalione, who rode of Mission of Joy in the Regret.
Motion also will send out the European import Speirling Beag, who will make her U.S. debut and just second start of the year in the Belmont Oaks. At 2, she won twice in Ireland, including the Group 3 Eyefield at Leopardstown for trainer James Bolger.
Speirling Beag, who worked in company Monday with Mission of Joy at Fair Hill, races for Walmac Farm, Gainesway Stable, and Haras D’Etreham.
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“This was always their hope that she could run in this spot when she came over here,” Motion said. “Everything’s gone without a hiccup. I think, hopefully, she’s done enough.”
Papilio finished a head behind Mission of Joy when fourth in the Edgewood and second to Mission of Joy, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the Regret. Mark Casse, her trainer, felt Papilio had some trouble in the Regret.
“I thought her last race she got hung up and came running late and she galloped out well,” Casse said. “If we can get her covered, where she relaxes, she can get the mile and a quarter.”
Aspen Grove, an Irish-bred daughter of Justify, is in from Ireland for trainer James Stack. Aspen Grove finished last of 10 in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas on May 28, but Stack said Thursday that the filly was “in season” for that race and called it a “non-event.”
Stack said he sent Aspen Grove to this race in part because of the added distance, the $500,000 purse, and because he thinks the competition could be easier than in Europe.
“Usually, they’re a little bit softer here. I’m not saying that this is, but usually they are – compared to what we’re taking on at home,” Stack said. “She should appreciate the step up in trip.”
At 2, Aspen Grove won a Group 3 at The Curragh, her lone win in six career starts. On Thursday, Aspen Grove blew out a quarter-mile in 23.48 seconds down the lane of the Belmont main track under exercise rider Mark Enright.
Be Your Best, trained by Horacio De Paz, couldn’t catch a loose-on-the-lead Prerequisite in the Grade 2 Wonder Again, but came running late to get beat just a neck. With Manny Franco serving a suspension, Luis Saez will have the call Saturday.
Trainer Chad Brown has won six of the last 11 runnings of this race – two of those being when it was known as the Garden City. Saturday, he’ll send out Prerequisite and Aspray.
Prerequisite has won her last two starts at 1 1/8 miles, employing stalking tactics to win a maiden and front-running tactics to win the Wonder Again.
“She went a real pace and kept going,” Brown said of Prerequisite’s Wonder Again. “Can she get the extra eighth? I’m not as certain as I am about Aspray of that, but I could see it happening and I could see it being a bit far for her.”
Aspray, a daughter of Quality Road, is 3 for 3 in her career and is coming off a half-length victory in the one-mile Hilltop on May 19 at Pimlico.
“It’s a big jump, but she’s certainly bred to do it and she moves like she’ll do it,” Brown said.
Freydis the Red, trained by Kenny McPeek, comes off a maiden win in her sixth career start. Strikingly Spun, trained by Joe Sharp, was beaten just a neck when facing older allowance foes here going 1 3/8 miles here June 11.
The Belmont Oaks goes as race 8 on a 12-race card.
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