Mom’s On Strike to face Brown-trained duo in New York Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – After toiling on dirt to begin her career, Mom’s On Strike has steadily developed into a top-flight mare on turf. On Friday, she will try to enter the upper echelon of the division when she meets Sistercharlie and seven others in the Grade 2, $600,000 New York Stakes at Belmont Park.

The New York, for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles, is the richest race on the 11-race card that includes four other stakes races. First post for the Belmont Stakes Eve program is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

Mom’s On Strike went 1 for 5 on dirt, including losses in the Black-Eyed Susan and Mother Goose stakes as a 3-year-old. While making her turf debut in the fall of 2016, Mom’s On Strike came within three-quarters of a length of upsetting the Pebbles Stakes at 51-1.

Over the last two years, she has made 9 of 10 starts on turf, winning five, including the Grade 3 Bewitch last out at Keeneland.

“She’s always been a really good horse,” trainer Joe Sharp said. “She had bad owners before. After we got them out of the equation and changed management to Brad Grady and Carl Moore, we were able to place her in the right spots and get a nice, consistent pattern.”

On turf, Mom’s On Strike has won from a mile to 1 1/2 miles, so the 1 1/4 miles of the New York should not be an issue.

Mom’s On Strike has won four of her last five, all with Adam Beschizza in the irons. Beschizza will make his Belmont Park debut on Friday.

The New York drew the Chad Brown uncoupled pair of Sistercharlie and Fourstar Crook, the 1-2 finishers in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland. On Sunday, those two worked a half-mile in 50.60 seconds in company over the Belmont turf.

Also entered in the New York were Holy Helena, the winner of the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay; Fahan Mura, a winner of four straight in Southern California; Daddys Lil Darling, the Grade 1 American Oaks winner; Empressof the Nile; Esquisse; and Snowy Winter.

The New York is the first leg of a double wager linked to Saturday’s Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap. There is a guaranteed pool of $100,000.

Queen aims for Belmont ‘Gold’

Queen Elizabeth II may have missed the Preakness due to her grandson, Prince Harry, getting married, but she wouldn’t dare miss the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The queen will be running Call To Mind in Friday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup, a two-mile turf race that drew a competitive field of 10 males.

Call To Mind, trained by William Haggas, has won just two of eight starts but has been competitive at distances of 1 3/4 miles and 1 7/8 miles in Europe. Last fall, Call To Mind was beaten a neck by Ice Breeze in a Group 1 race at Chantilly.

Call To Mind will break from the rail under Javier Castellano.

Other Europeans entered include Funny Kid, the winner of a Group 2 at Longchamp in April, and Prince of Arran.

Run Time, the winner of the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at two miles at Gulfstream, and Nessy, the winner of the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano for Ian Wilkes, head the U.S. contingent, which includes Rocketry, Postulation Cooptado, Canessar, and Focus Group.

The Belmont Gold Cup is the first half of a double wager linked to Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes. That wager has a guaranteed pool of $300,000.

Talented lineup for True North

Limousine Liberal, from Kentucky; Bobby Abu Dhabi, from California; and Imperial Hint, from Maryland all converge on New York for Friday’s Grade 2, $250,000 True North Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Trainer Peter Miller won last year’s True North with Roy H, who would go on to win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and be named champion sprinter. He has shipped in Bobby Abu Dhabi, the winner of the Grade 2 Kona Gold at Santa Anita in his last start.

Limousine Liberal is coming off a head win over Warrior’s Club in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day. Trainer Ben Colebrook said he believes Limousine Liberal will appreciate the wide turns of Belmont in the gelding’s first start here.

Imperial Hint, second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, will attempt to bounce back from a sixth-place finish in the Churchill Downs Stakes.

Joking, the winner of the 2016 True North, makes his first start in 20 months for owner and trainer Charlton Baker. Recruiting Ready, Westwood, Whitmore, and Always Sunshine complete the field.

Bed o’ Roses field in flux

There were eight fillies and mares entered for Friday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Bed o’ Roses Invitational, but it remains unclear as to who definitely will run.

American Gal, the winner of the Grade 1 Humana Distaff, certainly will be the horse to beat should she run. Trainer Simon Callaghan plans to cross-enter her in Saturday’s Grade 1 Ogden Phipps. He has said he is strongly leaning toward the Bed o’ Roses but wants to see both fields before deciding.

“We want to put it all in front of us, weigh it out, and make a decision,” Callaghan said.

Ivy Bell, second in the Humana Distaff, also will be cross-entered in the Phipps, and trainer Todd Pletcher has said he is leaning toward the Phipps. Ivy Bell drew the rail for the Bed o’ Roses.

Lewis Bay finished third in the Humana Distaff and came out of that race with a quarter crack, trainer Brown said. She is entered back for this race.

Chalon, second in the Grade 3 Vagrancy here on May 12, Heavenly Prize winner Divine Miss Grey, Union Strike, Cairenn, and Highway Star complete the field.

Ward filly facing males in Tremont

Trainer Wesley Ward entered the impressive debut-winning filly Mae Never No against six males in Friday’s $150,000 Tremont Stakes.

Mae Never No, a daughter of No Nay Never, won her debut at Belmont by 1 1/4 lengths against fillies here May 3, earning a 72 Beyer Speed Figure.

She will face the Steve Asmussen-trained Sir Truebador, a four-length debut winner at Churchill Downs on May 17, as well as a trio of colts from Pletcher – Sombeyay, Social Fan, and Outshine.

Girls Love Me and Our Braintrust, debut winners in Maryland, complete the field.

– additional reporting by Mike Welsch