Mystic Guide set for return in Suburban
ELMONT, N.Y. – After a lengthy freshening following his victory in the $12 million Dubai World Cup three months ago, Mystic Guide is set to embark on the second half of his 4-year-old season in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban Stakes at Belmont Park.
The Suburban, a Win and You’re In qualifier for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, will pit Mystic Guide against Happy Saver, the only horse to beat him since trainer Michael Stidham equipped Mystic Guide with blinkers four starts back. That loss came here at Belmont Park in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, which, like the Suburban, is run at 1 1/4 miles.
The Suburban drew a field of six, including Moretti, a two-time marathon stakes winner; Max Player, third in the 2020 Belmont Stakes; Prioritize, fourth in the 2020 Jockey Club Gold Cup; and Informative, recent 79-1 winner of the Grade 3 Salvator Mile for owner/trainer Uriah St. Lewis.
Stidham said the Suburban was always the “most likely” spot for Mystic Guide’s return, but the horse had to cooperate. Following a return to the United States in April and a brief freshening, Mystic Guide returned to the work tab at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland in May and has seven works leading to his return.
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“He’s doing fantastic. I’m very happy with where he’s at,” Stidham said Wednesday from Fair Hill. “We’re three months since the race, the timing is good, we know he’s a true mile-and-a-quarter horse, and he ran well at Belmont last year. And, it’s a Win and You’re In. There are a lot of reasons to do this.”
Mystic Guide is owned by Godolphin Racing, which also owns Maxfield, dominant winner of last weekend’s Grade 2 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs. Stidham said Godolphin would most likely keep the two horses apart until the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar. So, while no decisions have been made on either colt’s Saratoga plans, one potential scenario could have Maxfield running in the Whitney on Aug. 7 with Mystic Guide pointing to the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, now at Saratoga, on Sept. 4.
Luis Saez, aboard for Mystic Guide’s victories in the Dubai World Cup and the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn in February, has the call.
Happy Saver, trained by Todd Pletcher, made a successful 4-year-old debut winning a one-mile allowance race on May 28 to improve his career record to 5 for 5, two of those wins coming at Belmont. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides.
Flavien Prat is in from California to ride at Belmont on Saturday and will be aboard Moretti.
Stidham also live in Perfect Sting
Stidham also would be live in the other stakes on Saturday’s card as he entered Princess Grace in the $100,000 Perfect Sting for older fillies and mares going one mile on turf.
However, Stidham cross-entered Princess Grace in Tuesday’s Grade 3, $200,000 James Penny Memorial Stakes at Parx. In fact, four of the seven entered in the Perfect Sting cross-entered in the Penny, which drew a field of 11.
The one-mile Perfect Sting drew a field of seven topped by Viadera, winner of the Grade 1 Matriach on Nov. 29.
Princess Grace, a daughter of Karakontie, went 3 for 4 last year. Her best race may have been when she lost by a half-length to Stunning Sky.
“I still am shocked that we lost that race,” Stidham said. ‘She opened up so easily it looked like she was going to cruise home and just got nailed late.”
Honey Cake, Madita, and Sunset Kiss were entered in both the Perfect Sting and Penny Memorial. Hogan’s Holiday and Piedi Bianchi entered just in the Perfect String. Velvet Crush and Truth Hurts were entered main-track only in the Perfect Sting.