Nest using Beldame as warm-up for Breeders' Cup Distaff
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The leading 3-year-old filly Nest will ease her way into facing her elders when she starts as a prohibitive favorite against four opponents in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame Stakes at Aqueduct, a stop on the way to meeting faster foes in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland on Nov. 5.
Nest vaulted to the top of the 3-year-old filly division with powerful victories at Saratoga this past summer in the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama, both times beating Secret Oath, who had defeated her in the Kentucky Oaks in May. In between, Nest finished a more-than-creditable second to stablemate Mo Donegal in the Belmont Stakes.
Todd Pletcher, who trains Nest for owners Mike Repole and the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, had the option of training Nest up to the Breeders’ Cup, but didn’t seem completely comfortable giving the filly 11 weeks between starts. Now, he’s hoping for a performance Sunday that will not only win the Beldame but leave something in the tank for the Distaff in 27 days.
Pletcher said that Nest, a daughter of Curlin, has improved physically throughout the summer and thrived on a campaign that includes five consecutive starts in Grade 1 stakes.
“She’s gotten bigger and stronger, gained weight, and seemed to physically thrive on the activity,” Pletcher said. “The way she finished her two races at Saratoga was impressive. You could visually see her at the top of the stretch drop down another level and quicken.”
Nest has enough tactical speed to be on or near the lead Sunday. She will break from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr.
“Break, get a position in the first turn, wherever that might be, and go from there,” Pletcher said.
First to Act, another daughter of Curlin, is an improving sort who comes into the Beldame off a second-place finish at Saratoga in the Summer Colony Stakes, her first try at 1 1/8 miles and around two turns. Trainer Shug McGaughey was thinking of running First to Act in Sunday’s Spinster at Keeneland, but opted to stay home.
“All we got to do is go down the road as opposed to shipping to Lexington,” McGaughey said Friday at Belmont Park. “I think she’ll make a good account of herself.
“I figured she was going to be a two-turn dirt horse. We were anxious to run her in the race at Saratoga, and I thought she ran really good that day.”
In the Beldame, McGaughey expects Nest and Travel Column to show speed, “and we’ll sit off of them and see what happens,” he said.
Jose Ortiz rides First to Act from post 2.
Travel Column, a daughter of Frosted, won graded stakes around two turns at ages 2 and 3 when in the barn of Brad Cox. She was off for more than a year and transferred to Bill Mott. In June, Travel Column won a third-level allowance at Churchill Downs before finishing fourth behind Goodnight Olive in the Grade 1 Ballerina.
Both of those races were at seven furlongs. Mott said he is looking forward to getting Travel Column back out around two turns.
Javier Castellano rides from post 5.
The Grass Is Blue and Hybrid Eclipse look to be overmatched. The Grass Is Blue won the Busanda Stakes here going 1 1/8 miles in January of 2021, while Hybrid Eclipse won a seven-furlong maiden race here, also in January 2021.
With only five starters and Nest being a prohibitive favorite, the Beldame is carded as race 3 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:35 p.m. and also includes the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity for 2-year-olds on turf and the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.