New York-bred turfers in the spotlight with pair of allowances
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ELMONT, N.Y. − A pair of New York-bred allowance races highlight Wednesday’s eight-race card at Belmont Park as another five-day race week commences in New York.
Race 4 is a second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming heat scheduled for the unique distance of 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf.
Trainer Mike Ferraro is returning Sweet Anniversary to the turf for just the third time in what will be her 20th career race. Though none of her seven career wins have come on turf, Sweet Anniversary finished third in a first-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Aqueduct in November 2024 and was second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Nonna Lynne in another allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga in July.
Sweet Anniversary, a daughter of Solomini is coming off a win on the dirt at Finger Lakes going a mile last month.
“She’s run so good on the grass, we decided to go back to it,” Ferraro said. “Seven and a half is an interesting distance. I kind of wish it was a little farther, but she fits the spot and I’ve liked her two starts on the grass.”
Races at 7 1/2 furlongs at Belmont are like elongated sprinters as they are run around one turn whereas the same distance at Gulfstream is run around two turns.
Maria Callas, trained by Chad Brown, is coming off a win going seven furlongs at Belmont on the Sept. 18 opening-day card. That was the second win of what is now 24 wins through the first 20 days of racing at the Belmont fall meet for Brown.
All of It, trained by Miguel Clement, finished third in this condition behind Mommy’s Turn going a mile at Belmont on Sept. 25. Two starts back, All of It finished 3 3/4 lengths behind Shelzawa, who came back to win the Grade 3 Winter Memories Stakes, her third consecutive victory.
Samuel Marin rides All of It. Marin is 14 for 38 riding for Clement the last 11 months, many of those wins coming at Tampa Bay Downs.
Disco Star, trained by Mark Casse, won an open allowance at Woodbine on Sept. 7 and now returns to New York-bred company for this spot.
Race 7 is a first-level allowance for New York-breds scheduled for six furlongs on the turf.
There does appear to be enough pace in the race to set up for Long Legged Queen if she reverts back to her late running ways from last fall. Last Oct. 24, Long Legged Queen won a starter allowance/optional claimer, rallying from last in a 10-horse field. She came back three weeks later to dead-heat for second in a New York-bred allowance.
In April, her first start off a five-month layoff, Long Legged Queen finished third but was disqualified and placed fifth for interference. That race proved to be solid as the winner, Highway Harmony, came back to win the John Hettinger Stakes while the runner-up, One Last Knock, won an allowance in her next start.
Last time out, Long Legged Queen found herself dueling on the lead before backing up to finish seventh.
Aperitif brings a two-race winning streak into this race. Elizabeth Merryman, who trains and owns Aperitif, said while the blinkers have helped, she also thinks Aperitif landed in a couple of good spots.
Merryman said that she had twice shipped Aperitif to Saratoga to run this summer, both times the race was rained off the turf. Merryman said Aperitif got to run at Colonial Downs on Aug. 21, and “she was ready to be shot out of a gun.”
Last out, on Oct. 7, Aperitif won a New York-bred first-level allowance basically unchallenged on the lead.
“This is a much tougher race than she ran in last time,” Merryman said. “She’s doing well, it is pretty quick back for shipping up there. We’ll see if she bounces off a big number. She had such a quiet summer I don’t think it’s too terrible to run her back quick.”
Arinata, trained by Linda Rice, may have been in need of a race when she came off an 11-month layoff at Saratoga and finished eighth in this condition.
Vernon Valley was third to the repeat winner Fairy Godmother in a first-level allowance at Saratoga on Aug. 22. Vernon Valley was trained by Riley Mott for that race, and now goes out for Bill Mott Wednesday.
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