Newspaperofrecord relaxes nicely in Sunday work

ELMONT, N.Y. – If Newspaperofrecord could relax as well in the afternoon as she does in the morning, trainer Chad Brown could take her to the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Oaks on July 6 with supreme confidence.

Newspaperofrecord, whose headstrong ways cost her in the Edgewood Stakes and Wonder Again Stakes, seemed relaxed enough in her workout Sunday morning at Belmont Park as she continues preparations for a start in the Oaks. In her work, Newspaperofrecord sat just off Cambier Parc – who beat Newspaperofrecord in the Wonder Again – as the two worked five furlongs in 1:00.41 over the Belmont turf course.

“I think she’s training really well. She settled nicely,” Brown said of Newspaperofrecord, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner. “She really hasn’t had an issue in her works. I think it’s going to come down to race strategy, about covering her up, more than what we’re doing with her in the mornings.”

Brown believes a large field in the Oaks. may help get Newspaperofrecord covered up. The Oaks should have a bigger field than the Edgewood and Wonder Again. Newspaperofrecord and Cambier Parc were two of 15 3-year-old fillies that were extended invitations by the New York Racing Association for the Oaks, run at 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf course. Fourteen will be permitted to run.

Brown said he was very pleased with Cambier Parc’s move.

“She’s going to the Oaks the right way,” he said.

Beautiful Lover and Cafe Americano, also trained by Brown, were on the original list of invitees. Brown mentioned Cafe Americano, a winner of both of her starts, as a horse he would consider running in the Oaks. On Sunday, Cafe Americano worked five furlongs in 1:00.45 in company with Standard Deviation, who is on the reserve list of invitees for the $1 million Belmont Derby, also July 6.

Brown’s list of runners for the derby include Demarchelier, Digital Age, and the Irish-bred Rockemperor, who recently joined his stable. Demarchelier and Digital Age are both 3 for 3, with Demarchelier coming off a win in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge here and Digital Age having won the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill on May 4.

On Sunday, that pair worked five furlongs in company in 1:00.35, getting their last three furlongs in 34.81 seconds.

In total Sunday, Brown worked 34 horses at Belmont. That group included the quartet of Sistercharlie, Homerique, Rymska and Rushing Fall, all of whom are pointing to the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga on July 13.

Also working Sunday for Brown was Guarana, the Grade 1 Acorn winner, who went a half-mile in 49.45 seconds in company with Electric Forest. Guarana is targeting the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 20 at Saratoga.

Bricks and Mortar, the Manhattan winner, worked a half-mile in 49.50 seconds in company with Raging Bull. On the gallop-out, Raging Bull spooked from a cone and his hind end bumped Bricks and Mortar’s hind end. Both were fine, according to Brown.

While Bricks and Mortar is targeting the Arlington Million on Aug. 10, Brown said that Raging Bull, third in the Manhattan, might cut back in distance to a mile in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga on the same day.