Pedigree a plus for Chocolate Wildcat in Tremont Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Chocolate Brown gave trainer Jason Servis his first and only stakes win at Belmont Park when she won the Fashion Stakes for 2-year-old fillies in 2004.

On Friday, Servis hopes to record his second stakes win at Belmont Park when Chocolate Wildcat, a son of Chocolate Brown, heads a field of five entered in the $100,000 Tremont Stakes for 2-year-old males going 5 1/2 furlongs. The Tremont tops a nine-race “Party at the Park” card that begins at 3 p.m. Eastern.

The Tremont, being run for the first time since 2008, was originally scheduled for last Sunday but did not have enough entries to fill. First-time starters Jamaalaree and King Rontos were added to the mix when the race was redrawn Sunday for Friday.

Chocolate Wildcat, by the stallion Wildcat Heir, was one of the three original entrants in the Tremont. In fact, Chocolate Wildcat was entered in the first scheduled 2-year-old maiden race in New York at Aqueduct in April, but that race failed to fill. Instead, Chocolate Wildcat debuted at Gulfstream Park, winning a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race by two lengths April 25.

“I thought he ran pretty quick,” Servis said, referring to the final time of 51.80 seconds. “We gave him a rush job a little bit to run, but he’s had time to recover, and he’s been doing good.”

Javier Castellano, who rode Chocolate Brown a decade ago, rides Chocolate Wildcat from post 2 on Friday.

In his debut, Chocolate Wildcat defeated two horses trained by Wesley Ward. If he is to win the Tremont, Chocolate Wildcat will have to defeat the Ward-trained Bessie’s Boy, a debut winner at Pimlico on April 17. In that race, he defeated Governmentshutdown, who came back to win two races, including the Rollicking Stakes on May 16 at Pimlico.

Bessie’s Boy, a gelding by Smoke Glacken, will get the services of John Velazquez on Friday.

The most intriguing horse in the field might be Shrewd Move, a son of Closing Argument who has already run three times. He comes in off an 18-length maiden victory at Prairie Meadows after running in an allowance race and a stakes at Turf Paradise.

Trainer Dan McFarlane shipped the horse to New York about two weeks ago, and he blew out a half-mile in 48.80 seconds over the Belmont training track Sunday. Junior Alvarado rides from post 5.

The New York-based trainer Abigail Adsit has overseen the training of Shrewd Move.

“He’s so mature for his age. He’s been a pleasure to work with,” Adsit said.