Pyrite Green stands out if Sydney Gendelman Memorial remains on turf

The 13 Ohio-bred horses entered in Sunday’s $75,000 Sydney Gendelman Memorial Handicap are a collective 4 for 50 on turf. Seven of the runners have either zero or one start on grass.

It may not matter, however. Although the Gendelman is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf, Belterra has yet to run a race on its new course, which was scheduled to open nearly a month ago.

“Our turf was just installed last year, and this being our second growing season we wanted to be sure we have a developed and, above all, a safe and reliable racing surface for both horse and jockey,” said Joe DeLuca, Belterra’s director of racing. “Weather cooperating, it’s a go.”

There is a chance for scattered thunderstorms in Cincinnati on Saturday.

Ed Vomacka, Belterra's racing secretary, said the flooding of the nearby Ohio River in April and intermittent rain during May have been factors in preventing the turf course from being used early in the meet.

"We are just being patient and cautious with the turf course," Vomacka said. "There were some spots that concerned us and we worked on them. We do have a portable rail that should help us preserve the inside and allow us to card races throughout the summer.

"We will probably still take it easy on the number of races and days we use it until we see how it holds up over the course of the summer.," he added. "We are anxious to use it but want to insure the condition for years to come."

If Sunday's race remains on grass, Pyrite Green is a standout, despite his 1-for-8 record on turf. A 5-year-old based at ThistleDown with trainer Miguel Feliciano, Pyrite Green posted four Beyer Speed Figures between 81 and 87 on grass this past winter at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 10-year-old Shakeyogroovething also merits respect. Although winless in seven turf starts, he ran well in back-to-back starts going 1 3/8 miles on grass last season at Indiana Grand and owns 10 wins on synthetic surfaces.

On dirt, it’s difficult to look beyond Rivers Run Deep. He won five stakes restricted to Ohio-breds last season, including the 1 1/16-mile Green Carpet by 10 lengths at Belterra, and he romped by nine lengths sprinting in his first start at the Cincinnati oval last month.

KEY CONTENDERS

Pyrite Green (Last 3 Beyers: 77-80-87)

◗ He was competitive against open company in high-priced optional claimers at Tampa Bay Downs with Beyers that are superior to any of his rivals here. He earned a couple of seconds going long on dirt in Ohio-bred stakes two years ago, but his numbers aren’t good enough to match up with Rivers Run Deep’s.

Shakeyogroovething (Last 3 Beyers: 65-64-73)

◗ He defeated $18,000 claimers on Turfway’s Polytrack last winter and ran well on turf against optional $25,000 claimers in Indiana. He will be dangerous if he can duplicate that form making his second start off a layoff.

Rivers Run Deep (Last 3 Beyers: 87-88-92)

◗ On dirt, it’s difficult to imagine any of these horses can come close to this 4-year-old, although he did finish three-quarters of a length behind Farmer Steve (who’s in this field) in last year’s 1 1/8-mile Cleveland Gold Cup.