Quick Money wheels back on short rest

ELMONT, N.Y. – It will be a quick turnaround for Quick Money when the veteran gelding wheels back on just four days’ rest in Thursday’s $80,000 optional-claiming feature at Belmont Park.

Despite having run second in the finale on Belmont Stakes day, Quick Money figures to go postward the favorite against seven rivals in Thursday’s main event, to be run at 6 1/2 furlongs under optional-claiming and allowance conditions. Quick Money, a 7-year-old son of City Zip, rallied from near the rear of the pack and finished well, even after being forced to alter course near the furlong marker on Saturday, falling just a half-length shy of catching the pace-pressing Pazolini.

The outing was the first for Quick Money since he was haltered by trainer Michelle Nevin for $30,000 for owners Brian and Kerry Novak out of an easy victory over New York-breds on April 19. That win was the second in succession for Quick Money, who defeated similar statebred opposition racing on just two weeks’ rest to launch his modest streak on March 8.

“The horse is doing really well right now, and I think he fits in this race,” said Nevin when asked about bringing Quick Money back so quickly. “I backed off and freshened up after we claimed him, just to get him back on his toes, and I thought he ran great the other day. This looks like a good spot, maybe even a little easier than the race he was in Saturday, so I just figured why not go ahead and try it.”

Quick Money is one of two horses exiting the Belmont Stakes day nightcap along with Dighton, who finished a distant 12th, more than 30 lengths behind Quick Money, as a 24-1 outsider in that race. Dighton had not been worse than second in his seven previous starts, the majority of those outings coming against lesser starter allowance competition.

Piquant looks like the one to catch. The Parx invader tries the local surface for just the second time in his career, having finished third trying to stretch his speed a mile against higher-level optional-claiming foes over a muddy strip here on May 9. He came back to finish a game second following an extended pace duel going seven panels at Parx on May 20.

Trainer David Jacobson will send out the uncoupled duo of Start Jumping and Johannesburg Smile, the latter the more dangerous of the pair and the lone New York-bred in the lineup aside from Quick Money. Johannesburg Smile is winless in his past seven starts dating back to his victory over $100,000 optional claimers at Aqueduct in January 2013.

Bemata, an impressive entry-level allowance winner in his last start, steps up in company for trainer Chad Brown who haltered the 4-year-old for $35,000 last fall at Aqueduct. Bemata earned a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure for his most recent tally.

Ithastobegeorge and Bet the Power complete the field.