Quietly Mine reloads for 2008 debut
ELMONT, N.Y. - When Quietly Mine won a second-level allowance race here 11 months ago, few would have suspected that he wouldn't win again.
But five subsequent stakes tries resulted in a number of solid performances but no winner's circle photos. On Wednesday, Quietly Mine is back at Belmont and seemingly prepared to make his 4-year-old debut in the $75,000 Red Wing Dream Stakes going six furlongs over the inner turf course. A field of nine was entered for the race.
Quietly Mine has 2 wins and 2 seconds from 4 starts at Belmont. His most recent win came last June 13, by a head over Count on Pal and Silver Timber. The latter is in this field.
Last year, Quietly Mine ran second to English Colony in two six-furlong stakes at Belmont before finishing second to Heros Reward in the Grade 2 Nearctic Handicap at Woodbine. English Colony went 5 for 5 last year in turf races at seven furlongs or shorter, and Heros Reward just won the $100,000 Turf Sprint on the Preakness undercard.
Quietly Mine finished fourth in the Grade 3 Hollywood Turf Express last Nov. 24, beaten only a neck by Unusual Suspect.
Quietly Mine has not run since Dec. 31, and while trainer Christophe Clement has a healthy 24 percent success rate off extended layoffs, he's not sure he has Quietly Mine fully cranked up off the layoff.
"I would not call him yet 100 percent,'' said Clement, who has gotten off to a 0 for 14 start at this meet. "He's always been very consistent, tries hard. The more pace the better, which could be a concern in that race. We'll see what happens.''
Emirates to Dubai is another who wants pace. The 5-year-old son of Storm Cat won a second-level allowance with a devastating stretch run at Gulfstream, but encountered traffic trouble when finishing ninth in the Grade 3 Shakertown at Keeneland last month.
"He was on a pretty good roll, he took up pretty good,'' said Rick Mettee, who oversees Godolphin Racing's New York string. "It was very soft turf, which he's probably not at his best on.''
Silver Timber and Southern Prince, second and third, respectively, in a New York-bred overnight turf stakes here on opening day, are also contenders.