Reflecting well connected for Bowling Green win
ELMONT, N.Y. – Since 2008, trainer Shug McGaughey has been quite the presence in graded turf stakes at Belmont Park, having won three Man o’ Wars, two Manhattans, one Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, one Bowling Green, and one Belmont Derby with five different horses.
Reflecting will try to add to McGaughey’s trophy case when he runs in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Bowling Green Handicap, scheduled for 1 1/2 miles on turf at Belmont Park. Run the last few years as the opening weekend stakes at the fall meet, the Bowling Green is now the final graded stakes of the spring-summer meet.
A field of seven was entered in the Bowling Green, though Chamois was cross-entered in Saturday’s $50,000 Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park. Christophe Clement, the trainer of Chamois, said he would prefer a turf course with some give in the ground for his trainee.
Reflecting is a half-brother to Imagining, who won the Man o’ War here in May. Reflecting is only 3 for 18 and is winless in six stakes tries. He is coming off a third-place finish in the Belmont Gold Cup, run at two miles.
“I thought he could have been the best,” McGaughey said. “When he dropped him down to the inside, he sort of hesitated a little bit going to the hole and got beat a length. He’s trained awfully well since that race.”
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McGaughey pointed out that on June 29 Reflecting worked in company with Mr Speaker, last Saturday’s Belmont Derby winner. Reflecting then came back with a bullet half-mile work in 49.60 seconds on Sunday in company with Diana candidate Abaco.
“I think it’s a good spot for him,” McGaughey said.
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Reflecting from post 7.
Joel Rosario had ridden Reflecting in his last two starts. Saturday, he rides probable Bowling Green favorite Grandeur. Grandeur will be making his third start of the meet, having finished third in the Grade 1 Man o’ War and fourth in the Grade 1 Manhattan. In the Manhattan, Grandeur was left with to much to do when attempting to close from 17 lengths back.
Assistant trainer Wayne Tanner, who has been with Grandeur since his arrival in the U.S. in the spring, said he always felt the Bowling Green was the best opportunity for the Irish-bred gelding to win here, because “sometimes this race could be a soft race.”
Though he failed to catch a lead horse in a workout here last Sunday, Grandeur “is as good as he was before the Manhattan,” Tanner said.
Grandeur carries top weight of 122 pounds.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Grandeur. Covered the final six furlongs in 1:08.79 in his last start, the Grade 1 Manhattan.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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There is not much speed in the Bowling Green. While on paper Horvat Clan would appear to be outclassed, he could find himself loose on the lead under Junior Alvarado. Claimed for $25,000 two starts back by David Cannizzo, Horvat Clan won a first-level allowance here on June 18.
“The distance is the equalizer,” Cannizzo said. “They might outclass him a little bit, but he’ll run giant.”
Hangover Kid will try to keep a string of open-company stakes success for New York-breds going in this spot. Hangover Kid comes off a second-place finish to Speaking of Which in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes on June 8.
Boisterous, last year’s Monmouth Stakes winner and beaten Bowling Green favorite, and Sky Blazer complete the field.