Senza Parole looks for first stakes victory in Pumpkin Pie

ELMONT, N.Y. – While trainer Chad Brown waits to find out if likely female champion sprinter Ways and Means returns to him for a 2027 campaign, he hopes to make stablemate Senza Parole a stakes winner when she heads a field of six in Saturday’s $175,000 Pumpkin Pie Stakes going seven furlongs at Belmont Park.

Ways and Means won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Oct. 31 and two days later she sold to Boyd Racing for $5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Night of Stars auction. The representatives of Boyd have not said whether Ways and Means, now 5, would be retired or return in 2027.

Meanwhile, Senza Parole finished a well-beaten third behind Ways and Means in the Bed o’ Roses at Saratoga on June 5. Since then, Senza Parole has run three more times, sandwiching an allowance win at Saratoga in between a pair of second-place finishes. Most recently, Senza Parole finished second to Grade 1 winner R Disaster in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Belmont, earning a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She ran really well against [R Disaster], was second best,” Brown said. “Going back to a listed stakes should suit her.”

Senza Parole, who breaks from post 4 under Flavien Prat, figures to lay close to what doesn’t appear to be a fast pace.

Beauty Reigns, trained by Bill Mott, beat Senza Parole in a seven-furlong allowance at Saratoga in July. Out of that race, Beauty Reigns finished third to Ways and Means in the Grade 1 Ballerina and third, 4 1/4 lengths behind runner-up Senza Parole, in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom.

Beauty Reigns appears to do her best running when there is a fast pace.

Amalfi Drive, trained by Michael Stidham, looms the main speed stepping up in class.

Indy Bay has been no match for her Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained stablemate Kerry’s Kiss in three stakes at Gulfstream Park. She has recorded three of her five career wins at seven furlongs, including a victory in the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks in 2025.

Shore War, winless in three starts on dirt, and Icona Mama, third in the Endine Stakes in the slop at Delaware Park, complete the field.

Carle Place

Doubting Thomas, winner of the Bricks and Mortar Stakes going seven furlongs here on Oct. 10, looks to double his New York stakes pleasure when he returns for Saturday’s $175,000 Carle Place Stakes for 3-year-olds scheduled for six furlongs on the inner turf.

The cutback in distance doesn’t concern trainer Mike Trombetta, who is just hoping Doubting Thomas has another good one in him after putting out four solid efforts from five starts since mid-June.

“The six doesn’t bother me at all, he’s done that plenty. I was more concerned about the seven and he did that,” Trombetta said. “He’s been training well. It wasn’t a long time between races. He’s only had one maintenance breeze in between. I’m just trying to keep his legs under him and keep him fresh.”

Two Out Hero finished seventh as the favorite in the Bricks and Mortar and looks to rebound for trainer Kevin Attard.

“Tough trip, kind of bottled up on the rail there. I think when he wanted to run, he couldn’t, just didn’t pan out,” Attard said. “Six furlongs shouldn’t be an issue. He’s tactical. He’s got early foot if needed. Nothing went well for him last time. Expecting him to bounce back.”

Miguel Clement trains four of the 10 entered in the Carle Place. Clement is monitoring the weather – there was rain forecast for Friday – before determining which ones will start.

Illmatic comes in off a New York-bred allowance win for Clement, while Intricate Spirit was fifth in the Bricks and Mortar.

“If you want a sleeper I think [Illmatic] is training lights-out,” Clement said. “I know he barely won the other day but I thought it was very impressive. Flavien [Prat] had all sorts of trouble and he still overcame it. On numbers, he fits and he’s sneaky in there.”

Clement said Intricate Spirit is “very hit or miss. You never know when he’s going to throw you a clunker and you never know when he’s going to throw you a blinder. The way he trains into all these races is the same.”

Clement also sends out Big Destroyer and Blazing Tiger.

Attfield, who won the Central Park going long last year, won a second-level allowance sprinting on the Tapeta track last out for trainer Tom Morley.