Take These Chains, Conquest Babayaga to meet in Intercontinental

ELMONT, N.Y. - Neither Take These Chains nor Conquest Babayaga has ever lost while in the care of trainer Chad Brown.

That is likely to change Thursday as Take These Chains and Conquest Babayaga were two of 11 horses entered Saturday for Thursday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Intercontinental Stakes. The Intercontinental is one of three stakes on a nine-race program that begins at 2 p.m.

Thursday is the first day of what the New York Racing Association bills as a three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which concludes with the Belmont Stakes card June 10.

Take These Chains, a 4-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock, is 3 for 3 in her career. She was off for 10 months due to a physical issue, but came off the bench with a 3 1/2-length victory in a second-level allowance on opening day of the Belmont spring/summer meet.

“She couldn’t have run any better,” Brown said. “She’s a real quality horse. She’s never run in a stakes before, so this seemed like the next logical step.”

Conquest Babayaga, a 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, has gone 2 for 2 for Brown since she was purchased at the Conquest Stables dispersal last fall by agent Steve Young on behalf of Louis Lazzinaro.

“She’s a nice addition to the stable,” Brown said.

Take These Chains, with Javier Castellano aboard, breaks from post 9 while Conquest Babayaga, with Joel Rosario up, drew post 7.

The Intercontinental attracted horses from California, Florida, Kentucky, and Maryland.

Trainer Patrick Gallagher ships in Lady Valeur from California, where he most recently won the Golden Poppy Stakes at Golden Gate Fields; Flavien Prat is named to ride. Also from California comes Perfect Pic, who is coming off a third in an allowance race at Santa Anita for trainer James Cassidy.

Nobody’s Fault, winner of the Unbridled Sydney Stakes for Neil Pessin, and Mississippi Delta, who finished fourth in the Grade 3 Distaff Turf Mile last out, ship in from Kentucky for trainer Mark Casse.

Josedesanimaux, an allowance winner at Belmont going seven furlongs in 2015, won the Panama City at Gulfstream last fall before going 0 for 2 this year.
Portmagee, winner of the License Fee Stakes for Christophe Clement last out, heads the local contingent. Also entered include Fair Point, Rapid Rhythm, and Outsider Art.

The Intercontinental goes as race 8 and is part of a pick-6 that will have a guaranteed pool of $75,000 and a late pick-4 wager that has a guaranteed pool of $250,000.

New Money Honey seeks rebound in Wonder Again

New Money Honey, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last year, will look to rebound from a disappointing 3-year-old debut when she heads a field of seven entered Saturday for Thursday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.

New Money Honey is one of three runners entered by Chad Brown, who won this race in 2015 with Lady Eli. Brown also entered Enchanting Kitten and Fifty Five.

New Money Honey finished sixth in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland in April to begin her 3-year-old season.

“The first race back was obviously disappointing; she’s been training really, really well,” Brown said. “I think she’s put herself in position to redeem herself; it’s up to her.”

New Money Honey worked four furlongs in 48.89 seconds over the Belmont turf Saturday morning in company with Beach Patrol, who is running in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan.

New Money Honey has the outside post in what figures to be a six-horse field if the race stays on turf. Bonita Bianca was entered for the main track only.

Fifty Five, who won the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa when in the barn of Tom Bush, finished third in her first start for Brown off a private purchase by Peter Brant. She will break from post 4 under Jose Ortiz. Enchanting Kitten, with one win from two starts, completes Brown’s trio.

Dream Dancing and Coasted, who finished a neck apart in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream in March, and Corporate Queen, who has never before raced on turf, complete the field.

The Wonder Again goes as race 3.

Pletcher seeks another Astoria

Trainer Todd Pletcher has won four of the last seven runnings of the Astoria Stakes, a streak that began in 2005 and includes last year’s winner, Bode’s Dream. The Astoria was not run from 2009-13.

Pletcher has two entered for this year’s Astoria for juvenile fillies, including One Last Cast and Sugar Queen, both coming off debut wins. One Last Cast, a daughter of Algorithms that Pletcher owns with his father Jake, won a 4 1/2-furlong race b y 3 3/4 lengths at Aqueduct on April 19. She broke from the rail that day and has the rail again Thursday.

Sugar Queen, a daughter of Gemologist, won a five-furlong race May 3 by 3 1/4 lengths. She breaks from post 3.

The field includes maiden winners I Still Miss You, Best Performance, Contrarity, Di Maria, Zodacious, and Waki Patriot, the latter having finished fourth in the Kentucky juvenile against males in her most recent start.