Tide of the Sea has everything going for him in Point of Entry Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – His success at 1 1/2 miles, a versatile running style, and several good efforts over the course combine to make Tide of the Sea the horse to beat in Sunday’s $100,000 Point of Entry Stakes, scheduled for 12 furlongs over Belmont Park’s Widener turf course.
Tide of the Sea, a 5-year-old son of English Channel trained by Mike Maker, has recorded his last three victories at 1 1/2 miles, including stakes triumphs this year in the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight at Gulfstream Park in January and the Japan Turf Cup at Laurel Park three weeks ago.
By comparison, none of Tide of the Sea’s five rivals has won at the distance.
Tide of the Sea is winless in four runs at Belmont Park. However, he has run second three times, including a one-length loss to Gufo in the Grand Couturier going 1 1/2 miles here in July. Gufo came out of that race to win the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga.
Following the Grand Couturier, Tide of the Sea finished fourth in a 1 1/4-mile stakes at Ellis Park and then 11th of 12 in the Calumet Turf Cup on Sept. 11 at Kentucky Downs.
Tide of the Sea bounced back with a perfect-trip victory from just off the pace in the Japan Cup. In January, he won the McKnight on the front end. Sunday, he breaks from the rail under Luis Saez in a race where Mo Gotcha may be the other speed.
Maker also sends out Bluegrass Parkway, who defeated Tide of the Sea in the Kentucky Downs TVG Preview Turf Cup. He then went to Woodbine and finished seventh of eight in the Grade 1 Canadian International, run over good ground.
Shamrocket, trained by Todd Pletcher, was scratched out of a 1 1/8-mile allowance race at Belmont on Thursday to enter the Point of Entry. He finished only a neck behind Tide of the Sea when running third in the Grand Couturier.
Experienced, second in the Bald Eagle Derby at 1 1/2 miles in July, and Beacon Hill, third in a third-level allowance at Keeneland two weeks ago, complete the field on turf.