Touchofstarquality, Seymourdini both deserving winners

ELMONT, N.Y. – Touchofstarquality and Seymourdini have run races good enough to win stakes but have yet to reach that milestone. On Monday, both are in with a good chance to garner their first stakes success in a highly competitive renewal of the $100,000 State Dinner Stakes at Belmont Park.

Touchofstarquality, a 7-year-old gelding, finished second in this race last year behind Comfort and has finished second in two similar stakes. Last fall, Touchofstarquality came within a nose of Comfort in the Seattle Slew Stakes, like the State Dinner at 1 1/16 miles over Belmont’s main track.

It’s no secret that Touchofstarquality is fragile; he has had only 14 starts. But when he’s right, he’s very good, and he was spot on here May 28, when he captured a high-class allowance race by 1 1/4 lengths. That day, Touchofstarquality was successful from off the pace, something he hadn’t shown in three years.

“We always felt he would be better covered up,” said Michelle Nevin, who trains Touchofstarquality for Samantha Siegel’s Jay Em Ess Stable. “It worked out.”

Jose Ortiz has been the regular rider of Touchofstarquality, but he is riding Seymourdini on Monday. Rajiv Maragh has picked up the mount on Touchofstarquality, who breaks from post 8 in the nine-horse field.

Seymourdini, a $900,000 purchase as a 2-year-old in training by Iris Smith and Sheila Rosenblum, is coming off two blowout allowance wins at Laurel. In his only stakes attempt, he finished seventh in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens in 2016. Trainer Linda Rice said Seymourdini came out of that race with pneumonia, and he was away from the races for six months.

After a third at Parx in a two-turn allowance in December, Seymourdini has won his last two starts by a combined 25 3/4 lengths.

“He’s been a very talented horse since we purchased him as a 2-year-old,” Rice said. “It’s taken him a long time to mature physically and mentally.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out the uncoupled entry of Madefromlucky, the 2015 Peter Pan winner, and Hard Study, a former claimer who has won two straight allowance races at this meet.

KEY CONTENDERS

Touchofstarquality, by Mineshaft
Last 3 Beyers: 103-84-104

◗ He loves Belmont (4-3-1 in 9 starts here), is coming off a solid return off the layoff, and continues to train forwardly, according to Nevin.

“He’s a pretty easy horse in that regard,” Nevin said. “When he’s good, he’s right, he really shows you.”

◗ Likely will be stalking pacesetter Seymourdini.

Seymourdini, by Bernardini
Last 3 Beyers: 98-101-79

◗ He is 4 for 4 in one-turn-mile races, so this one-turn, 1 1/16-mile event should be right up his alley.

◗ Does face significantly better foes than the ones he dominated at Laurel this spring. Retains jockey Jose Ortiz.

Madefromlucky, by Lookin At Lucky
Last 3 Beyers: 91-101-97

◗ A two-time graded-stakes winner, he was scratched by the veterinarian from the Mountainview at Penn National last month. Pletcher said the horse has worked well twice since then, and he’s adding blinkers, equipment Madefromlucky has not worn since finishing fourth to American Pharoah in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.