Two of a Kind one of a kind in Tremont

ELMONT, New York – Two of a Kind can start his career winning two a row as he moves from a sharp debut score at Churchill Downs in the $150,000 Tremont Stakes on Thursday at Belmont.

Two of a Kind flew out of the gate after breaking from post 1 in the second race on May 4 at Churchill, leading on a strong pace for early-season 2-year-olds but still getting his final furlong in a solid 12.43 seconds and galloping out well in front, his ears pricked.

“He’s always been a very good gate horse, always had a lot of early foot away from there, so it didn’t surprise me he broke so good,” said Brian Lynch, who trains Two of a Kind for K and R Racing Stable and Town Branch Racing. “What did surprise me was he was able to finish up like he did.”

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Two of a Kind faces considerably stronger rivals than he beat at Churchill in the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont but also has a better post position, 7 among eight entrants. It’s likely none of them are as far along right now as Two of a Kind, already a big, strong horse with a mind to match.

“He’s advanced physically and mentally,” Lynch said.

Two of a Kind, unlike some sharp debut winners, took his fast first race right in stride.

“He’s on a nice work pattern with some pretty good older horses since then, been working comfortably with them,” said Lynch. “This will be a good test. There’s a lot of speed in there, but he rates so kindly with these older horses, quickens right up with them. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t run well.”

Luis Saez, aboard for the debut, has a return call. Saez also rode Tremont contender Valenzan Day to a 2 1/4-length debut win in Belmont’s first 2-year-old race this year, on May 12. Joel Rosario has the mount on Valenzan Day, purchased at auction in March for just $15,000.

“It was a big surprise for us,” said Rudy Rodriguez, who trains and co-owns Valenzan Day. “I bought him cheap at the sale. He had little issues, like everybody. We put in a lot of work in the gate because he can be a little nervous.”

Valenzan Day sat just off the pacesetter and ran by him after belatedly switching leads at the furlong pole.

“He’s more comfortable, more relaxed now. He got bigger and he’s eating very good,” Rodriguez said.

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Valenzan Day beat the Wesley Ward-trained favorite Ever a Rebel and in the Tremont faces the Ward-trained No Nay Hudson, a sharp Keeneland debut winner April 28. Turf-bred, No Nay Hudson had been considered for Royal Ascot until he finished poorly working over a sodden Keeneland grass course May 20.

“I was thinking he’d be better on grass,” Ward said Sunday. “He kind of floundered home in that work, so we opted out of Ascot and now we’re here. He had a really nice work over the Belmont main track this morning.”

John Velazaquez rides No Nay Hudson, whom Ward expects to go for the lead.

Rail-drawn Stayhonor Goodside took an early lead and aired in a Woodbine Tapeta sprint May 21. Trainer Mark Casse said the colt hasn’t worked since because of the ship to Belmont and a wet track Casse didn’t want to breeze over. Casse said the colt worked well on dirt at his Florida training center before shipping north. Casse-trained juveniles so far in 2022 have gone a remarkable 8-6-0-2.

Little J P and Zelenskyy Strong won very short straight-course sprints in their respective debuts and at least figure to show speed. So should Bisping, who broke like a rocket winning his debut at Evangeline Downs, after which he was privately purchased. Putthepastbehind was a game debut winner May 1 at Laurel while carrying just 113 pounds under a seven-pound bug who gets no weight allowance riding in Thursday’s stakes race.

Astoria Stakes

Devious Dame, the first winner for first-crop sire Girvin, stands a decent chance of becoming the young stallion’s first stakes winner, too, when she runs Thursday in the $150,000 Astoria, a 5 1/2-furlong dirt sprint for 2-year-old fillies.

The Astoria drew six entrants but Born Dapper isn’t a certain runner. Jonathan Thomas, who trains the filly for George Strawbridge, said an intended debut start at Belmont failed to fill, leaving him to run Born Dapper on May 28 at Woodbine. There, she ran into a Mark Casse-trained buzzsaw named Me and My Shadow, who dueled Born Dapper into submission and ran off to a four-length win. The race came over Tapeta and while Born Dapper has trained well enough on dirt, Thomas said he and Strawbridge were less than enthused about running back on such short rest. Thomas said a decision on Born Dapper’s participation could come Wednesday.

Shaymyname was a distant third at Horseshoe Indianapolis in her debut and should be a huge longshot. Magic Beauty merits somewhat more respect but has been a well-beaten third in two races already and simply doesn’t look fast enough, leaving Alexis’s Storm and Girl Bye as Devious Dame’s main opposition.

Alexis’s Storm showed speed but wound up caught between horses, a tough spot for a first-time starter, approaching the quarter pole in her Laurel Park debut. She handled adversity well, however, and drew away to an easy win. Girl Bye had excellent rail speed in her April 21 debut, a blowout win at Gulfstream, and appears to be a physically advanced filly. She ships north for trainer Michael Yates, who’s never had a Belmont starter.

They’re all probably running for second behind likely favorite Devious Dame. Trained by Norm Casse for John Oxley, the filly debuted May 5 at Churchill and after a prolonged pace battle drew steadily away, thanks to a sharp 12.15-second final furlong, for a 5 1/2-length win. She’s well drawn on the far outside under Joel Rosario and has come back from her debut with three workouts, two in fast times.