Undefeated Tillie's Lily starting season

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jonathan Thomas would ultimately like to have a year-round presence on the New York Racing Association circuit and he has plans to have 10 to 15 horses stabled at Saratoga this summer.

First, though, he has a potentially big week ahead at Belmont Park, where he is expected to have at least one horse in the entries each day this race week. That group is topped by Catholic Boy, entered in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes.

On Friday, Thomas will send out the undefeated Tillie’s Lily in a third-level allowance race scheduled for six furlongs over Belmont Park’s turf course.

First post on Friday is 3:05 p.m. Eastern, as it will be on six of the final seven Friday programs of the meet, the lone exception being June 8.

Tillie’s Lily, a 4-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor, won all three of her starts last year, including an allowance race at Santa Anita on Oct. 20.

“Obviously we’d love to think we have a filly for some stakes races at Saratoga,” Thomas said.

“She’s trained very well. We gave her a nice break this winter kind of hoping Saratoga is where she could really come to hand. We’re looking for a nice race to kind of get her kick-started.”

Javier Castellano rides from post 2.

This race marks the return of the 7-year-old mare Rumble Doll. Rumble Doll has only two wins from her last 17 starts, but both those victories came going six furlongs over the Belmont turf.

She has not started since finishing last of 12 in the Autumn Days Stakes at Aqueduct last Nov. 26.

“She didn’t like the ship over there,” trainer Robert Falcone Jr. said. “She was done before she got off the van.”

Touch of Bling and Miss Gossip look like other contenders in the field.

KEY CONTENDERS:

Tillie’s Lily, by Distorted Humor
Last 3 Beyers: 89-88-75

◗ Speedy filly has gone 3 for 3 to begin her career with wins in an off-the-turf race, a five-furlong grass race – both at Gulfstream – and then down-the-hill going 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita.

◗ Shows a solid work tab at Bridlewood Farm, where Thomas is typically based.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Thomas is 2 for 11 with a $1.81 ROI off a 181-day plus layoff the last three years.

Touch of Bling, by Tale of the Cat
Last 3 Beyers: 92-91-59

◗ Won a second-level allowance race at 29-1 odds on the front end at Aqueduct on April 6. Came back 23 days later and finished sixth in the License Fee Stakes on the second day of this meet.

◗ May have the speed to press Tillie’s Lily early.

Miss Gossip, by Big Bad Bob
Last 3 Beyers: 75-83-77

◗ Makes her first start after being privately purchased by Matthew Schera and transferred to Carlos Martin.

◗ Finished fifth in an allowance last out at Keeneland, but steadied slightly entering first turn and then things tightened up on her in upper stretch. Girls Know Best, winner of that race, came back to win the off-the-turf The Very One at Pimlico.

◗ Fired a best-of-72 half-mile breeze in 48 seconds on May 22.