Voodoo Song drops into statebred company for Ashley T. Cole Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Thus far, it’s been a disappointing year for Voodoo Song, with two poor finishes against open company.

A Grade 1 winner a year ago, Voodoo Song will drop into New York-bred company for the first time in two years when he runs in Sunday’s $125,000 Ashley T. Cole Stakes at Belmont Park. The Cole, run at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf course, is joined on the card by the $125,000 John Hettinger Stakes for New York-bred females, also at 1 1/8 miles on the inner.

Voodoo Song will be facing New York-breds for the first time since 2017, when he won a statebred allowance, part of a 4-for-4 campaign that summer at Saratoga that included a win in the Grade 3 Saranac at 1 1/8 miles.

After capturing the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga last summer, Voodoo Song finished the year with a fifth in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch and a 12th-place finish in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile. Off nine months, Voodoo Song was difficult to get fit, trainer Linda Rice said. He was well beaten in the Forbidden Apple and the Lure Stakes at Saratoga.

Recently, however, Voodoo Song has trained brilliantly on the turf at Saratoga, with his gallop-outs as impressive as his breezes.

“I feel like we’re getting him pretty tight,” Rice said. “His last couple of breezes at Saratoga were quite nice. I didn’t see a problem with him before but he was off a lot longer than usual and he was visibly heavy and I think sometimes it takes a lot longer to get them fit than you expect.”

Voodoo Song is at his best when he can control the early pace. Jose Lezcano will be aboard in the Cole, which will have seven runners for the turf.

Gucci Factor, Dot Matrix, and Offering Plan look to be the major threats if Voodoo Song falters.

Gucci Factor has won five of his last six starts – four of those wins coming at Belmont. His lone loss over the last 16 months came in the Cole when he finished third behind Black Tide.

Gucci Factor won the Grade 3 Poker on June 16 and was given some time off during the summer.

“I struggled with him a little bit, gave him some time off, and he responded to it,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “He’s back training well. I only have four works in him. He may be a touch unfit, but he looks well, he’s training well. Maybe a mile is better than a mile and an eighth but [Joel] Rosario knows him very well.”

Clement also sends out Therapist, who is 4 for 6 at Belmont but a question mark at 1 1/8 miles.

Offering Plan, second in this race last year to upset winner Black Tide, is coming off a neck victory over Dot Matrix in the West Point going 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga.

Memories of Peter and Red Knight complete the field.

Fifty Five tops Hettinger

After two narrow losses in graded stakes, Fifty Five returns to New York-bred company in Sunday’s $125,000 John Hettinger Stakes.

Fifty Five has won four stakes restricted to New York-breds and was beaten a neck in her other two starts in statebred company. She is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa, where she was beaten a half-length after being carried out wide in the stretch.

Javier Castellano rides Fifty Five from post 9.

Munchkin Money finished second to Fifty Five in both the Hettinger last year and the Mount Vernon this year. Trained by Clement, Munchkin Money comes off a neck loss to Belle of the Spa in the Yaddo on Aug. 23.

“Munchkin Money I thought ran well last time on soft ground,” Clement said. “She came up to win the race and got tired a bit in the last sixteenth of a mile. She’s training forwardly; I got to try it.”

Clement also sends out Wegetsdamunnys, who finished fourth in the Yaddo. She won an allowance at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga on July 11.

“Every time I run Wegetsdamunnys you always get the feeling it’s a touch too short,” Clement said. “I’m excited to see her going a mile and an eighth.”

Classic Lady was second to Wegetsdamunnys in that nine-furlong allowance at Saratoga. She was a 5 3/4-length allowance winner at Belmont going a mile here in May.

Belle of the Spa was the 31-1 upset winner of the Yaddo when she was able to get loose on the lead, but she did repel Munchkin Money when that one came to her in midstretch.

War Canoe, Giant Zinger, Wish Upon, and Dynamite Kitten complete the field.