Voting Control, Maraud step up to Pilgrim Stakes off winning debuts

ELMONT, N.Y. – What Voting Control and Maraud lack in experience they seemingly make up for in talent. On Saturday, these two promising debut winners square off in the Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park, trying to earn a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 3 at Del Mar.

The Pilgrim is not a designated Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup, but the winner typically moves on to the BC Juvenile Turf. Last year, Oscar Performance won the Pilgrim and the BC Juvenile Turf.

:: Breeders' Cup PP packages: Get PPs, betting strategies, DRF+ Pro access, and more

Voting Control, a son of Kitten’s Joy, is coming back 20 days after winning his debut by a half-length here on Sept. 10. Voting Control had been scheduled to run a week earlier at Saratoga, but rain washed that race off the turf and onto the dirt, and Voting Control scratched.

In his debut, Voting Control raced three to four wide down the backstretch before tipping wider still in the stretch and running down the favored Ambassador Jim. Trainer Chad Brown had thought about waiting until the Grade 3 Bourbon at Keeneland on Oct. 8 to run him back.

“If we’re thinking Breeders’ Cup, I feel like maybe we’re better off running back three weeks at home and giving him more time for the race,” Brown said.

Maraud was visually impressive in winning his debut at Saratoga on Sept. 2, overcoming a wide trip from post 10 and edging away in the stretch.

“I thought he was impressive, and I really liked the way he worked as well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He seems like he’s come on from the race.”

:: Belmont Park PPs for as low as $1.50/card!

Pletcher also is running the maiden Seabhac, who finished second in his debut and fourth in the With Anticipation behind Catholic Boy, who is not in this spot. Pletcher is adding blinkers to the colt’s equipment at the suggestion of jockey John Velazquez.

Pletcher said that after the colt’s first start, “Johnny and I talked about possibly putting blinkers on him and decided we’d give him another try, and then after the With Anticipation, Johnny said he definitely needed some blinkers. So, we worked him his last two times with blinkers, and he seemed to be a little more zeroed in.”

:: Clocker Report: Get firsthand workout observations for Saturday's card at Belmont Park

KEY CONTENDERS

Voting Control, by Kitten’s Joy
Beyer: 72

◗ Worked in company and held his own with the Grade 1 stakes-placed Time Test on turf here last Sunday.

◗ Considering the wide trip he got in his debut, he actually ran farther than a mile.

Maraud, by Blame
Beyer: 68

◗ Overcame a wide trip and ran to his 7-5 favoritism over a Saratoga turf course that wasn’t playing kind to closers at the end of the meet.

◗ Looks like a horse who should get better as the distances get longer.

Evaluator, by Overanalyze
Beyers: 59-67

◗ He has broken poorly in each of his two starts, overcoming it to beat New York-breds in his debut at Saratoga before not overcoming it when finishing seventh in Grade 3 With Anticipation.