Weekend Hideaway reaches into his bag of tricks for turf sprint

ELMONT, N.Y. – The 8-year-old New York-bred Weekend Hideaway is an eight-time stakes winner. It may surprise some to learn that one of those victories came on the turf in the Gone Fishin Stakes five years ago at Belmont Park.

Wednesday, Weekend Hideaway returns to the Belmont turf for the first time since that June 28, 2013, afternoon when he runs in a seven-furlong allowance/optional $80,000 claimer that serves as the feature on the nine-race Belmont card.

Weekend Hideaway has run three times on turf in his 46-race career. He hasn’t done so since Feb. 26, 2014, when he finished seventh in the Silks Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park. His last 35 starts have come on dirt.

Trainer Phil Serpe said he wants to try the turf again because “the turf is going to be more forgiving” for Weekend Hideaway. On July 1, Weekend Hideaway worked on the turf, going five furlongs in 1:03.22 after a slow opening eighth-mile of 14.80 seconds. Kelvin Pahal, an exercise rider for Jimmy Jerkens, worked Weekend Hideaway that day, substituting for regular exercise rider Lisa Bartkowski.

“I saw full extension,” Serpe said. “Kelvin, who's been on a million good horses for Jimmy, came back and said, ‘This horse worked great out there.’ He just went too slow early.”

Serpe said that if this turf experiment fails, he can always return Weekend Hideaway to the dirt in a race like the John Morrissey Stakes on July 26 at Saratoga. Weekend Hideaway won the Morrissey in 2016.

White Flag is the horse to beat for trainer Christophe Clement on Wednesday. He has run well at Belmont, including a runner-up finish behind the talented Tombelaine in a similar spot June 17, his first start off a seven-month layoff. Joel Rosario will be aboard White Flag for the sixth straight race.

“He got beat the other day but he run a very good race,” Clement said. “I’m probably running him back a week or 10 days too quick, but I don’t have another choice. I like this spot. I like running at Belmont. Joel rides him. He knows the horse very well.”

This race is carded as the third and is not part of the pick six, which begins the day with a $49,863 carryover. The pick six begins in race 4.

KEY CONTENDERS

Weekend Hideaway, by Speightstown

Last 3 Beyers: 91-89-87

◗ Tries turf for the first time in 4 1/2 years.

◗ Has speed to be a factor throughout.

White Flag, by War Front

Last 3 Beyers: 94-84-90

◗ Came off the bench with a solid second-place finish going six furlongs and now runs at seven furlongs, a distance at which he won impressively here last summer.

“Seven-eighths might actually be his best distance,” Clement said.

◗ Since June 23, Clement has won 8 of 18 races in which he’s participated at Belmont.

Snowday, by Falco

Last 3 Beyers: 84-95-91

◗ Multiple stakes-winning gelding makes his 8-year-old debut for trainer Willard Thompson, who has a positive ROI with horses returning from a layoff of greater than 180 days.

◗ Was beaten only 1 1/2 lengths when third to Disco Partner in the Belmont Turf Sprint here last fall.