Westchester a starting point for Mohaymen, Connect

Mohaymen and Connect both have won major stakes. The difference between them is that Mohaymen started out his career fast, while Connect finished up last season strongly.

On Saturday, they will break from posts 3 and 4 as they begin their 4-year-old campaigns in the $200,000 Westchester, a one-mile stakes at Belmont Park. The track is likely to have moisture in it because more than an inch of rain was forecast for Friday.

Mohaymen won his first five starts from September 2015 to February 2016, including Grade 2 scores in the Fountain of Youth, Holy Bull, Remsen, and Nashua. But his form declined after those races, and he has failed to hit the board in his last four starts – three of them Grade 1’s.

Kiaran McLaughlin is pleased with how Mohaymen is training for his comeback following an eight-month layoff and said the once-light-framed runner has put on 140 pounds since last summer.

“He obviously doesn’t have to win this race,” McLaughlin said. “It’s going to be a tough one. But we want him to show that he still has what it takes.”

Mohaymen, a $2.2 million Keeneland yearling purchase by Shadwell Stable, is out of the multiple graded stakes winner Justwhistledixie and is a half-brother to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day. A win or two this season, and breeders likely will forgive his past missteps.

“He has a fabulous pedigree,” McLaughlin said. “We’d love to win a big race or two with him and put him in the stallion barn.”

Connect didn’t make his first start at 3 until last May, but he made up for lost time by winning five of six races before the year was over. He ended the season by beating Gun Runner in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby and with a head score over the older Divining Rod in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

Trainer Chad Brown said he freshened Connect in Florida over the winter while keeping him with his stable. Connect has worked 10 times since Feb. 25.

“He’s doing great, training very well,” Brown said. “I’m optimistic he’s going to run a great race off the bench, but obviously this isn’t the objective for him, it’s a starting point.”

Brown said if Connect turns in a good performance Saturday, he would like to run him back in the $1.2 million Met Mile on the June 10 Belmont Stakes card.

While Mohaymen and Connect will try to dust off the cobwebs in the Westchester, Virtual Machine enters off two wins at 1 1/16 miles this winter for David Cannizzo over the Aqueduct inner track. For him, this Grade 3 race isn’t a prep, it is the goal. The same can be said for Greenpointcrusader, Realm, Vorticity, and Frammento.

Key Contenders

Connect, by Curlin

Last 3 Beyers: 106-105-93

◗ With the exception of the Travers, in which he finished sixth, Connect’s Beyer Speed Figures improved in each of his races at 3. He seems poised for a big 4-year-old campaign.

Mohaymen, by Tapit

Last 3 Beyers: 83-92-96

◗ The one-mile distance of this race looks perfect for him.

◗ Junior Alvarado has been aboard in all nine of his starts, but he was injured April 23. Manny Franco has the mount Saturday.

Virtual Machine, by Drosselmeyer

Last 3 Beyers: 91-86-86

◗ In his two starts since being transferred to Cannizzo, Virtual Machine has posted runaway wins over maiden company and first-level optional-claiming rivals. This is a big step up for him.

Greenpointcrusader, by Bernardini

Last 3 Beyers: 81-93-75

◗ He had been entered for the main track only and scratched out of several turf races lately, including last Saturday’s seven-furlong Elusive Quality.

◗ Todd Pletcher adds blinkers to his equipment.