Wizard of Westwood possible for Belmont Derby

Wizard of Westwood, the winner of the Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita on June 11, has been invited to the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at Belmont Park on July 8, pending a workout this weekend, trainer Michael McCarthy said.

Owned by Andrew and Rania Warren, Wizard of Westwood won the Cinema Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on turf for his second win in five starts and first stakes win. Wizard of Westwood was second or third in three consecutive stakes for 3-year-olds on turf at Santa Anita from early March to early May.

The $750,000 Belmont Derby at 1 1/4 miles on turf often brings together an international field and will be a class test for Wizard of Westwood, a colt by the Scat Daddy stallion Tu Brutus who cost a mere $20,000 as a yearling. Wizard of Westwood has earned $132,000.

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“He’s won going a mile and quarter, and he’s got that over a few of them,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said that John Velazquez has been booked to ride Wizard of Westwood. Velazquez rode Wizard of Westwood to a second in the Baffle Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on March 5 in the colt’s stakes debut.

Wizard of Westwood’s expected appearance at Belmont Park will be part of a busy period of stakes runners for the California-based McCarthy in coming weeks.

Piroli, a surprise second at 28-1 in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on May 29, is a candidate for the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on July 29. A start in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Sept. 2 is another possibility.

“We’ll see how his summer goes,” McCarthy said. “He was effective at a mile and quarter the other day.”

Escape Artist, the sharp winner by 4 1/4 lengths of an allowance race for 3-year-olds on turf at Santa Anita on June 11, is scheduled to start in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes at a mile on turf on July 21, the opening day of the Del Mar summer meeting.

Offlee Naughty, the winner of two graded stakes for turf marathoners at Santa Anita in the spring but second in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles on turf on June 18, is expected to run in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf on Sept. 2.

Pushiness, the easy winner of maiden race for California-bred 2-year-old fillies at five furlongs at Santa Anita on June 9, is a candidate for the $125,000 CTBA Stakes for statebreds at 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 6, or the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 12.

There are no summertime race plans for Queen Goddess, the winner of the Grade 1 American Oaks in December 2021 who has since won three Grade 3 races. Queen Goddess was third by a length as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes on turf at Santa Anita on May 29.

“She won’t run until the fall,” McCarthy said. “I think she ran hard in the last year. She’s had multiple trips to Kentucky and Florida. She’s earned it.”

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