Xanthique checks all the boxes in wide-open Floral Park

Xanthique will have two key variables in her favor Saturday when she takes on probable favorite Mitchell Road and sharp newcomer Lead Guitar in the $80,000 Floral Park at Belmont Park.

The race, which is a stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs on turf, drew 13. Slimey and Overheated are entered for the main track only.

Xanthique is proven sprinting on turf, and is a horse-for-course with a 3-for-5 record on the grass at Belmont. Those credentials point her out as a leading contender in a tough-to-handicap Floral Park.

Mitchell Road, a Grade 3 winner and half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Country House, is racing at shorter than 7 1/2 furlongs for the first time in her career – and she is making her first start on the Belmont turf. Lead Guitar is stepping up in class off a pair of turf-sprint allowance wins, while other contenders include Grade 3 winner Getmotherarose; stakes winners I’llhandalthecash, Rose Flower, and Saratoga Treasure; and the Grade 2-placed Bohemian Bourbon.

“I see it as a very open race,” said Tom Morley, who trains Xanthique. “To me, there’s no massive standout.

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“My filly has done nothing but improve. We wouldn’t swap with anybody.”

Xanthique has won two of her last three starts, one of them a second-level allowance at Saratoga at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf Aug. 13. She won that race shortening up from a mile.

“She’s a filly we always wanted to try sprinting because she showed a lot of speed going long,” Morley said. “The opportunity arose in Saratoga this year and she handled herself extremely well winning the [allowance].

“This was always our full target once she had proven herself sprinting at Saratoga.”

Morley is hopeful the Floral Park will remain on turf. He said earlier this week that extended rainfall was in the forecast for Friday, but that it was to clear up by the morning hours on Saturday.

“If it’s on the turf, she’s a filly who has handled yielding conditions very well before,” he said. “She’s also very fond of the racetrack.”

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Xanthique won a maiden special weight and starter allowance over the Belmont turf last year, and in June added a local first-level allowance victory. She will break from post 5 under Javier Castellano.

“The six furlongs is probably a pretty solid distance for her,” said Morley.

Xanthique is a stakes-placed daughter of Into Mischief and the mare Qualia, a Grade 2-placed runner who won three sprint races. Xanthique is owned by VinLaur Racing Stables.

Junior Alvarado will ride Mitchell Road for trainer Bill Mott. The four-time stakes winner by English Channel will break from post 6 off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf on Sept. 12.

Sunny Dale is a talented sprinter who makes a rare turf start. Her dam, Medea, was a Grade 3 winner whose four career victories came on turf. Irad Ortiz has the mount from post 11.