Zindaya to face nine in Intercontinental Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Zindaya faced a tall order in her bid to repeat in the License Fee Stakes last month at Belmont Park, where she ran into the buzz saw known as Lady Shipman.

It was no disgrace that in her first race in 10 months, Zindaya finished second in the License Fee to Lady Shipman, who was winning her eighth career stakes.

With a race under her belt, and without having to face Lady Shipman, Zindaya will be among the choices in a contentious field of 10 entered for Thursday’s $150,000 Intercontinental Stakes at Belmont Park.

The Intercontinental, scheduled for seven furlongs on the Widener turf course, is one of three stakes on Thursday’s nine-race program, kicking off the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

There will be six more stakes next Friday, followed by 10 stakes on the 13-race Belmont Stakes program next Saturday.

Post time for Thursday’s card is 1 p.m. Eastern.

Zindaya won the Intercontinental by 2 1/4 lengths in 2015 when trained by Christophe Clement. She made only one more start, a seventh-place finish in the Perfect Sting on July 3. Last November, as part of the Regis Racing dispersal, Zindaya was purchased for $550,000 by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds [sic] at the Keeneland breeding stock auction.

Transferred to Chad Brown, Zindaya’s only subsequent start resulted in her second-place finish behind Lady Shipman in the License Fee on May 1. Lady Shipman came back two weeks later at Pimlico to win her ninth stakes race.

“She hadn’t run in quite a while. I thought it was a good race,” Brown said of Zindaya’s effort in the License Fee.

Javier Castellano will ride Zindaya from post 8.

The Intercontinental marks the seasonal debut of Distorted Beauty, who finished third in this race last year after winning a second-level allowance race three weeks earlier. Distorted Beauty was entered but scratched from the Mount Vernon Stakes for New York-breds on May 30.

Others entered include Shrinking Violet, Mississippi Delta, Notte d’Oro, Unbridled Courage, Rapid Rhythm, La Berma, and Rumble Doll.

Achnaha to wheel back in Belmont Coronation

On Saturday afternoon, Achnaha won a first-level allowance race going 1 3/8 miles at Belmont Park. On Saturday morning, Achnaha had been entered for Thursday’s inaugural running of the $200,000 Belmont Coronation Invitational at 1 15/16 miles on turf.

It was by design. Trainer George Weaver believes this 5-year-old mare is all about distance, and the Belmont Coronation is a rare chance to run nearly two miles.

“I told the owner, Sanford Bacon, I want to try something different,” Weaver said by phone from Florida. “This is the type of mare that can handle it. We want to be happy with her after this race, but if she’s good physically, we want to run.”

Achnaha was one of just six fillies and mares entered in the Belmont Coronation.

Generosidade, a 7-year-old Uruguay-bred mare, beat males in the Grade 2 San Luis Ray at Santa Anita in March going 1 1/2 miles. She also finished second in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano before finishing a troubled seventh in the Grade 3 Bewitch at Keeneland last out.

Jockey Tiago Pereira will make his Belmont Park debut in this spot.

Others entered in the Belmont Coronation include Suffused, Brandybend, Return to Grace, and Al Khazaaliya.

The Belmont Coronation is carded as race 5.

Lightning Dove, China Grove top Astoria

Eight debut winners from five different venues are among the nine juvenile fillies entered in Thursday’s $200,000 Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park.

Lightning Dove, a daughter of Uncle Mo trained by Wesley Ward, broke like a rocket out of the gate en route to her eye-catching debut victory at Keeneland. She ran 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.16 seconds.

Her dam, Thunders Dove, was a restricted stakes winner at Belmont.

Joel Rosario will ride Lighting Dove from post 7.

On the same card on which Lightning Dove won, China Grove won her debut by 1 1/2 lengths, running the 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.17 seconds.

Olive Branch, Summer Sally, and R Precious Stones are coming off debut wins at Belmont. Harlands Thunder won her debut at Churchill, while Golden Mischief was beaten a neck in her debut, also at Churchill. Bode’s Dream won her debut by 3 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Anna’s Bandit ships in from Laurel off a 6 3/4-length debut win over next-out winner Michaels Butterfly.

• Following Thursday’s card there will be a question-and-answer session with owner Ahmed Zayat and trainer Bob Baffert, the connections of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Admission to the one-hour session (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.) is free with paid admission to the day’s racing program.