A two-mile contest of any consequence is a rarity in American racing, and the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup on Friday at Belmont Park drew an appropriately unusual cast of characters.
The sheer size of the field, 13, is surprising, and the race includes five horses coming out of jump races – four from America, one from Ireland – plus Channel Maker, a multiple Grade 1 winner of $3.75 million, and Amazing Grace, a mare imported from Germany.
New Eagle is primed to capitalize as early position will play a major role in determining the winner of Friday’s $25,000 claiming feature over one mile at Emerald Downs. New Eagle, from the barn of Jeff Metz, seems to have the right blend of present fitness and tactical speed to have a strong say in how the race unfolds.
New Eagle has made seven starts this year, compiling a win, three seconds, and a third. The 6-year-old gelding by Street Boss is coming off a stalking second-place finish in a one-mile race for $10,000 claimers on May 20 at Emerald.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Four Aces High goes back to the grass following a solid comeback race on Tapeta in Friday’s sixth race at Woodbine, a nonwinners-of-three hybrid sprint combining Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers.
In the Just a Game Stakes a year ago at Belmont Park, In Italian served as the sacrificial lamb. This time around, she’s the 800-pound gorilla.
A field of just five was entered in Friday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game in great part because one of them is In Italian. Set as the 1-2 morning-line favorite, In Italian has joined War Like Goddess atop the North American turf-female ranks, a position she’s likely to reinforce in this one-mile race contested around one turn.
The addition of blinkers helped Pretty Mischievous score a signature victory in last month’s Kentucky Oaks, and the Godolphin homebred will look to keep things rolling when she cuts back to one turn for Friday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park.
Tapit, the most successful sire in the modern history of the Belmont Stakes and looking to secure the race’s sire record outright this weekend, wouldn’t be here without him. Neither would Quality Road, sire of Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure. And nor would four-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief, who will have Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous in action this weekend at Belmont Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. – National Treasure and Red Route One are both exiting the same race and are both trained by Hall of Fame horsemen, but their final works here Monday for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes couldn’t have been accomplished in a more diverse fashion.
Trainer Tianna Richardville is still is seeking her first victory after 48 starters at this Horseshoe Indianapolis race meet. She just might get it with Stop Hammertime, who has made 48 career starts and tries to repeat Wednesday in the $100,000 William Henry Harrison Handicap.
