Belmont Oaks Invitational
It's almost midnight on Independence Day and I'm currently bored of out my mind, so this is my attempt at handicapping the Belmont Oaks while watching Captain America.
Formally known as the Garden City Stakes, it was run at a mile and an eighth on the inner turf course at Belmont Park. Renamed the Belmont Oaks Invitational, it's now run at a mile and a quarter and the purse is $1 million. Four of its 11 competitors this year are foreign-bred.
(Number, horse, jockey, trainer, odds, weight).
Goldy Espony (FR) (Jose Lezcano, Chad Brown, 10-1, 121). This French-bred daughter of Vespone (IRE) - Goldy Honor (FR) (Highest Honor (FR)) is three for six this year, with 3 for seven lifetime. Because all of her starts have been overseas, I'm unable to access the charts, since the foreign racetracks don't do the charts like we do. She finished second in her maiden at Deauville, but managed to win her second start at Cagnes-sur-mer. She finished third in her next start and fifth in her fourth, both also at Cagnes-sur-mer. She didn't win again until March 15, at Saint Cloud in a weight for age stakes race. She won next out on April 15, also at Saint Cloud, in the Group III Prix Penelope. Sent out in the Group I Pour Moi Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp on May 25, she finished a distant seventh. Since this is her first start away from familiar grounds, I'm not too sure I'm going to select her. However, foreign invaders have almost always been dangerous in these types of races, I'm inclined to watch out for her. She has earned $126,628. Because she's from overseas, her Equibase Speed Figure is unknown. She gets Lasix for the first time in this race.
Room Service (Shaun Bridgmohan, Wayne Catalano, 3-1, 121). This Kentucky-bred daughter of More than Ready - Dream Lady (Old Trieste) is a multiple graded stakes winner bred and owned by Gary and Mary West. She is known for dead-heating with Rosalind (whom she faces in this race) in the Grade I Central Bank Ashland Stakes. She's on a three race win streak that started in the Grade III Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park in March over a mile and an eighth on the turf course there. Breaking her maiden in her debut, she won at six furlongs on the turf at Kentucky Downs, which is a difficult track to win at due to the European style of ground that it has (hilly, etc). Room Service has yet to finish off the board, and in fact, is a grand total of 4 and three quarter lengths from being undefeated. She was victorious in the Grade I American Oaks at Santa Anita over ten furlongs, so I have no fear in this filly being able to get the distance. I'm including her in my superfecta/trifecta. Her Equibase Speed Figure is 102, and she's earned $546,565 in her 7 start career.
My Conquestadory (Javier Castallano, Mark Casse, 12-1, 121). This Kentucky-bred daughter of Artie Schiller - Golden Artemis (Malibu Moon) looks to appreciate the increase in ground, looking at who her sire is and who her damsire is. This filly has only raced four times, but she broke her maiden in the Grade II TVG Summer Stakes over one mile on the turf, before winning the Grade I Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland over the synthetic track at the distance of a mile and a sixteenth. However, being sent to Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf ended in failure, with the filly finishing fourth after being taken out of the comfort zone that resulted in victory in the Alcibiades. She bid three wide at the far turn, led, but was outkicked by the late Chriselliam, the French-bred Testa Rossi, and Colonel Joan. Rested for six months, she was sent out in the Grade III Selene Stakes at Woodbine over a mile and a sixteenth on the synthetic track. Leading for the entire race, the filly was just nailed at the wire by Paladin Bay after dueling with the winner for the entire stretch. She's tough and gritty, which I like to see. I'm thinking of including her in my selections, but I may use underneath. Her highest Equibase Speed Figure is 99, and she's earned $443,526 in her four start career. Scratched due to Mr. Casse having concerns about the ground.
Summer Solo (Cornelio Velasquez, Christophe Clement, 30-1, 121). This New York-bred daughter of Arch - Summer Solstice (IRE) (Caerleon) is three for three in her lifetime, but this will be her steepest test to date. Raced once at two, she broke her maiden going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf in November at Aqueduct. She had a wide trip when placed eleventh at the half mile pole in the 12 horse field, but had an incredibly strong finish to win going away by two and a half. Rested until May 18, she won a one mile turf event at Belmont Park, where she was once again wide into the stretch, though four wide this time. She vied with the dueling duo in the stretch from the quarter pole to the sixteenth pole before being able to draw away to win by a half length. Raced again a month later, she won another turf event at Belmont Park, this one at a mile and a sixteenth. She broke extremely well in this race, lunging at the gate break, before getting placed quickly along the rail, patiently handled as she tracked the leader, challenged at the quarter pole, and when asked, responded positively. She won the race by a length and a quarter after being the most forwardly placed in her career. Her Equibase Speed Figure is 93 and she's earned $122,400 in her three race career. I'm not too sure if I trust her extreme class climb, but she seems to love the turf here at Belmont Park. Her sire can throw ten furlong horses, as shown by Blame, Hymn Book, Pine Island, London Bridge (who won the 2013 Breeders' Cup Marathon), among others. I'm going to watch for her, but I'm not adding her to my selections. (She shares the same birthday as the beautiful Barbaro. Just wanted to point that out.)
Flying Jib (GB) (Patrick Smullen, Dermot Weld, 5-1, 121). This Great Britain-bred daughter of Oasis Dream (GB) - Jibboom (Mizzen Mast) is 3 for 4 lifetime, with her only off the board finish coming in her debut race at Curragh. In fact, that's where all of her races have come. She's on a three race win streak, but this will be her toughest test to date, although her competition overseas is somewhat... Tougher. She ran her debut in May of 2013 and finished fourth. Rested for nearly three months, she returned to Curragh and won the race, before winning again two months later. Rested until May (which seems to be a common thing in this race), Flying Jib won again, though I can't tell you any details from these races, as they've all come from overseas. She is joining fellow foreign-raced foe Goldy Espony in the fact that this is her first start in America and her first on Lasix. Like Goldy Espony, her Equibase Speed Figure is unknown, and she's won $115,114 in her four race career.
Rosalind (Julien Leparoux, Kenny McPeek, 12-1, 121). This Kentucky-bred daughter of Broken Vow - Critics Acclaim (Theatrical (IRE)) last raced at Royal Ascot, but stumbled at the start and dumped her jockey, Kieren Fallon. That was her third off the board finish in her nine race career. She broke her maiden going one mile on the turf at Ellis Park in August of 2013. Coming back a month later, she finished third in the Grade II Pocahontas Stakes over a mile and a sixteenth on the main track at Churchill Downs behind Untapable and Stonetastic. Racing in the Grade I Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland, she finished second behind fellow Belmont Oaks contender My Conquestadory. That was her first start on Lasix, and she performed well. Racing on the main track at Santa Anita in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, she finished third behind Ria Antonia and Eclipse Champion Two Year Old Filly She's a Tiger, who was disqualified from the win in the race. She finished fourth in the Grade I Hollywood Starlet Stakes behind Streaming, Taste Like Candy and Untapable, after being four wide at the seven and a half pole, then five wide in the stretch. After finished third in an allowance optional claiming race in a mile and a sixteenth dirt event at Gulfstream Park, Rosalind dead-heated with fellow Belmont Oaks contender Room Service, even after being six wide in the first turn. Rosalind has gotten nothing but bad luck in each of her starts and I hope that she finds some kind of luck in this race. She is definitely dangerous on the turf, so she'll be in my top three spots, even if I don't like the fact that she's being sent back to America after only being there for about a week. She owns $604,536 and an Equibase Speed Figure of 102, tied for top with Room Service. She is NOT receiving Lasix for this race.
Xcellence (Gerald Mosse, Francois Doumen, 5/2, 121). This French-bred daughter of Champs Elysees (GB) - Xanadu Bliss (FR) (Xaar (GB)) is two for seven lifetime, but has only finished off the board once, this coming in her second start. Finishing second in her maiden in July at Chantilly, she then returned to Chantilly a month later, finishing fourth. Rested for nearly two months, she won an allowance race at Maisons-laffitte, before finishing second in the Group III Prix Miesque in November. Rested for five months, she returned in April, winning the Group III Prix Imprudence, also at Maisons-laffitte. Going to Longchamp in May, she finished third in the Group I Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Prix Le Parisien), before returning to Chantilly in June and finishing third in the Group I Prix de Diane Longines. She's probably one of the better fillies that Europe sent over for this field, but I don't like how she's only just arrived in the country. I would have like to see her have a couple months to acclimate to the environment. I'm not picking her, but I'll be watching for her. She is not receiving Lasix, and her Equibase Speed Figure is unknown. She owns $332,007 in seven lifetime starts.
Wonderfully (IRE) (Colm O'Donoghue, Aiden O'Brien, 12-1. 121). This Irish-bred daughter of Galileo (IRE) - Massarra (GB) (Danehill) is two for eight lifetime, and 0 for 2 this year. I'm not even wasting my time in typing up her losses, as it's not worth my time. Just know that she hasn't won since July 18 of her two year old year. She has two straight ninth place finishes, one in a Group I and the other in a weight for age stakes race. Has won $81,205 and gets Lasix for the first time.
Minorette (Joel Rosario, Chad Brown, 12-1, 121). This Kentucky-bred daughter of Smart Strike - Silk and Scarlet (GB) (Sadler's Wells) is one of two in here for Chad Brown. The filly is 1 for six, but has four on the board finishes. She broke her maiden at first asking at Naas in July of 2013, before finishing fourth a month later in a weight for age stakes at Curragh. Raced at Curragh again one month later, she finished third, before finishing eighth at Curragh in another weight for age stakes. Shipped to America to run at Keeneland in a one mile turf event in April after being rested for six months and a week, she finished third behind a talented Shug McGaughey trainee in Party Now after being four wide and making up ground. Sent northward to New York to run at Belmont Park in a mile and an eighth turf event on the inner turf (the unlisted Wonder Again Stakes), she finished second behind fellow Belmont Oaks contender Sea Queen after being four wide on the turns and finishing willingly. She managed to beat Party Now, the filly who beat her in her first start in the US. Her Equibase Speed Figure is 101, and she owns $68,774 in her six start career. I like her chances here, despite her never being in this kind of competition. But with Smart Strike as her sire, and Sadler's Wells as her damsire, she has nothing but upside here. I'm including her against my own will because I think she's dangerous and just that good.
Recepta (Junior Alvarado, Jimmy Toner, 20-1, 121). This Kentucky-bred daughter of Speightstown - Honor Bestowed (Honor Grades) is 2 for five, but has only one off the board finish. She is graded stakes placed, but is also a stakes winner. She broke her maiden at Saratoga on the sloppy main track going seven furlongs. She received no Lasix that day, and was three wide after a half mile. She was asked in the final quarter mile to seventy yards and won going away by four and a half lengths. She finished seventh in the Grade I Frizette after being three wide once again and being set down at the five-sixteenth pole before folding, beaten thirteen and a half lengths. She was kept out of the Breeders' Cup and was instead sent to the ungraded Chelsea Flower Stakes at Belmont Park at one mile on the turf. She won the race, even though she had a 5-6 wide trip after being toward the rear of the field. She was forced to take the overland route coming into the stretch, came under encouragement at the quarter pole and edged clear, winning by three and a quarter lengths after taking command at the eighth pole. She was rested until the Grade III Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association at Keeneland, where she finished third behind Daring Dancer and Sweet Acclaim. She finished third in the ungraded Wonder Again Stakes behind fellow Belmont Oaks competitors Sea Queen and Minorette. I'm ignoring her because this is her stiffest race to date and she's not ready for it. She doesn't quite seem to have the confidence I'd like to see from a filly, so I'm ignoring. She owns a 97 Equibase Speed Figure and $143,000.
Sea Queen (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Christophe Clement, 10-1, 121). This Kentucky-bred daughter of Lemon Drop Kid - Dowry (Belong to Me) is three for five lifetime, and two for four this year. She broke her maiden first time out at Saratoga going a mile and a sixteenth on the inner turf course. Taken south to Gulfstream Park, she finished second behind Miss Besilu in an allowance optional claiming race on the turf course over a mile and a sixteenth. She lost the race by a neck after being part of a disputed pace with Maco Light and coming off an almost seven month layoff. Raced a month later, she finished fourth in another allowance optional claimer on the Gulfstream Park turf going a mile and a sixteenth once again. She wasn't helped by the fact that she was steadied going into the first turn and never recovered. Going northward once more, she won an allowance going a mile and an eighth on the turf course at Keeneland, even after attending the lead and being three wide, drifting in, and impeding Spring Again and surviving a Steward's review. She won the ungraded Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont Park over Minorette and Recepta, even after being three wide at the 3/16 pole. She's definitely one of my selections. This race is so incredibly tough to handicap, but I have liked it. Has won $216,495 in her career and owns a 102 Equibase Speed Figure.
Selections: Sea Queen, Minorette, Rosalind, Room Service.
Using underneath: Flying Jib.