Grade 1 winner GYGISTAR (Prospector’s Music) will seek his third consecutive
victory in Belmont Park’s opening day feature, the $100,000 Westchester H. (G3).
Trained by Mark Hennig, the seven-year-old turned a mile in 1:33 2/5 when
capturing last year’s running and has earned more than $1.1 million. The
chestnut gelding will face six rivals on Wednesday with jockey Javier Castellano.
Stakes victor SIR GREELEY (Mr. Greeley) will attempt to make amends for
a pair of narrow runner-up finishes in his last two starts. The James Jerkens trainee
missed by only a neck in the Richter Scale Breeders’ Cup Sprint H. (G2) two back
and by the same margin in the Carter H. (G1) most recently. Eibar Coa rides the
four-year-old gelding. HAPPY HUNTING (Seeking the Gold), winner of the Aqueduct
H. (G3) two starts ago, is another contender, and Grade 2 hero LOVE OF MONEY
(Not for Love), unraced since an unplaced finish in the Met Mile (G1)
last May, will return to competition for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr.
The complete field, with riders and weights in post position order, is
BLAZING PURRSUIT (Tale of the Cat), Cornelio Velasquez, 114; Sir Greeley, 117;
LITTLE THUNDER (Sword Dance [Ire]), Jeremy Rose, 116; Gygistar, 116; KENNEL UP (Joyeux
Danseur), Mike Smith, 114; Happy Hunting, Norberto Arroyo Jr., 116; and Love of
Money, Edgar Prado, 117.