Despite the late withdrawal of potential favorite Morning Line from
Monday’s $500,000
Metropolitan H. (Grade 1), the traditional one-mile Memorial Day feature at
Belmont Park attracted a field of 11 in what is annually one of the best betting
races of the season. And this year’s edition is unusually tough as a case could
be made for just about everyone.
Entering on a hot streak is Aikenite, whose past record of
futility in graded stakes is quickly being relegated to memory after
back-to-back scores in the Churchill Downs S. (Grade 2) and Commonwealth S. (Grade 2).
Trainer Todd Pletcher hopes to have the Dogwood Stable colorbearer ready for
either the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade 1) or Dirt Mile (Grade 1) in November.
Tackleberry has won eight of 13 lifetime, including three
straight during the Gulfstream Park meeting over the winter. The skein included
the Sunshine Millions Classic, Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship (Grade 2) and
Gulfstream Park H. (Grade 2), but the Florida-bred gelding weakened to fourth when
taking his show on the road to West Virginia for the Charles Town Classic (Grade 3)
last time. The Luis Olivares owned-and-trained four-year-old will add Lasix for
the first time in the Met Mile.
Haynesfield, victorious last year in the Jockey Club Gold Cup
(Grade 1) and runner-up in the Cigar Mile H. (Grade 1), tracked a fast pace in last
month’s Westchester S. (Grade 3) and wound up fourth in his worst finish in seven
tries over Belmont’s main strip. Hero of that hour, by a comfortable three
lengths, was Caixa Eletronica, claimed for $62,500 in his previous
start by Pletcher for owner Mike Repole. Scratched from the Westchester was
Soaring Empire, winner of the Hal’s Hope S. (Grade 3) in early January
before runner-up finishes to Tackleberry in the Gulfstream Park Sprint
Championship and Gulfstream Park ‘Cap.
Not to be overlooked is Tizway, third to Quality Road in last year’s
Met Mile and later winner of the course-and-distance Kelso H. (Grade 2) during the
fall meet. The James Bond charge quietly earned third money in both the
Gulfstream Park H. and Charles Town Classic to begin the year, and could be
sitting on a strong race following several strong drills at Saratoga. Grade 3
winner Rodman emerged from a 14-month layoff in February and won
second time back in the April 14 Irish Tower S. at Aqueduct.
Expected to go off at longer odds are Ibboyee, whose late surge
in the Churchill Downs fell a half-length short; Discovery H. (Grade 3) winner Stormy’s
Majesty, winner of the Noble Nashua S. for New York-breds
in his season debut; and the capable veterans Yawanna Twist and Kensei, third and fourth, respectively, in the April 9 Carter H.
(Grade 1) at the Big A most recently.
The gray Winter Memories will be a strong favorite to win
for a fourth time in five lifetime outings in the $150,000 Sands
Point S. (Grade 2), a 1 1/16-mile for three-year-old fillies journey over the
inner turf. Up in time to take the Appalachian S. (Grade 3) by a neck in her 2011
debut last month at Keeneland, the Jim Toner pupil took the Miss Grillo S. (Grade 3)
on the Widener turf last fall before suffering her lone setback in the Breeders’
Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade 2).
Appalachian third-placer Parting Words and Herecomesthebride S. (G3)
runner-up Mystical Star look the toughest of her Winter
Memories’ five rivals entered for turf, though the Christophe Clement-trained
Naples Bay has won both career starts including an allowance over subsequent
Edgewood S. winner Diva Ash.