The 145th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes will be supported
on the June 8 card by the Grade 1, $500,000 Manhattan Handicap, the Grade 1,
$500,000 Just a Game, the Grade 2, $400,000 Woody Stephens and the Grade 2,
$400,000 True North Handicap.
Heading the field of probables for the Manhattan is the Phipps Stable’s Point
of Entry, who opened his five-year-old campaign with a 1 1/4-length victory over
champion Animal Kingdom in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. Trained by Hall of
Famer Shug McGaughey, Point of Entry has won six of his past seven appearances,
with his only loss during that time a second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup
Turf.
Also pointing to the 1 1/4-mile race, according to NYRA Stakes Coordinator
Andrew Byrnes, are Bombaguia; Hyper, making his first American graded stakes
start for trainer Chad Brown; Optimizer, most recently third in the Dixie at
Pimlico Race Course; Speaking of Which, sixth in the Fort Marcy; and Twilight
Eclipse, record-setting winner of the Pan American at Gulfstream Park last time
out. All Squared Away and Sky Blazer are possible.
GoldMark Farm’s Bombaguia, who will be trying Grade 1 company for the first
time in the Manhattan Handicap, was a hard-luck second to Lubash in the May 4
Fort Marcy.
Trainer John Kimmel commented on the gray gelding’s trip in the Fort Marcy,
in which he was caught in traffic from the quarter-pole to the eighth-pole,
where he was forced to steady, then altered course twice before closing
furiously to miss by a half-length.
“It doesn’t get much worse than that,” Kimmel said. “I thought he ran a
winning race. If he gets through there, he’s an easy winner.”
The Borrego gelding opened his five-year-old campaign finishing second by a
neck on a one-mile optional claimer at Gulfstream Park; at four, he was 2-2-1
from 10 starts, including a good second to Air Support in the Bowling Green at
Belmont.
“Last year his best performance was running second to Air Support going 1 1/4
miles, and I think he’s a stronger, better horse this year,” Kimmel said. “I
like the way my horse is coming into the race, and I think he deserves a
chance.”
Mizdirection, owned in part by sports commentator Jim Rome, is one of five
Grade 1 winners who are among the probables for the Just a Game for turf fillies
and mares. Best known for her success going short, Mizdirection, the 2012
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint heroine, will aim for her second graded stakes score
at one mile when she competes in the Just a Game. The race is also expected to
attract Grade 1 winners Better Lucky, Centre Court, Dayatthespa and Stephanie’s
Kitten, as well as Hungry Island and Laugh Out Loud.
In what would be his 63rd career start, eight-year-old Caixa Eletronica is
probable to defend his title in the True North Handicap. Trained by Todd
Pletcher for Mike Repole, the millionaire son of Arromanches opened his 2013
campaign with a victory in the Uncle Mo at Aqueduct, and most recently finished
fifth in his quest for a repeat win in the Charles Town Classic.
Pointing as well to the six-furlong race are Zayat Stables’ Justin Phillip,
winner of the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park last time
out; Laurie’s Rocket, most recently third in the Maryland Sprint Handicap; Pass
You Bye Bye and Lucky’s Dream, first and second, respectively, in the Decathlon
at Monmouth Park; Off the Jak, most recently a winner of an optional claimer at
Churchill Downs; Reload, making his graded stakes debut for trainer Shug
McGaughey; and Maryland Sprint Handicap winner Sage Valley, who is seeking his
fifth straight victory.
Bay Shore winner Declan’s Warrior will look for his fourth straight victory
as he heads the field of probables for the seven-furlong Woody Stephens. Trained
by Hall of Famer Nick Zito, the three-year-old Majestic Warrior colt dead-heated
to win an optional claimer at Gulfstream Park on March 9 and most recently took
the Gygistar overnight stakes at Belmont on May 22.
Also targeting the Woody Stephens are Forty Tales and Capo Bastone, first and
second, respectively, in the Derby Trial; Clearly Now, second to Declan’s
Warrior in the Bay Shore; Honorable Dillon, who beat older horses in an optional
claimer last time out; Merit Man, most recently third in the Florida Derby; Salutos
Amigos, fourth in the Bay Shore; recent maiden winner Trinni Heart; and Whiskey
Romeo, winner of the Trippi overnight stakes at Belmont on April 26 last time
out.
Belmont Park will conduct the Grade 2, $200,000 Brooklyn Handicap the day
before the Belmont Stakes. Calidoscopio, the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner,
looks to rebound off a fifth in the Tokyo City Cup on March 23 at Santa Anita
and is slated to face Eldaafer and Birdrun, the respective victors of the 2009
and 2011 Brooklyn Handicaps. Probables also include Fast Falcon, Flashy
Sunrise, Keep Me Informed and Quick Casablanca.
Mr. Commons is slated to become John Shirreffs’ first stakes starter since
the trainer brought a string to Belmont Park this spring, with the five-year-old
aiming for the Grade 3, $150,000 Jaipur next Friday.
Owned by St. George Farm Racing, Mr. Commons has made 14 consecutive starts
going one mile on the grass. He’ll be cutting back in distance for the
seven-furlong Jaipur off a third-place finish to Wise Dan and Data Link in his
most recent start, the Maker’s 46 Mile on April 12 at Keeneland.
“We had a chance to go in either the Jaipur or the Manhattan, and we chose to
go in the shorter race,” Shirreffs said. “He ran really well going 6 1/2
furlongs down the hill at Santa Anita (in his second start). A mile and a
quarter would have been a little too far.”
Shirreffs said he hopes the Jaipur sets up Mr. Commons for longer races this
summer.
“I want to run him longer, but the Manhattan is a particularly tough race, a
Grade 1,” Shirreffs said. “That’s a tough race to experiment in, so we’d rather
have him in a race we know he’s capable of handling. I do want to stretch him
out at some point, but it’s his first race back after a while.”
Mr. Commons is seeking his first victory since taking 2011 Sir Beaufort and
2012 Arcadia at Santa Anita in consecutive starts.
“He’s a very consistent horse; he always runs his race,” Shirreffs said.
“He’s been the victim of sometimes bad pace, sometimes traffic. We really feel
hasn’t had the perfect trip yet. With a little bit of luck, he should be right
there.”
Mr. Commons’ competition in the Jaipur at seven furlongs on the turf is
expected to include a pair from the Bruce Brown barn in Night Officer,
victorious in the Around the Cape overnight stakes on May 16 at Belmont,
and Spring to the Sky, second in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint on May 17 at Pimlico.
Also in the provisional field are Artest, Big Screen, Joes Blazing Aaron, Next
Question, Summer Breezing and Travelin Man. Beau Choix is questionable.
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