Belmont kicks off lucrative 59-day meet with Elusive
Quality
Highlighted by the inaugural Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, encompassing
The oldest and longest leg of racing’s elusive Triple Crown, the 1 1/2-mile
As New York’s home for Triple Crown racing, Belmont Park will host a live
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That day, Belmont will offer a trio of prestigious stakes races: the $200,000
Sheepshead Bay (G2) and the $150,000 Fort Marcy (G3), both on the turf, and the
$150,000 Westchester (G3), the traditional prep for the $1.25 million
Metropolitan H. (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day.
The Met Mile is one of five other Grade 1 races on a 13-race card supporting
the Belmont: the $1 million Manhattan on the turf, the $1 million Ogden Phipps
for fillies and mares, the $750,000 Acorn for three-year-old fillies and the
$700,000 Just a Game for turf fillies and mares.
Also on track that day will be the $500,000 Woody Stephens , the $400,000
Brooklyn (G2), the $300,000 Jaipur (G3), and the $150,000 Easy Goer for
three-year-olds.
With the Belmont Stakes Draw scheduled on June 3 at Rockefeller Center in
Manhattan, the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will kick off on June 4 with the
$150,000 Intercontinental for turf fillies and mares and the $250,000 Astoria
for two-year-old fillies.
On June 5, the festival continues as Belmont Park will offer five stakes
races worth $1.2 million, including the $300,000 New York (G2) for turf fillies
and mares, the $250,000 True North (G2) for sprinters, the $250,000 Belmont Gold
Cup for turf marathoners, the $150,000 Jersey Girl for three-year-old filly
sprinters, and the Astoria’s twin race, the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont for juveniles,
also with a purse of $250,000.
On Memorial Day, May 25, New York-breds take center stage on Big Apple
Showcase Day, with six stakes races worth $900,000 including a pair of one-mile
dirt races: the Commentator and the Critical Eye for fillies and mares, both
worth $200,000.
In July, the second “must-see” event of the meet is the second edition of the
internationally themed Stars & Stripes Racing Festival, highlighted by the $1.25
Belmont Derby (G1) and the $1 million Belmont Oaks (G1) for three-year-old
fillies, both at 1 1/4 miles on the turf. Also on the card are the $500,000
Suburban H. (G2), the $500,000 Dwyer (G3) for three-year-olds, the $400,000
Belmont Sprint Championship (G3) and the $150,000 Victory Ride (G3) for
three-year-old filly sprinters.
“Party at the Park” Twilight Fridays return with a special 3 p.m. (EDT) post
time on June 19, June 26 and July 3, and the “Breakfast at Belmont” program is
available every weekend and holiday during the meet, with the exception of
Belmont Stakes weekend.
First race post time at Belmont Park generally is 1:20 p.m., with racing
conducted Wednesday through Sunday.
Admission to Belmont Park is $5, excluding Belmont Stakes Day, when
Grandstand admission is $15 and Clubhouse admission is $40. Information on
special hospitality packages and seats for Belmont Stakes Day can be found at
belmontstakes.com.
A contentious group of older turf runners have lined up for Wednesday’s
$100,000
Elusive Quality on opening day, led by New York-bred King Kreesa (King Cugat).
In 2014, King Kreesa won his seasonal debut in the West Point on August 24 at
Saratoga, and then finished second in the Ashley T. Cole at Belmont and third in
the Mohawk to close out an abridged campaign for trainer David Donk.
Plainview (Street Cry) is set to make his 2015 debut in the seven-furlong
dash on the Widener turf. Most recently a distant ninth in the Queens County
racing on dirt, Plainview previously finished fourth in the Knickerbocker (G3)
after setting the pace over a yielding course.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle a potent uncoupled entry of
Sinatra (Harlan’s Holiday) and Mosler (War Front). Sinatra will be turning back
off a third-place finish in a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Gulfstream Park, while
Mosler will switch back to turf after finishing ninth in the one-mile Fred W.
Hooper (G3) on Gulfstream’s main track. One start prior to the Fred Hooper,
Mosler was sixth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, in the Ft. Lauderdale (G2) on turf —
his first start over the surface.
Hard-knocking turf sprinters Mr. Online (Silent Name), Tightend Touchdown
(Pure Precision), Dimension (Medicean) and Spring to the Sky (Langfuhr) are also
among those entered for the Elusive Quality.
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