Brown holds strong hands in Belmont Oaks & Derby

Lady Eli will be looking to strut her stuff in the Belmont Oaks (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) The second renewal of Stars & Stripes Day on July 4 at Belmont Park will be highlighted by the $1.25 million Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) and $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1), both scheduled for 1 1/4 miles on turf. Between the two marquee races, trainer Chad Brown is projected to have five entrants, led by undefeated turf filly Lady Eli (Divine Park) in the Belmont Oaks. The dark bay miss will look for her sixth straight victory in the Oaks. The three-year-old filly miss took the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to close out 2014 and returned with a win in the April 12 Appalachian S. (G3) at Keeneland before notching an impressive score in Belmont’s Wonder Again S., the local prep for the Oaks that took place on May 31. “There’s always some pressure when you have an undefeated horse; you’d like to keep it going,” Brown admitted. “She’s given us every indication in the morning that she’s going to continue to run her ‘A’ race, but as she goes on the races are always going to get harder. I’d anticipate this being the most difficult race she’s been in, but she seems like she’s up for it. She continues to improve.” Brown will also saddle Grade 3 heroine Consumer Credit (More Than Ready) and Strict Compliance (Into Mischief) in the Belmont Oaks.

Consumer Credit finished third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the
American Oaks (G1) at Santa Anita Park in her latest outing. Previously, the
dark bay sophomore sandwiched a runner-up effort in the Florida Oaks (G3)
between wins in the Sweetest Chant S. (G3) at Gulfstream Park and Aqueduct’s
Memories of Silver S. Strict Compliance has won her last three races, most
recently taking the Penn Oaks in her stakes debut.

All three of Brown’s Belmont Oaks entrants turned in their
final works for the race on Saturday over Belmont’s firm turf. Lady Eli was
caught in 1:01 3/5 for five furlongs, while Consumer Credit was clocked in 1:02
2/5 for the same distance. Strict Compliance turned five-eighths in 1:01 3/5.

“Consumer Credit breezed well. She showed in her last race
— the American Oaks — that she has the ability to stretch out to a mile and a
quarter. She’s coming into the race in good form,” Brown said. “Strict Compliance is lightly raced. She’s in good form, a
little bit of a later developing filly than the other two, but I’m confident she
can handle the distance. It’s going to be a big class test for
her, but she can get the mile and a quarter and it’s a big purse. She deserves a
shot.”

Brown’s hand is equally strong in the Belmont Derby, in which he will send
out Takeover Target (Harlan’s Holiday) and Startup Nation (Temple
City), who finished second and third,
respectively, in the Pennine Ridge S. at Belmont last out on May 30.

Takeover Target burst onto the turf scene as a juvenile
with an explosive debut win last October at Belmont. The bay colt
returned to the races in May at Big Sandy and delivered another powerful
performance in an allowance/optional claimer before finishing second in the Pennine Ridge.

Startup Nation is seeking a return to the winner’s circle in the Belmont Derby (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Startup Nation was also victorious in his debut, which came at Saratoga last August, and then won the With Anticipation S. (G2) by 4 1/2 lengths at the Spa in his second start. The New York-bred dark bay is winless since, but turned in a useful prep in his three-year-old debut when closing strongly to get third in the Pennine Ridge. The duo worked in company on Saturday at Belmont, turning five furlongs on the turf in 1:03 1/5. “Takeover Target and Startup Nation breezed together as they have been all along,” Brown stated. “It was more of the same from them, steady, easy work. We didn’t want to do too much with them today and they went perfect. I believe they both will have no problem with a mile and a quarter, as well.” The two Brown horses are likely to meet a formidable lineup in the Belmont Derby, including American Turf S. (G2) winner Divisidero (Kitten’s Joy), who set a new course record of 1:48.03 for about 1 1/8 miles at Belmont when taking the Pennine Ridge last out. The bay colt traveled a half-mile around Churchill Downs fast main track on Saturday in :51 2/5 to ready for the Belmont Derby.

Others for the race are Grade 1-placed stakes winner Bolo (Temple City), who
clocked three-quarters in 1:12 2/5 over Santa Anita’s fast dirt Friday; Penn
Mile (G3) victor Force the Pass (Speightstown); Penn Mile third-placer Granny’s Kitten
(Kitten’s Joy); and listed scorer Postulation (Harlan’s Holiday).

Possible for the Belmont Derby are Irish-bred Father Christmas (Bernardini),
third in the recent King Edward VII S. (Eng-G2) during Royal Ascot, and Closing Bell
(Tapit), who worked five furlongs on Belmont’s turf Saturday in 1:02.

Others headed to the Belmont Oaks include Itsonlyactingdad (Giant’s
Causeway), who was fourth in the Wonder
Again and worked a half-mile on Saratoga’s firm Oklahoma training turf in :48
4/5 Friday; listed-placed Irish-bred Jasmine Blue (Galileo); dual Grade
3-placed Lady Zuzu (Dynaformer); Chelsea Flower S. victress Miss Chatelaine
(Pulpit), who posted five panels Saturday on Belmont’s fast dirt in 1:02 1/5;
dual stakes-placed Pine Needles (Giant’s Causeway), who worked a grassy half at
Belmont in :49 1/5 on Saturday; Group 3-scoring German-bred Olorda (Lord of
England); Sentiero Italia (Medaglia d’Oro); Grade 2-placed multiple stakes
vixen Sharla Rae (Afleet Alex), who traveled four furlongs in :48 on Friday over
Santa Anita’s fast dirt; and American Oaks victress Spanish
Queen (Tribal Rule).

Possible for the Belmont Oaks are stakes heroine Gypsy Judy (Kitalpha), who
got a bullet four furlongs over the mud at Laurel Park in :47 2/5 on Saturday, and stakes
debuter Daring Duchess (Arch), who traveled five-eighths on Belmont’s green
Saturday in 1:02.

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