Sentiero Italia takes on Grade 1 rivals in Belmont Oaks
stakes bow
Sentiero Italia (Medaglia d’Oro) will face a tough task when she makes her
stakes debut in Saturday’s $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1), in
which she will meet undefeated filly Lady Eli (Divine Park), but the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained
filly has made steady improvement since her March 11 debut going 7 1/2 furlongs
on the turf at Gulfstream Park.
“To be honest, we didn’t like her early on, but she got better and better and
then when she ran we liked her,” said McLaughlin, who trains Sentiero Italia for
Godolphin Racing. “She had trouble (in her debut) and was a funny seventh but
galloped out strong. She ran much better than we thought she should.”
Sentiero Italia took a giant leap forward in her next start, a 1 1/8-mile grass
affair at Aqueduct on April 19. The bay miss went
straight to the front that day and pulled away to win by 1 1/4 lengths, beating a
few next-out winners in the process, including Trophee (Mr. Sidney), a half-sister to
two-time Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) winner Treve (Motivator).
In her subsequent and most recent start, Sentiero Italia continued to
progress, this time winning an allowance at Belmont by two lengths and
again handily defeating a next-out winner, Kitten’s Roar (Kitten’s Joy), who
took a June 24 allowance/optional
claimer at Belmont by 1 1/2 lengths.
“The circumstances were different in her second start,” McLaughlin
noted. “We
sent her to the lead going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct and there was no pace. Last
time we took her back.
“I don’t know going forward. Right now I’d like her to be covered up, but if
there’s not much pace we’ll be close. Lady Eli might want us to be there setting
the pace. We’ll see.
“She’s training great and she’s won two in a row. It’s a big step up to a Grade
1, but we feel like she belongs and it’s worth a try. She’s a very talented
filly,” McLaughlin added.
Along with tougher competition, Sentiero Italia will be tested by the farthest
distance she’s run in her young career in the 1 1/4-mile Oaks. But with a
stamina-laden pedigree, that may be to her benefit.
“I don’t see the distance being a negative. The way she won at 1 1/8 miles
suggests this could be ideal for her,” McLaughlin remarked.
Next Saturday’s Stars & Stripes card at Belmont Park will also feature the
$150,000 Victory Ride S. (G3) sending sophomore fillies 6 1/2 furlongs on the
main track, and Miss Preakness S. (G3) winner Irish Jasper (First
Defence) is good to go for the race, according to owner and trainer Derek Ryan.
Accustomed to running on the dirt, Irish Jasper turned in a turf work last
Wednesday at
her base at Monmouth Park, breezing five furlongs in 1:02 4/5, a method Ryan says
is typical in his training program.
“I like working them on the turf and she went really well, worked 1:02 and up in
(1:)15,” Ryan noted. “We got what just we wanted out of
it.”
Irish Jasper was already a two-time stakes winner when she picked up her first
graded score in the Miss Preakness at Pimlico on May 15, having made
her way to the winner’s circle in the April 26 Belle Harbor S. at Aqueduct and the Gasparilla
S. at Tampa Bay Downs last December.
The sophomore filly has been consistent in eight lifetime starts, notching five
wins and a third-place finish at every distance between 5 1/2 and seven furlongs.
Her regular rider, Kendrick Carmouche, has been aboard for four of her five wins
and will have the return call in the Victory Ride.
Ryan plans to use the Victory Ride as a step toward his ultimate
summer goal, the $500,000 Test S. (G1) going seven furlongs on August 8 at Saratoga.
“I liked the distance (of the Victory Ride),” Ryan said. “She’s coming in great.
She’ll come in on Saturday and then we’ll go back home. Hopefully after this,
we’ll go on to the Test.”
Headlining the list of probable runners for the Victory Ride is Enchanting Lady (Tale
of the Cat) for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Last out, the three-year old
miss made an
impressive run after stumbling at the start and traveling three-wide to finish
second in the Jersey Girl S. at Belmont on June 5. Enchanting Lady worked five
furlongs on Saturday over Belmont’s fast main track in 1:00 2/5.
Also likely to enter is Promise Me Silver (Silver City) for
trainer Bret Calhoun. After reeling off eight straight victories to start her
career, the gray filly finished a disappointing 10th in her lone start at Belmont in
the Acorn S. (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day. She took a spin around Churchill Downs
on Saturday, clocking a half-mile in :48 on the fast dirt.
Miss Ella (Exchange Rate), who posted four panels at Belmont Saturday in :50, will also look to move forward off a
seventh-place finish in the Acorn for trainer Graham Motion. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is likely to enter Super Saks
(Sky Mesa),
who most recently won a five-furlong turf allowance on May 29 at Churchill
Downs. The Kenny McPeek-trained Kathballu (Bluegrass Cat) rounds out the
list of likely starters.
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