Contentious Intercontinental, Astoria kick off Belmont’s Racing Festival

Before heading to Royal Ascot, Wesley Ward will send out a prime contender in the Astoria (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com)

The inaugural Belmont Stakes Racing Festival opens Thursday with a pair of
contests. While the $250,000
Astoria
S. has attracted a small field of six juvenile fillies, the $150,000

Intercontinental S. figures to be a much more contentious affair with 14
turf distaffers entered.

Four of the Astoria contenders are coming off maiden wins. The Wesley
Ward-trained Moment Is Right (Medaglia d’Oro), a daughter of multiple Grade 2
victress Rite Moment (Vicar), wired a 4 1/2-furlong dash in her premiere at
Gulfstream Park by 8 1/2 lengths. Decked Out (Street Boss) and Little Cherie
(Pleasantly Perfect) rallied from off the pace in their respective debut tallies
at Santa Anita and Keeneland. One Minute (Run Away and Hide) overcame a rough
trip to romp by 7 1/4 lengths at Churchill Downs in her third try, and was
subsequently acquired by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and transferred to Steve
Asmussen.

Tonasah (Malibu Moon) will make her career debut in the 5 1/2-furlong
Astoria, but rates a threat in light of her pedigree and connections. Trained by
Todd Pletcher, who boasts a 100 percent strike rate when pitching first-time
starters versus winners, she is a half-sister to speedy Grade 3 winner Quantum
Miss (Smoke Glacken).

Twice-raced maiden La Nina (Tale of the Cat) is also worth a look after
running into two of Ward’s Royal Ascot-bound buzzsaws. A distant second to
Storied Tale (Tale of the Cat) at Aqueduct April 23, the James Lawrence II filly
was best of the rest behind highly-touted Finnegan (Unbridled’s Song) on the
turf at Pimlico. La Nina, who’s out of a half-sister to 2009 Hopeful (G1) winner
Dublin (Afleet Alex), reverts to dirt here.

Marbre Rose rates as a tepid 7-2 favorite in the Intercontinental (Guy Gustafson/Horsephotos.com)

Christophe Clement’s duo of Zindaya (More Than Ready) and Marbre Rose (Smart
Strike) drew right next to each other in posts 10 and 11, respectively.

Third to Canadian Horse of the Year Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay) and ill-fated
Diversy Harbor in last fall’s Autumn Miss (G3) at Santa Anita, Zindaya just
wired the May 1 License Fee, beating the re-opposing Devilish Love (Not for
Love) and Dauphine Russe (Russian Blue). Believe in Charlie (Indian Charlie) was
only fifth in the License Fee, but note that she ran a similar race in that
local prep last year before nearly shocking the 2014 Intercontinental at 42-1.

Multiple Group 3-placed Marbre Rose won her first two U.S. outings, taking an
entry-level allowance at this course and distance before the December 13 South
Beach at Gulfstream. She was only sixth next time in the March 28 Honey Fox
(G2), however, and shortens up off the break.

Shrinking Violet makes her second start back from her vacation for Ward.
Victorious in the Monrovia (G2) on Santa Anita’s downhill turf January 4, she
was a useful, dead-heat third in the May 16 The Very One in course-record time
at Pimlico.