One-turn miles have a tendency to separate the wheat from the chaff, exposing
sprinters who lack the stamina to go farther as well as routers without
sufficient speed to win at a shorter distance. In that respect, Monday’s
$500,000
Metropolitan H. (G1) at Belmont Park should do its job. From a class and
quality standpoint, however, there is virtually no chaff in this renewal, which
attracted a field of eight.
By any measure, the 117th running of the Met Mile goes through QUALITY ROAD
(Elusive Quality), the highweight at 124 pounds who will concede from six to 10
pounds to his rivals. Stamping himself as the pro tem leader among older males
with easy wins in the Donn H. (G1) and Hal’s Hope S. (G3) over the winter, the
Todd Pletcher trainee was purposely given time off to prepare for this
engagement, the first of perhaps three or four he will have in advance of the
Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs in November. While determining his
ability to get 1 1/4 miles is well off into the future, Quality Road has ably
demonstrated his prowess over a one-turn mile with his Hal’s Hope and 2009
Fountain of Youth S. (G2) scores. The multiple Grade 1 winner, if at his best,
should be hard to beat under John Velazquez.
WARRIOR’S REWARD (Medaglia d’Oro) and MUSKET MAN (Yonaguska), separated by a
nose in the April 3 Carter H. (G1) at Aqueduct, return to New York after falling
short in the May 1 Churchill Downs S. (G1) in the slop. A fast-closing second in
that seven-furlong fixture, Warrior’s Reward had 2 3/4 lengths on Musket Man at
the finish of that one, and hopes to have better luck in his second trip over
“Big Sandy.” In last year’s Dwyer S. (G2), where he was favored, Warrior’s
Reward lost all chance after stumbling at the start. In contrast, Musket Man won
his only previous start at Belmont when taking his six-furlong debut in the fall
of 2008.
LE GRAND CRU (Dynaformer) is trained by Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens, who won
his only Metropolitan with Tunex in 1971. Le Grand Cru has developed into a
course-and-distance specialist of late, winning the off-the-turf Kelso H. (G3)
last fall and the April 30 Westchester S. (G3) in a powerful effort at 27-1.
Meanwhile, Jerkens’ son, Jimmy, who previously trained Quality Road, will send
out Westchester runner-up CONVOCATION (Pulpit), a lightly-raced four-year-old
who placed in the Dwyer last summer before being sidelined by injury.
The remaining three will have a bit more to find to upset the leading
players, but they’re far from toss outs from a wagering perspective. YOU AND I
FOREVER (A.P. Indy) exits a win in the Gulfstream Park H. (G2), also a one-turn
mile, and ran solidly to be second in the 2008 Jerome H. (G2) in his last trip
to Belmont. KENSEI (Mr. Greeley), who took the Dwyer and Jim Dandy S. (G2) last
season, was second in his seasonal debut at Fair Grounds but seemed not to
handle the going in the Churchill Downs S. TIZWAY (Tiznow), third behind Summer
Bird (Birdstone) and Quality Road in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) last fall,
passed his second- and third-level allowance conditions in fine style on this
circuit and is peaking a the right time.
The $150,000
Sands
Point S. (G2), a nine-furlong inner turf test for three-year-old fillies,
highlights the Memorial Day undercard. Canadian champion NEGLIGEE (Northern
Afleet), second in the Edgewood S. in her grass debut, will vie for favoritism
with Appalachian S. (G3) winner CHECK THE LABEL (Stormin Fever) and
Herecomesbride S. (G3) heroine KHANCORD KID (Lemon Drop Kid). Last-out allowance
winners STRIKE IT RICH (Unbridled’s Song) and CRESCENDA (Bowman’s Band) also
figure as does HIT IT RICH (Smart Strike), who hails from the family of multiple
Grade 1 winner Honey Ryder (Lasting Approval) and makes her turf debut.