Gainesway Stable’s homebred New York-bred Horse of the Year looks for second Grade 1 victory in Friday’s Just a Game at Belmont Park. Benoit Photo
A strong team led by 2022 New York-bred Horse of the Year and multiple divisional champion Spendarella is set for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Belmont Park.
Seven New York-breds were entered in stakes over the Festival, including a group of five on Saturday’s Belmont Stakes Day undercard.
Gainesway Stable homebred Spendarella leads off Friday when she bids for her second Grade 1 victory in the $500,000 Just a Game Stakes for older fillies and mares. The 4-year-old daughter of Karakontie, crowned New York-bred Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly and turf female at last month’s NYTB Annual Awards Dinner in Saratoga Springs, takes on In Italian and three others in the 1-mile turf stakes.
Trained by Graham Motion, Spendarella is the 2-1 second choice under Tyler Gaffalione for the Just a Game coming off a runner-up finish to Fluffy Socks in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 6 at Churchill Downs. Spendarella hadn’t been out since winning the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 20 at Del Mar, but Motion was pleased enough with the filly’s comeback and recent training to return to the Grade 1 ranks.
“I thought she was very tenacious. It’s tough to come back from that kind of a layoff against that kind of company,” Motion said. “Since then, she’s worked well. She breezed well last week and we went easier on her in her last work. It was a good work and I’ve been pleased with her.”
Spendarella breezed 5 furlongs in a bullet 1:00 on Fair Hill’s synthetic track June 2.
“In her last race, I was initially a little disappointed that she was second because she was training really well,” Motion said. “But looking at it now, it was the best figure that she’s run and she’s done well since the race. Hopefully, having a race will help her moving forward.”
The Just a Game goes as the third race Friday, with post time at 2:28 p.m. ET.
Cross Border, winner of the 2021 Bowling Green at Saratoga, returns to the flat for Friday’s 2-mile Belmont Gold Cup. NYRA Photo.
Friday’s card also features the flat-racing return of Cross Border, who runs in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup Stakes going 2 miles on the grass.
Bred by Berkshire Stud and B D Gibbs, the 9-year-old English Channel ridgling made a transition to steeplechase racing last fall for owner Three Diamonds Farm and trainer Keri Brion. After a third in a 2-mile flat race run under steeplechase conditions – carrying 148 pounds – he pulled up in a maiden race at the Steeplechase of Charleston meeting in mid-November. He returned this spring with a victory in a restricted maiden race going 2 1/16 miles over jumps before a fourth in a $25,000 ratings hurdle handicap at the Queen’s Cup Steeplechase in Mineral Springs, North Carolina.
Cross Border made his way back to trainer Mike Maker’s barn this spring and comes into the Gold Cup with three works on the Belmont training track.
“He’s the same old Cross Border. He’s a sound, hickory horse,” Maker said. “It looks like a tough spot to make his comeback, but we’ll see.”
Cross Border and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. are 12-1 on the morning line in the field of 13 for the Gold Cup, with Godolphin’s 8-5 favorite Siskany, the German-bred mare Amazing Grace and Joseph O’Brien-trained High Definition leading the group. The Gold Cup goes as the 10th race at 5:47 p.m.
Maker also sends out the newly minted Grade 1 winner Red Knight in Saturday’s Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes, which could be the Pure Prize gelding’s 13th victory and third in four starts this year.
Red Knight, dubbed “stronger than jailhouse coffee” by trainer Mike Maker, takes on international cast in Saturday’s Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont. Janet Garaguso/NYRA Photo.
Bred and raced by Tom Egan’s Trinity Farm, Red Knight won the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes May 13 at Belmont Park after a hard-luck second in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland and a win on Pegasus Day in the Grade 3 William L. McKnight Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Red Knight, who is 5-for-11 on the grass at Belmont, is 8-1 in the 10-furlong Manhattan with Gaffalione named to ride.
“He’s doing super,” Maker said. “He’s stronger than jailhouse coffee. I’d like him to get a ground-saving trip and fire home like he normally does.”
The Manhattan goes as the 11th race with post time set for 5:54 p.m.
Reddam Racing’s Today’s Flavor leads off for the New York-bred contingent on Belmont Day in the Grade 2 True North Stakes, which goes as the third race at 12:29 p.m. ET. Bred by Joseph Calvo, the 5-year-old son of Laoban exits a victory in the Affirmed Success Stakes April 30 at Aqueduct after a solid fourth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap 22 days prior.
Trained by George Weaver, Today’s Flavor makes his first appearance at Belmont Park in the 6 1/2-furlong True North against last year’s champion sprinter Elite Power and Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint runner-up Strobe.
“He’s maintained good form and trains well, like he has for the last two months,” Weaver said. “We’re looking forward to taking on a tougher race.”
Today’s Flavor is 5-1 on the morning line with Manny Franco taking the return call.
A trio of longshots looks to upend Grade 1-winning mare Caravel and defending champ Casa Creed in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes on the Belmont Day card.
Last year’s Lucky Coin winner Thin White Duke (5) is part of big field for Saturday’s Grade 1 Jaipur. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.
Winning Move Stable’s and Sanford Robbins’ Mid Day Image, the winner of his last three starts; and Thin White Duke, winner of last year’s Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga for owners Phil Gleaves, Steven Crist and Ken deRegt, are each 30-1 for the 6-furlong turf stakes.
Bred by Patricia Generazio and now trained by David Jacobsen, Mid Day Image won his two starts this year going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf at Laurel Park and at 6 furlongs on the grass at Belmont. Kendrick Carmouche takes the mount on Mid Day Image.
Bred by Gleaves and trained by David Donk, Thin White Duke seeks his first win in three tries this season. He comes off a fourth in the Elusive Quality Stakes going 7 furlongs on the grass May 6 at Belmont. Javier Castellano rides the 5-year-old son of Dominus.
Richies World Stable’s Surprise Boss, fifth in the Elusive Quality for trainer Rafael Romero last time out, is 50-1 on the morning line from post 14 in the Jaipur. Bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock and War Dancer LLC, the 4-year-old son of War Dancer finished on the board in a division of the New York Stallion Series last spring at Belmont and third in the Grade 3 Quick Call Stakes last summer at Saratoga. Trevor McCarthy takes the mount on Surprise Boss.
The Jaipur goes as the ninth race on the Belmont Day card, with post time at 4:19 p.m.
The FOX Sports family of networks will present expansive coverage and analysis of Saturday’s Belmont Stakes Day card beginning with “America’s Day at the Races” on FS1 at 11 a.m. Coverage then shifts to FOX, where “America’s Day at the Belmont” and “Belmont Day on FOX” will air from 3 to 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s card will air from 12:30 to 5 p.m. on FS2, from 5 to 6 p.m. on FS1 and back on FS2 from 6 to 6:30 p.m.
The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival’s Thursday card has been canceled due to poor air quality conditions on Long Island. The Grade 2 Wonder Again and Jersey Girl Stakes will be re-drawn as part of Sunday’s card, joining the Astoria and Tremont.
