Tom Pedulla affords 5 takeaways from an enormous vacation weekend of racing, together with a promising debut by a half-brother to retired celebrity Flightline and developments surrounding the extremely anticipated Belmont Stakes Offered by NYRA Bets June 8 at Saratoga Race Course.
TAKING FLIGHT: Eagles Flight is bred for achievement as a half-sibling to Flightline, who retired undefeated by way of six begins and was honored as Horse of the 12 months in 2022. Whereas that doesn’t assure something on the monitor, Eagles Flight fulfilled excessive expectations when he rallied to win his debut by 2 ¾ lengths whereas going six furlongs Monday at Santa Anita Park. Eagles Flight is by two-time Horse of the 12 months Curlin out of the Indian Charlie mare Feathered, a graded stakes winner. He’s skilled by John Sadler, not identified for successful with first-time starters. Jockey Flavien Prat is assured the 3-year-old will profit from his first race. “He was a bit of inexperienced on the market, then he received into a pleasant rhythm down the bottom,” Prat famous. “I used to be very happy with the best way he dealt with himself with the opposite horses.”
FINDING A WAY: The Wine Steward has positioned second in every of his final three begins. In 2023, he missed by half a size to Locked within the 1 1/16-mile Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity to shut his 2-year-old season. Then he opened the present marketing campaign by ending three-quarters of a size shy of Encino within the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes on the identical distance at Keeneland earlier than Antiquarian overtook him by three-quarters of a size within the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan Stakes on Might 11. Though the Peter Pan is the standard native prep for the Belmont, coach Mike Maker is debating whether or not to run within the last leg of the Triple Crown or the seven-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes that very same day at Saratoga Race Course. With the race being shifted to Saratoga on account of a makeover of Belmont Park, it will likely be held at a mile and 1 / 4 this 12 months quite than the standard mile and a half. It will nonetheless be a testing distance for The Wine Steward, a son of 2019 Breeders’ Cup Traditional winner Vino Rosso. “It is dependent upon the journey, however I feel he can get it,” co-owner David Staudacher mentioned of the Belmont distance. He emphasised that the decision is Maker’s to make.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS: Juddmonte homebred Batten Down broke his maiden on his fourth try, demolishing his competitors by 8 ¾ lengths going a mile and 1 / 4 on April 30 at Churchill Downs. Does that make him worthy of a shot within the Belmont Stakes? Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Mott mentioned he’ll select between the Belmont and the much less salty Ohio Derby, which shall be run June 22 at Thistledown, after the Tapit colt drilled 5 furlongs in 1:01.09 in firm with Arthur’s Trip, an older horse that could be a two-time winner, on Monday at Saratoga. Jockey Junior Alvarado was aboard Batten Down for the work and would welcome it if Mott opts for the Belmont. “I feel this race would go well with him completely,” he mentioned. “He is aware of methods to cowl that floor and go quick and the identical tempo the entire manner round. He’s received the expertise. He’s simply received to place all of it collectively.”
NO CATCHING HER: Michael Lund Petersen’s Adare Manor efficiently defended her title within the $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes in the identical front-running type she used final 12 months. Her 4 ¼-length rating for jockey Juan Hernandez in opposition to Espresso in Mattress made her the primary repeat winner of that race since Corridor of Famer Bayakoa in 1989-90. It was the sixth stakes win for the Uncle Mo mare. It additionally marked her ninth victory general in 17 begins with 5 runner-up efforts and boosted her profession earnings previous $1.8 million. “That’s why we’re on this sport,” coach Bob Baffert mentioned after the commanding efficiency. “We love our horses, we love competing and we love watching them compete. And if you get one like this, you higher get pleasure from them as a result of they’re arduous to search out.”
BAFFERT MILESTONE: Corridor of Famer Baffert notched his 350th stakes victory at Santa Anita whereas extending his report for Hollywood Gold Cup triumphs to 10 Monday – and he did it in type. Mr Fisk and pacesetting Reincarnate produced a one-two end for Baffert. The consequence was bittersweet, although, as a result of jockey Kazushi Kimura felt one thing was barely off with Mr Fisk as he pulled him up. The horse was returned to the barn by equine ambulance as a precaution amid preliminary indications that the damage is minor.
