The final leg of the US Triple Crown, the G1 Belmont S. over 2400 metres on dirt is the headliner of a Saturday Belmont Park card that includes nine Graded stakes races – including eight Grade 1s. Australasian residents are well-represented throughout the card with eight of the races having at least one runner connected to this region with one runner being an Australian-bred herself.
The first stakes race of the day kicks off at 1.47am AEST on Sunday with the Belmont slated for 8.49am AEST.
Godolphin looks for win in Belmont
Suffering his only career defeat in the G1 Kentucky Derby, Essential Quality (USA) (Tapit {USA}) looks to give Godolphin a win in this year’s G1 Belmont S. If he can win, he’ll be the second Classic winner in two years for his family with his dam a half-sister to the grandam of Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
Rock Your World (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}) is looking to put a loss in the Derby behind him in the Belmont. His family includes Australian Group 1 winner Perfect Reflection (More Than Ready {USA}) and three other stakes winners for G2 Western Australian Oaks winner Reflected Image (Bluebird {USA}). Reflected Image’s final foal is a 3-year-old filly named Reflecting Image (Americain {USA}) in training with Shea Eden. Perfect Reflection’s eldest is a yearling colt by Vancouver and she also has a weanling by that stallion as well.
Domestic Spending looks for another Group 1 in Manhattan
Grade 2 winner Masteroffoxhounds (USA) (War Front {USA}) is trying to score a Grade 1 win in Saturday’s G1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. over 2000 metres on the turf. The 4-year-old colt hails from the family of Australian stakes winner Francis Of Assisi (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and G1 Caulfield Cup third Cliffsofmoher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
A dead-heat Grade 1 winner last out, Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is the latest successful runner from a family that includes Australian stakes winner Rugged Cross (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and G1 Caulfield Cup fourth Blue Monday (GB) (Darshaan {GB}). Domestic Spending is looking to win his third straight Grade 1 and fourth consecutive race overall in the Manhattan.
Strong Australasian connections in Just a Game
A great-granddaughter of New Zealand Broodmare of the Year Benediction (Ire) (Day Is Done {Ire}), G1 Just a Game S. runner Blowout’s (GB) (Dansili {GB}) grandam is a half-sister to Australian Horse of the Year Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}). In addition to that two-time Horse of the Year, Benediction is the dam of Group 3 winner Matter Of Honour (NZ) (Casual Lies {USA}). A pedigree with strong roots in Australasia, while other siblings are the matriarchs of families that include four-time Group 1 winner Mosheen (Fastnet Rock), and multiple Group winners Time For War (Snitzel) and Hiflyer (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
Making her second Group 1 appearance in the G1 Just a Game S., Zofelle (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) looks to add another major win to her family’s page. She is out of an unraced three-quarter sister to Champions Listen (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) and Sequoyah (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}). The dam of former shuttle sire Henrythenavigator (USA), Sequoyah is also the grandam of Australian Group winner Francis Of Assisi and great-grandam of G1 Caulfield Cup third Cliffsofmoher.
Night Of Thunder (Ire) sends out Pocket Square (GB) in this spot. That filly’s grandam is a half-sister to the dam of New Zealand Group 2 winner Fears Northing (NZ) (Faltaat {USA}). Fears Northing’s dam was imported to New Zealand where she had seven foals, including two fillies. The first, Entrancement (NZ) (Danehill {USA}), has a 2-year-old unnamed colt by Contributer (Ire) and the second has a 3-year-old filly named Innocent (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) and an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Preferment (NZ).
A half-sister to Iffraaj’s (GB) Champion Rizeena (Ire), Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) has shipped to the United States for this race after winning the G2 Balanchine Sponsored by Range Rover at Meydan in February. The filly’s dam Serena’s Storm (Ire) (Statue Of Liberty {USA}) is a half-sister to Swettenham sire Puissance De Lune (Ire) and Australian stakes-placed His Majesty (Ire) among the four stakes winners for Princess Serena (SAF) (Unbridled’s Song {USA}). One of Princess Serena’s half-sisters is the dam of G3 Bow Mistress S. winner Zargos (Shamardal {USA}), who was exported to France last August. Her dam also has a 4-year-old gelding named Exceed Rocks (Exceed And Excel) and a Fastnet Rock 3-year-old filly named Southside Sisters in training with Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes.
Wootton Bassett (GB) is represented in this race by Grade 2 winner Tamahere (Fr). Tamahere is a half-sister to stakes winner Shadan (USA) (Orpen {USA}) and from the family of Classic winner Classic Park (GB) (Robellino {USA}).
Bonny South represents Nijinsky Star in Ogden Phipps
A week that kicked off with Spirit Ridge (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) winning the G3 Premier’s Cup last Saturday continues to be a big one for his great-grandam Nijinsky Star (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}) this weekend with G1 Ogden Phipps runner Bonny South (USA) (Munnings {USA}) among three Belmont stakes runners for the mare in the next two days. Also the family of Australian-based Kings Will Dream (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}), who runs in a stakes next week, Nijinsky Star has seen Country Grammar (USA) (Tonalist {USA}) win the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup and Fulsome (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) win the G3 Matt Winn S. in the past seven days.
Oleksandra looks for second win in Jaipur
Carrying a foal by Into Mischief (USA), the Australian-bred Oleksandra (Animal Kingdom {USA}) looks to win her second straight G1 Jackpocket Jaipur S. on Saturday. Oleksandra is a half-sister to stakes-placed Hostwin Galaxy (Redoute’s Choice) and her dam is the South African Group 2 winner Alexandra Rose (SAF) (Caesour {USA}). Oleksandra was exported to the United States in 2018 and has won three stakes races in the country, led by the Jaipur.
Making his second career stakes start is Greyes Creek (USA) (Pioneerof The Nile {USA}) out of American Lady (USA) (Stormy Atlantic {USA}). That mare’s dam is a half-sister to Max’s Sister (USA) (Phone Trick {USA}), who was imported to Australia in 1998 as a 4-year-old. Max’s Sister only had two foals but one was Group 2 winner All Bar One, who stood in Australia for five years until his death in 2012 with two stakes winners and five stakes performers from 219 runners.
From the family of G1 Blue Diamond winner Riva Diva (Raise A Cup {USA}) is Grade 3 winner Gregorian Chant (GB) (Gregorian {Ire}). Riva Diva’s dam Tommasina Fiesco (Ity) (Green Dancer {USA}) was imported to Australia in the 1980s and had her final foal in 1995. Riva Diva had there winners from four to race, including the stakes-winning Viva La Diva (Barathea {Ire}) in 1996.
Once talked about as a potential The Everest runner, multiple Graded stakes winner Bound For Nowhere (USA) (The Factor {USA}) has multiple ties to Australia. Not only did his sire shuttle to the country, but his grandam’s half-sister Fikra (USA) (Gulch {USA}) was a New Zealand resident for much of her life. That mare’s daughter Blumarju (NZ) (Marju {Ire}) is the dam of multiple stakes-placed Couldn’t Agreemore (Not A Single Doubt), who last ran in May 2016. Sent back to New Zealand in 2017, Blumarju has an unnamed 2-year-old filly, and weanling and yearling colts by Turn Me Loose (NZ). She wasn’t served in 2020.
Chewing Gum (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}) is set to represent multiple Australian stakes-placed Slow Pace’s (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) family on Saturday. Stakes placed in a Grade 3, this will be his second attempt at the Grade 1 level. Slow Pace ran his last race in April 2018 for Kris Lees and retired with six wins in 53 starts.
Frosted daughter among favourites in Acorn
Fifth in the G1 Kentucky Oaks last out, Frosted’s (USA) daughter Travel Column (USA) is searching for her first Grade 1 victory in the G1 Acorn S. over 1600 metres on Saturday’s card. The 3-year-old has only finished worse than third once in her career and is a multiple Grade 2 winner. A half-sister to multiple Grade 1-placed Neolithic (USA) (Harlan’s Holiday {USA}), she comes from the same family as G3 Lord Mayor’s Cup winner Duca Valentinois (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who was retired by Godolphin last October.
It’s been a big week for Nijinsky Star (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}) and that looks set to continue in the Acorn with Obligatory. Nijinsky Star is the third dam of G3 Premier’s Cup winner Spirit Ridge (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and G3 Matt Winn winner Fulsome (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) and fourth dam of Monday’s G1 Hollywood Gold Cup winner Country Grammar (USA) (Tonalist {USA}). The family also includes G2 Belmont Gold Cup runner Tide Of The Sea (USA) (English Channel {USA}) in today, Bonny South (USA) (Munnings {USA}) later in the Saturday card, and Australian-based Kings Will Dream (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) set to run his final race in Queensland next Saturday.
Sleepytime son runs in Brooklyn
A son of Classic winner Sleepytime (Ire) (Royal Academy {USA}), Ry's The Guy (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) is looking for his first Graded stakes win in the G2 Brooklyn S. Presented by Northwell Health. Sleepytime is also a half-sister to the dam of G1 Doncaster H. winner It’s Somewhat (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}). It’s Somewhat last raced in the 2018 G1 Seppelt Mackinnon S. before being retired to the Godolphin Lifetime Care Program.
Future Spendthrift stallion looks to annex Woody Stephens
The 1400 metre G1 Woody Stephens sees a future Spendthrift Farm stallion in the shape of morning line favourite Jackie’s Warrior (USA) (Maclean’s Music {USA}). Spendthrift bought into the 3-year-old’s breeding rights last October after the colt won two Grade 1s and a Grade 2. Jackie’s Warrior is out of 19-time winner Unicorn Girl (USA) (A.P. Five Hundred {USA}), who is a half-sister to three stakes horses led by multiple stakes winner Bernie The Maestro (USA) (Bernstein {USA}).
