Belmont Saturday

THERE are five overseas raiders facing American rivals in the Grade 1 $1million Belmont Derby Invitational, the first leg of NYRA’s Caesars Turf Triple.

Aidan O’Brien, who won the Belmont Derby for a second time last year with Bolshoi Ballet, tries for back-to-back wins, sending out his Derby at Epsom sixth place finisher and Group 3 winner Stone Age. The son of Galileo however, must overcome stall 13, widest of the field, under Ryan Moore.

Charlie Appleby sends over Nations Pride (Frankie Dettori) while the Dante second Royal Patronage (Joel Rosario) represents Charlie and Mark Johnson and is interesting if going forward.

Implementation and Machete come from France. Both were placed in the Group 3 Prix de Guiche behind Vadeni and Machete was seventh to the same horse in the Prix du Jockey-Club.

The American classic crop are headed by Classic Causeway and Tiz The Bomb.

After four straight wins, Nations Pride was eighth behind Desert Crown in the Cazoo Derby where, similar to Stone Age, connections felt the son of Teofilo didn’t stay.

The American contingent also includes the top two finishers in the local prep for Saturday’s race, the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes. Emmanuel grabbed the early lead in the nine-furlong Pennine Ridge and never looked back for trainer Todd Pletcher. He finished a length ahead of the late-running Napoleonic War.

It was the first start on turf for the son of More Than Ready, who was Grade 1-placed on dirt with a third in the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass behind Zandon.

The Belmont Derby is also a return to turf for Tiz The Bomb, a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed on turf at two and last seen finishing ninth in the Kentucky Derby. In his last turf race, he was second in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf to Modern Games.

Kenny McPeek will also send out Classic Causeway, who will be making his turf debut after six dirt starts this year when he won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby from the front. He lost his last three on dirt including when down the field in the Kentucky Derby. A winner of three of eight career starts he was third last time out in a good renewal of the Grade 3 Ohio Derby, Classic Causeway is from the final crop of Giant’s Causeway, and is one to note at bigger odds.

Graham Motion’s Sy Dog holds two rivals, Todd Pletcher’s Grand Sonata and Chad Brown’s Napoleonic War on his win in April in the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland.

Oaks

In the Belmont Oaks, the two Irish-trained runners, Agartha from Joseph O’Brien, fifth in the Irish 1000 Guineas and Concert Hall, who ran on late in the Pretty Polly Stakes to take fourth, from Aidan O’Brien’s, have also received wide stalls in nine and 10.

The two French challengers, Hot Queen and Know Thyself, are in seven and eight of the 10 runners. They both looked to need improvement.

Charlie Appleby’s With The Moonlight had been fancied for the Oaks at Epsom after an impressive Newmarket win but finished last to Tuesday.

Chad Brown is to be feared on turf races and he saddles three who all have decent form among the home team in dual winner Consumer Spending whose only defeat in her last five runs came when sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Fillies Juvenile Turf, and Mckulick as well as Haughty.

Brendan Walsh’s Kitten’s Joy filly New Year’s Eve, a Grade 2 winner last time out also looks a danger.

Also on the card is the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes where Max Player bids to repeat last year’s win. Dynamic One’s Blame Stakes win looks a strong bit of form.