Forgive yourself if you look at Saturdays Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park thinking youre looking at a sneak preview of the Breeders Cup Distaff five months early.<\/p>\n
Theres defending Ogden Phipps champion Letruska, who made last years race look like a glorified workout. Her 2 3\/4-length gate-to-wire victory was easier than that margin of victory indicated and provided another brick in the unassailable foundation building Letruska into the Champion Older Dirt Female.<\/p>\n
Theres also Malathaat. You know her as the Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. Theres Grade 1 winner Clairiere, who missed the board only twice in 12 races, and theres Grade 1 winner Search Results. Theres also Bonny South, who kept Letruska company on the Personal Ensign and Spinster boards last year.<\/p>\n
This years Ogden Phipps offers up what publicists call a compact field code for small. But this compact field of five features four Grade 1 winners. It truly is a preview of this falls Breeders Cup Distaff at Keeneland, which is appropriate considering the winner earns a berth in that race courtesy of the Ogden Phipps being part of the Win and Youre In Challenge Series.<\/p>\n
Of the eight Grade 1 races on Belmont Parks Saturday card, the Ogden Phipps may be one of the most enticing from a racing standpoint. Starting with the inevitable, eye-catching duel between the two champions, Letruska and Malathaat.<\/p>\n
Letruskarides into Belmont Park after defending her Apple Blossom title in April at Oaklawn Park. This victory, her fifth Grade 1 score in a year, came at Clairieres expense. Letruskawent out fast in her customary front-running style, then turned aside a surging Clairiere at the top of the stretch.<\/p>\n
Nothing that happens with her is a surprise, trainer Fausto Gutierrez told the New York Racing Association. She keeps on confirming what we believe about her. To win two Apple Blossoms, shes a part of history.<\/p>\n
Letruska tuned up for that with a routine three-length victory as the 1\/10 favorite over a group of overmatched foes in the Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream. In the Ogden Phipps, that wont likely be the case..<\/p>\n
Whatever is coming for us, we need to accept it. This is the way, Gutierrez said. We have a horse who has won 10 graded stakes in 20 months at different tracks and conditions.<\/p>\n
One challenger whos definitely coming for Letruska is Malathaat. The last time these two tangled came in last years Breeders Cup Distaff when Letruska finished a woeful 10th after getting sucked into a searing speed duel. Malathaat, meanwhile, finished third.<\/p>\n
She rides in off her tune-up victory in the April 22 Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland. That victory featured a marvelous ride from John Velazquez, who brought the daughter of Curlin back from 5 1\/2 lengths back in fifth to score a three-quarter length victory over Bonny South.<\/p>\n
Malathaat looms large over her fellow 4-year-olds. She beat Search Results and Clairiere in last years Kentucky Oaks. Then, later that summer, she turned aside Clairiere in last years Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga.<\/p>\n
This is Malathaats second race this year and her first around one turn. Trainer Todd Pletcher, who said Malathaat is carrying her weight really well this year, said that plays a big role in race tactics.<\/p>\n
Its a one-turn race, so that will change the dynamics a little bit. Letruska will likely be the pace-setter, so well have to keep an eye on her, he said. Its a deep field with a lot of quality fillies in here. Im looking forward to it.<\/p>\n
Two of those quality fillies are Malathaats fellow 4-year-olds, Clairiere and Search Results. Steve Asmussens Clairiere comes in off her strong runner-up finish to Letruska in the Apple Blossom. Before that, she opened her 2022 ledger easily dismissing her rivals in a Fair Grounds allowance optional claimer.<\/p>\n
I think shes better than she was last year, Asmussen said about the Curlin filly, who won her Grade 1 the Cotillion at Parx Racing last fall. Shes more mature and is simply a bigger, better, stronger, and faster filly.<\/p>\n
Morning Line (Jockey\/Trainer)<\/p>\n
Search Results, who won her Grade 1 at last years Acorn at Belmont Park, also comes in off a victory. That was the May 8 Grade 2 Ruffian at Belmont Park, which cleansed the unpleasant taste of her frustrating third as the 3\/5 favorite in the Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct in April.<\/p>\n
That Distaff outing brought Search Results back from an eight-month break. This followed her third in the Grade 1 Test last summer at Saratoga.<\/p>\n
This is a really tough race, but shes training really well, trainer Chad Brown said. Unfortunately, she has a habit of not changing her leads, but she has been in her training, so Im hoping she does it in the afternoon on Saturday.<\/p>\n
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Read more from the original source:<\/p>\n
This Year's Ogden Phipps Resembles a Filly and Mare All-Star... - Online Gambling<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Forgive yourself if you look at Saturdays Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park thinking youre looking at a sneak preview of the Breeders Cup Distaff five months early. Theres defending Ogden Phipps champion Letruska, who made last years race look like a glorified workout. Her 2 3\/4-length gate-to-wire victory was easier than that margin of victory indicated and provided another brick in the unassailable foundation building Letruska into the Champion Older Dirt Female. Continue reading