Albertrani steps up maiden winner Dyna Passer in Belmont Oaks

Woodslane Farm's Dyna Passer remains on target for the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, trainer Tom Albertrani said Saturday, continuing her quick ascent up the class ladder.

The Lemon Drop Kid filly broke her maiden at fifth asking last out, posting a one-length score in a 1 3/8-mile route over Belmont's inner turf course labeled good. In her sixth career start, Dyna Passer will make her stakes debut against some of the top 3-year-old turf fillies in the 1 ¼-mile opening leg of the newly implemented Turf Tiara series.

"She'll be taking a big step forward off a maiden win, but we've been really impressed with her," Albertrani said. "The one thing we know for sure is she can get the distance. We're hoping to see her move forward off her last race and go from there. The best-case scenario is the weather is good and we can get a good, honest run from her."

Since moving to turf in February, Dyna Passer has never finished off the board in three starts, running second to Sister Kitten at 1 1/8 miles on February 17 at Gulfstream Park before being placed third on April 13 at 1 1/6 miles on the same track. In her Belmont debut last out, she rallied from seventh under jockey Jose Ortiz, besting Decorating and Beau Belle, who dead-heated for second. 

After making her first two career starts on dirt, Albertrani switched her to the grass. A half-sister to Sadler's Joy, a three-time graded stakes winner who captured the 2017 Sword Dancer (G1) for Albertrani, Dyna Passer's pedigree suggested the transition could play to her strengths.

"We liked the way she was training. We just thought we'd experiment first time and know right away if she would handle it or not. She ran a solid third [in her first start December 13 at Gulfstream] but it was on a wet track, so she might have handled it better than her second start [January 16 at Gulfstream] when it was totally dry and she just didn't pick up her feet that day. We made the switch to grass after that."

The Belmont Oaks is part of NYRA's Turf Triple series that launches on Stars & Stripes Day with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational for 3-year-old males and the Belmont Oaks for fillies. The second leg of the Turf Tiara will take place with the $750,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G1) on August 2 at the Spa and conclude with the $750,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational (G1) on September 7 at Belmont.

The Belmont Oaks is expected to draw a talented field of top domestic and international talent, including the possibility of the Chad Brown-trained Café Americano, Cambier Parc and Newspaperofrecord and foreign shippers Coral Beach and Fleeting from Aidan O'Brien, among others.

"I think it's a great series of races to participate in," Albertrani said. "It draws a good international crowd as well and makes it a really interesting race. It gives the 3-year-old fillies a chance to go long."