Coffee Clique Looks to Repeat in Just a Game
Saturday's $700,000 Longines Just a Game, one of the six Grade 1 races featured on the Belmont Stakes day undercard, features a familiar field of foes each looking to firmly establish themselves as the leader in the filly and mare turf division.
Looking to defend her title in the one-mile Just a Game is Amerman Racing LLC's Coffee Clique, trained by Brian Lynch. Making her third start of the year, the 5-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro has yet to reach the winners' circle, most recently finishing second to fellow entrant Tepin in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs on May 1 after breaking awkwardly at the start. She also faced Just a Game entrants Sandiva and Lady Lara who finished third and fourth respectively.
"She won it last year and we're really hoping she can come back and do that again," said, Lynch. "It's a big weekend for us and her race is a Grade 1 on a very big day. It's always nice to ring the bell on the big day."
Listed as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, Coffee Clique will depart from post position 4 with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez aboard.
Entering for trainer Chad Brown and owners William S. Farish and Steve Mooney is 4-year-old Ball Dancing. Initially beginning her racing career in France, where she made four starts before being purchased and transferred to America in September of 2014, the Exchange Rate filly has two wins with two second-place finishes in four North American starts. Last out, in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland on April 11, she was impressive on a turf course listed as yielding, stalking the field and clearing to win by 2 ½ lengths.
"She hasn't run since the Jenny Wiley, but she's training very well," said Brown. "I don't think the cut back to a mile will bother her, we cut her back successfully to 1 1/16 miles in the Jenny Wiley, and she should be able to cut back a touch further."
The 3-1 morning-line favorite, Ball Dancing will leave from post 2 with Javier Castellano in the irons.
Leaving from post 9 and attempting to win her third consecutive start of the year is Tepin, for owner Robert Masterson and trainer Mark Casse. A 4-year-old daughter of Bernstein, she recorded recorded a career high 100 Beyer Speed Figure winning the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile.
Discreet Marq, who returned to training for her 5-year-old season after being purchased by Moyglare Stud Farm in last November's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale, is looking for her second consecutive victory following a win in the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont on May 9.
"She [Discreet Marq] won't like it too soft, so we'll have to keep an eye on the weather, but it's exciting, said trainer Christophe Clement. "She came out of the [Beaugay] in good shape, and is doing well at the moment."
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will enter a pair in Filimbi for Juddmonte Farms and Lady Lara for owner Ben Sangster. Cutting back in distance to one mile for the Just a Game, where she has five wins in eight starts at the distance, Filimbi will look to turn the tables on Ball Dancing to whom she finished second in the Jenny Wiley. Lady Lara will look to rebound off a fourth-place finish in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile. She began her year with a victory in the Grade 2 Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream on March 28.
Rounding out the field is Photo Call, who finished fast late to just miss behind Discreet Marq in the Grade 3 Beaugay; J Wonder for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and owner Andrew Rosen who also finished fourth in the Beaugay, and multiple graded stakes winner's Baffle Me for trainer Mark Hennig, and Sandiva for Al Shaqab Racing and trainer Todd Pletcher.
Source: NYRA Communications