Dayatthespa Successful in Belmont Return

Heavily favored Dayatthespa made a successful seasonal debut on Sunday at Belmont Park, seizing the lead on the turn and pulling clear to a four-length victory in the $90,000 You Go West Girl overnight stakes for New York-bred turf fillies and mares.

Making her first start since suffering a cut tendon in the Grade 1 Matriarch in November at Betfair Hollywood Park, the 4-year-old City Zip filly tracked My Jopia through an opening quarter-mile in 23.20 seconds and a half in 46.66. Turning back a challenge from Kibosh on the turn, Dayatthespa turned for home in command and cruised under the wire in 1:33.52 for a mile.

“I’m glad she came back good after the layoff and did it the way she did it,” said jockey Javier Castellano. “It was a great performance and I’m happy with that.”

Dayatthespa, who was voted 2012’s top New York-bred 3-year-old filly and top New York-bred turf female, returned $2.50 for a $2 win bet. Overall, she is 7-1-0 from 10 career starts including a win in last year’s Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland Race Course.

“We were lucky to get her back,” said Chad Brown, who trains the filly for Jerry Frankel, Ronald Frankel, Steve Laymon and Bradley Thoroughbreds. “She had a difficult experience in the Matriarch where she tried to jump the rail. For a moment we were considering retiring her; we didn’t think she would come back good. We tested her out a little bit at Palm Meadows during the early part of the breeding season, and she trained well and never looked back. We thought this was a good spot to get her started.”

Brown said the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game on June 8 would be the next likely start for Dayatthespa.

Kibosh was second, followed by Elusive Rumor, My Jopia, and Mystic City. Lady On the Run, Go Unbridled, and Erin Enchanted were scratched.