Kenzadargent, Katie's Garden Head Belmont's Columbus Day Stakes
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
A host of European fillies will set sail on Monday for the 22nd running of the $200,000 Pebbles, the Columbus Day feature at Belmont Park.
Joining the one-mile turf race on the 10-race card is the $100,000 Pumpkin Pie for filly and mare sprinters going seven furlongs on the main track. First race post time is 12:50 p.m., with the Pebbles set for race 9 and the Pumpkin Pie going off as race 7.
More than half the field for the Pebbles boasts European lineage, with the French-bred Kenzadargent, winner of both her North American starts, favored at 3-1 over 10 other entrants, including five Irish-bred fillies.
Trained by Chad Brown for Martin Schwartz, Kenzadargent began her career in France, where she won one of 12 starts and also finished second in the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville as a juvenile, second in the 2014 Group 3 Prix Vanteaux at Longchamp and third in the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly in June before crossing the Atlantic.
She made her American debut at Saratoga Race Course, rallying to win an optional claimer by a length, and returned on September 17 at Belmont to beat older fillies and mares in another optional claimer, both at a mile.
Joel Rosario will ride Kenzadargent from post position 8.
Trainer Christophe Clement counters with a pair of fillies with distinctly different backgrounds: Walk Close, whose three career victories, including the Wild Applause in June, all have come at Belmont Park, and the Irish-bred Indian Rainbow, making her American debut.
Walk Close, who carries the colors of Highland Yard, finished fourth in her two most recent efforts, the Tenski at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Sands Point at Belmont. She will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez from post position 6, and was tabbed at 8-1 on the morning line.
Indian Rainbow, the second choice on the morning line at 4-1, began her career in Germany under the care of Andreas Lowe, and most recently finished second, beaten 1 3/4 lengths in the Group 3 Prix de Lieurey in August at Deauville. Irad Ortiz, Jr. rides from post position 11.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott also will have two representatives: the Irish-bred Lady Lara, also making her first stateside start on the heels of a half-length victory in the Dubai Duty Free Cup on September 19 at Newbury, and Secret Someone, moving up into stakes competition after a last-to-first winning effort in a 1 1/16-mile allowance ion September 12.
Lady Lara, the 6-1 program choice, will have the services of Junior Alvarado when she leaves from post position 4, with Secret Someone, 12-1, drew directly inside her with Jose Lezcano named to ride.
Sandiva, who was seventh in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap in July at Del Mar in her American bow, makes her first start for trainer Todd Pletcher. The Irish-bred daughter of Footstepsinthesand won a pair of Group 3 stakes in Europe, taking the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes in April at Newmarket and the PMU Prix du Calvados at Deauville as a 2-year-old. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride Sandiva, 5-1 on the morning line, from post position 9.
Completing the field, from the rail out, are Cash For Ever (IRE), Hot and Spicy, Distorted Beauty, Ubiquitous Mantle (IRE), and Munirah.
Katie's Garden, second as the favorite in the Sky Beauty on September 7, returns as the 2-1 program choice over seven other fillies and mares in the Pumpkin Pie. Also expected to attract support are Unbound, making her American debut for trainer H. Graham Motion after launching her career in Japan, and Voodoo Tales, making her first stakes start after winning three of her past four races.
The field for the $100,000 Pebbles:
PP | Horse | Jockey | WGT | Trainer | Odds |
1 | Cash For Ever (IRE) | J Castellano | 117 | E Kenneally | 8-1 |
2 | Hot and Spicy (ON) | L Saez | 117 | H J Bond | 30-1 |
3 | Secret Someone (KY) | J Lezcano | 117 | W I. Mott | 12-1 |
4 | Lady Lara (IRE) | J Alvarado | 121 | W I. Mott | 6-1 |
5 | Distorted Beauty (NY) | J L. Ortiz | 117 | B N. Levine | 10-1 |
6 | Walk Close (KY) | C H. Velasquez | 121 | C Clement | 8-1 |
7 | Ubiquitous Mantle (IRE) | M Franco | 117 | T Albertrani | 50-1 |
8 | Kenzadargent (FR) | J Rosario | 119 | C C. Brown | 3-1 |
9 | Sandiva (IRE) | J R. Velazquez | 123 | T A. Pletcher | 5-1
|
10 | Munirah (KY) | J Bravo | 123 | H G Motion | 12-1 |
11 | Indian Rainbow (IRE) | I Ortiz, Jr. | 117 | C Clement | 4-1 |
The field for the $100,000 Pumpkin Pie:
PP | Horse |
|
|
| Jockey | WGT | Trainer | Odds |
1 | Thetaloveandmine (KY) |
|
|
| J Alvarado | 119 | E R. Reed | 15-1 |
2 | Katie's Garden (KY) |
|
|
| J R. Velazquez | 121 | J A. Shirreffs | 2-1 |
3 | Classic Point (FL) |
|
|
| I Ortiz, Jr. | 119 | J A. Jerkens | 5-1 |
4 | Wildcat Lily (FL) |
|
|
| M Franco | 117 | R Rodriguez | 6-1 |
5 | Risky Rachel (NY) |
|
|
| J Bravo | 123 | J M. Coronel | 12-1 |
6 | Unbound (KY) |
|
|
| J Rosario | 117 | H G Motion | 3-1 |
7 | Rock Me Mama (KY) |
|
|
| T B. Rice | 117 | R Metivier | 50-1 |
8 | Voodoo Tales (FL) |
|
|
| J Castellano | 119 | N Esler | 4-1 |
Source: NYRA Communications
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