King Kreesa Heads Opening Day Elusive Quality

A contentious group of older turf runners have lined up for Wednesday's $100,000 Elusive Quality on Opening Day at Belmont Park, led by New York-bred King Kreesa.

The seven-furlong Elusive Quality kicks off stakes racing at Belmont, and serves as a prelude to a plethora of stakes to be run over the weekend, including Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay, Grade 3, $150,000 Ft. Marcy and Grade 3, $150,000 Westchester, which will feature the return of Palace Malice.

Now 6-years-old, King Kreesa will look to keep going an impressive string of races on the New York Racing Association circuit. In 2014, the son of King Cugat won his seasonal debut in the West Point on August 24 at Saratoga Race Course, and then finished second behind Lubash in the Ashley T. Cole at Belmont and third in the Mohawk to close out an abridged campaign for trainer David Donk.

Owned by Gerald and Susan Kresa, King Kreesa has compiled a lifetime record of 7-5-3 from 21 starts, with earnings of $792,370. He will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post 8.

A hard-trying son of Street Cry, Plainview is set to make his 2015 debut for trainer Gregory DiPrima and owners Jesse Iglesias and Michael Imperio. The 7-year-old gelding boasts a career record of 8-4-5 from 35 starts, but most recently finished a distant ninth in the Queens County racing on dirt - a surface over which he has yet to win a race. In his most recent turf outing, Plainview finished fourth in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker after setting the pace over a "yielding" course.

Plainview will break from post 9 with Jose Lezcano aboard.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle a potent uncoupled entry of Sinatra and Mosler. Sinatra will be turning back off a third-place finish in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer at Gulfstream Park, while Mosler will switch back to turf after finishing ninth in the one-mile Fred Hooper on the Gulfstream main track. One start prior to the Fred Hooper, Mosler was sixth, beaten 3 ½ lengths, in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale on turf - his first start over the surface.

Hard-knocking turf sprinters Mr. Online, Tightend Touchdown, Dimension and Spring to the Sky are also among those entered for the Elusive Quality. Combined, the quartet has accounted for 20 victories on grass, with earnings approaching $2 million. Slim Shadey, trained by David Jacobson, rounds out the main body of the field, while Jacobson also has Stallwalkin' Dude entered for the main track only.