Winning Cause Drops for John's Call

Multiple graded stakes-placed colt Winning Cause drops out of graded company to headline a 10-horse field entered for Wednesday's $100,000 John's Call on the Mellon Turf.

The 1 5/8-mile John's Call is for 3-year-olds and up that have not won a graded stakes on the turf in 2014. Trained by Todd Pletcher for Alto Racing, Winning Cause (2-1) heads into the race after finishing fourth, beaten 1 ½ lengths, in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park on July 6.

A 4-year-old son of Giant's Causeway, Winning Cause is winless in five starts this year, also having finished third in the Grade 2 Monmouth and second in the Grade 3 Red Bank. Last year, he was second in the Grade 2 Fayette and the Grade 3 Ontario Derby after winning the one-mile Sir Cat at Saratoga.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez is named to ride at co-topweight of 123 pounds from post 8.

Tricky Hat (5-1) won a 1 3/16-mile allowance at Saratoga last summer for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, and stretches out after a dull effort running last of 14 in the Grade 2 Monmouth. Rosie Napravnik will ride from post 1.

The John's Call field, from the rail out, is Tricky Hat (5-1), Horvat Clan (15-1), Bohemian Dance (15-1), Alpha (8-5), Micromanage (3-1), Seton Hall (10-1), Manchurian High (20-1), Winning Cause, Grand Rapport (12-1) and Holiday Star (6-1). A multiple Grade 1 winner, Alpha is entered for main track only, while Pletcher said Micromanage will run in Thursday's $100,000 Birdstone on the main track.