A field of ten fillies and mares (along with potentially four "Main Track Only" entries) will line-up in the starting gate for Saturday's Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont Park (post time: 4:34pm Eastern: TV: HRTV, TVG). The Sheepshead Bay is scheduled to run at a mile and three-eighths on Belmont's inner turf course. Multiple graded stakes winner Aruna leads the field and will be looking to get back on track after running a disappointing 6ht in the G1-Jenny Wiley at Keeneland on April 14th.
The Sheepshead Bay is the second race of an all-turf late Pick 4 at Belmont Park on Saturday.
Other fillies and mares scheduled to run in the Sheepshead Bay:
- Principal Role, trained by Bill Mott, will make her second start in North America after finishing 3rd in the G3-Beaugay at Belmont on May 5th. Prior to shipping to the US, Principal Role won a couple of minor stakes in the UK, along with a 3rd place finish behind Midway (GB) and Snow Fairy (IRE) in the G1-Nassau Stakes at Goodwood last summer.
- Hit It Rich rolls into the Sheepshead Bay off of four excellent races, including wins in the G3-Orchid and the G3-Long Island Handicap. In between those two wins, Hit It Rich finished second by a half length to Snow Top Mountain in the G2-Suwanee River.
- Distorted Legacy hasn't found the winner's circle in almost a year but she's got a lot of back-class and she should be better in her second start off the bench.
- It's likely that Aqsaam and Rosie Napravnik will try to steal this one on the front-end after this Dynaformer filly just missed in the mile and a half Orchid to Hit It Rich after nearly wiring the field. There isn't much in the way of legitimate speed to challenge this filly in the early stages which should allow Napravnik the opportunity to do whatever she wants with Aqsaam out of the gate.
Below are the entries and post positions for Saturday's G2-Sheepshead Bay at Belmont.
PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML |
1 | Mystical Star | J. Lezcano | C. Clement | 10/1 |
2 | Magical Cat (IRE) | J. Velazquez | J. Terranova | 20/1 |
3 | Aqsaam | R. Napravnik | K. McLaughlin | 4/1 |
4 | Hit It Rich | J. Castellano | S. McGaughey | 7/2 |
5 | Aruna | R. Dominguez | G. Motion | 3/1 |
6 | Principal Role | J. Alvarado | W. Mott | 6/1 |
7 | Distorted Legacy | R. Maragh | A. Penna | 6/1 |
8 | Woodford Belle | E. Prado | N. Nihei | 12/1 |
9 | Hasay (GB) | J. Leparoux | G. Motion | 15/1 |
10 | Sanada | E. Castro | B. Tagg | 5/2 |
MTO | Arena Elvira | TBA | W. Mott | 5/2 |
MTO | Acting Happy | R. Dominguez | R. Dutrow | 8/1 |
MTO | Pinch Pie | J. Castellano | A. Dutrow | 3/1 |
MTO | Draw It | R. Maragh | T. Albertrani | 7/2 |