Miss Katie Mae to face Ward’s duo in turf sprint

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainers Graham Motion and Wesley Ward may have more pressing matters this week at Royal Ascot, but they likely will turn their attention at some point Thursday to Belmont Park, where they have top contenders in the featured second-level allowance turf sprint.

Motion sends out Miss Katie Mae against the Ward-trained duo of Spellker and Lamontagne in the seven-furlong race that drew 11 runners for the turf and two main track-only entrants.

Miss Katie Mae is only 2 for 14, but she has run in seven consecutive stakes, including the Christiecat here last year, when she was beaten just a neck. Most recently, she finished fifth in the Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland, coincidentally behind Lady Aurelia, who was to run Tuesday at Royal Ascot.

Miss Katie Mae will break from post 10.

Spellker, a 3-year-old daughter of City Zip owned by the NFL wide receiver Wes Welker, brings a two-race winning streak with her. She won a five-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream by a neck in February and a first-level allowance race at Keeneland. She will be trying seven furlongs for the first time and will be breaking from the rail.

Lamontagne, a 5-year-old daughter of Congrats, is 2 for 5 at Belmont, including a frontrunning victory in a starter allowance nearly a year ago. Lamontagne is assigned the outside post.

There is a host of contenders in this spot, including Browse, who makes her first start on turf after recording two wins and three seconds from five starts on dirt. Trainer Shug McGaughey said Browse got hurt when she finished seventh in the Delaware Oaks last July.

Browse is a half-sister to the Grade 1 turf winner Imagining.

“She hasn’t been finishing her races the way I liked for her to, so I figured I’d try the grass,” McGaughey said.

Boos, who finished fifth behind Thunder Snow in the Group 1 Criterium International last October, makes her 3-year-old and North American debut for trainer Alan Goldberg.

KEY CONTENDERS

Miss Katie Mae, by Dark Angel

Last 3 Beyers: 83-84-87

◗ Finished fifth in the Giant’s Causeway, a race from which the second- and third-place finishers came back to win.

◗ Jose Ortiz rides for Motion. The team won the Grade 1 Manhattan with Ascend.

Lady Alexandra, by More Than Ready

Last 3 Beyers: 79-82-77

◗ Drops back into allowance company after finishing sixth in the Soaring Softly on May 20.

◗ Trainer Chad Brown said he may have run the filly back too quickly after she won an allowance race May 3.

Spellker, by City Zip

Last 3 Beyers: 75-71-69

◗ Won two straight after getting beat a length by Morticia in a maiden race. Morticia won the Soaring Softly Stakes here May 20.

Boos, by Dream Ahead

No Beyers

◗ Finished second in a Group 2 stakes in France against males.

◗ Gets Lasix for the first time.