Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Mother Goose won’t draw flock
ELMONT, N.Y. – A field of five or six is in the making for the $250,000 Mother Goose on Saturday at Belmont Park.
Todd Pletcher said he could run two or three fillies in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-yearold fillies. The Mother Goose, which was downgraded from a Grade 1 to a Grade 2 this year, will have a purse of $250,000, a $50,000 cut from 2016.
Pletcher plans to start Lights of Medina and Moana, who finished second and fifth in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan last out. He also is considering My Miss Tapit for the race.
The 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan was run over a saturated Pimlico surface after a thunderstorm rolled through the area an hour before post time. The track condition likely affected the performance of a number of runners in the 11-horse field.
Lights of Medina closed well at 5-1 to finish second by a head to Actress, who was winning her first race. Moana, who was coming off a Keeneland maiden victory, raced within early striking position at 7-2 but lacked a closing bid and finished fifth.
My Miss Tapit is undefeated in two starts, both at Gulfstream Park. She defeated Actress in the restricted Game Face Stakes on April 22.
The other expected starters are Vexatious, Unchained Melody, and Spanish Harlem.
Vexatious in her last three starts has finished fourth in the Kentucky Oaks, third in the Grade 3 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park, and third in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks. A daughter of Giant’s Causeway, she is based at Santa Anita with Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale.
Unchained Melody is coming off a first-level optional-claiming win for Brian Lynch.
Spanish Harlem won a threehorse, off-the-turf, first-level allowance over a sloppy track at Belmont Park on May 5 by almost 30 lengths. Trained by Danny Gargan, she most recently finished sixth over turf in the $200,000 Penn Oaks at Penn National.
Neolithic nears first breeze
Since last fall, Neolithic has developed into one of Todd Pletcher’s better older horses in training.
After taking four tries to win a first-level allowance, he has finished third in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park to Arrogate and Shaman Ghost and third in the $10 million Dubai World Cup to Arrogate and Gun Runner.
Neolithic was sent to Kentucky for a breather after his effort in Dubai but became ill and missed more time than anticipated.
“He’s back galloping now up at Saratoga,” Pletcher said. “He should breeze in the next week or two.”
Neolithic, a 4-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday owned by Qatar Racing and Starlight Racing, is 2 for 9 in his career. He has earnings of $2.1 million, all but $100,000 of which was earned in his last two starts.
Cloud Computing works
Preakness winner Cloud Computing remains on target for the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga after breezing a halfmile over the Belmont Park main track Sunday.
Cloud Computing was timed in 49.40 seconds. The work was his second since he defeated Classic Empire by a head in the Preakness on May 20. On June 17, he breezed in 48.80.
“It was a maintenance work, just something to let him stretch his legs a little,” Brown said of Sunday’s work. “It was an even half. I liked the way he did it.”
Brown plans to start Cloud Computing in the $600,000 Jim Dandy, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds on July 29, and the undefeated Timeline in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 30.
Timeline was impressive in winning his fourth straight race in the Grade 3 Pegasus at Monmouth by 3 1/2 lengths on June 17. Although he came out of the race with some minor cuts on his right hind leg and his right hind shoe came off partially during the race, Brown said he is none the worse for wear.
Brown could also start Practical Joke in the Haskell. Practical Joke is scheduled to make his first start since finishing fifth in the Kentucky Derby in the Grade 3, $400,000 Dwyer at Belmont on July 8. In his other starts this year, Practical Joke finished second in both the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland.
Lady Eli and Antonoe worked a half-mile in company over the Belmont main track in 49.40 on Sunday for Brown.
Lady Eli, who shipped to California to win the Grade 1 Gamely over a mile on turf at Santa Anita in May, is being pointed to the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.
Antonoe, who closed with a late burst to win the Grade 1 Just a Game on the Belmont Stakes undercard, also could run in the Diana. Antonoe is 2 for 2 since being sent to the United States by owner Juddmonte Farms.
The $500,000 Diana, a 1 1/8mile turf stakes, will be run July 22.