AUDITION ON TURF

NO DOZING TRIES GRASS COURSE IN ENGLISH CHANNEL,

ELMONT, N.Y. – Mo Town, the 2016 Remsen winner, made a smashing turf debut here Oct. 12. No Dozing, the 2016 Remsen runner-up, will try to do the same when he makes his grass debut in Sunday’s $100,000 English Channel Stakes at Belmont Park.

The English Channel, a onemile turf race restricted to 3-year-olds, drew eight horses for the turf. Three were entered only to run on the main track. There is no rain in the forecast.

No Dozing, a son of Union Rags, has gone 1 for 6 this year, all on dirt. He has not run since finishing sixth in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga in August. Arnaud Delacour said he has always wanted to try No Dozing on the grass and thought the English Channel was the best place to try.

“I didn’t think there was a perfect race for him on the dirt at this time of the year,” Delacour said. “If it is going to be the last race of the year, it’ll be interesting to see if he can do the turf.”

Delacour said No Dozing has been training well over the synthetic surface at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

“I had him on the grass to gallop. He seems to handle it very well,” Delacour said. “The dam is by Pulpit, so the pedigree could work out. He’s a big horse, with a big stride, so I’m excited to judge him on the turf. I also like the fact the turf at Belmont is wider, a little bigger on the turns than anywhere else; that would help him a little bit because he’s a big horse, and I don’t know how much he likes tight turns.”

Another horse making his turf debut is Souper Tapit, a son of Tapit who has not been out since winning the Grade 3 Marine Stakes over Woodbine’s synthetic surface in May. Trainer Mark Casse said an ankle injury kept Souper Tapit out of the summer races, but he has been training steadily, including one breeze on the turf, for the last six weeks.

“I’m excited to run that horse,” Casse said. “He still has to prove it, but he could be something special. We all along thought grass would be his calling.”

There are no standouts among the ones who have already run on turf. Let’s Get Loud, trained by Chad Brown, and Dalarna, trained by Kelly Rubley, both have won two straight but are making their stakes debuts in this spot.

KEY CONTENDERS

Souper Tapit, by Tapit Last 3 Beyers: 95-64-81

◗ Improved tremendously when put on the synthetic at Woodbine, winning the Grade 3 Marine Stakes in May by two lengths over Channel Maker, who won a $400,000 stakes at Woodbine in August.

◗ Shows solid work tab for return from an injured ankle.

No Dozing, by Union Rags Last 3 Beyers: 89-91-91

◗ Shows a string of bullet works over the synthetic surface at Fair Hill for turf debut.

◗ He has turf in his pedigree, including Solvig, a graded stakes winner on grass.

Let’s Get Loud, by More Than Ready Last 3 Beyers: 82-89-82

◗ Has won both of his starts since being stretched out to a mile.

◗ Came out of key maiden race sprinting here in June that produced next-out winners White Flag and Master Merion.