BELMONT New Money Honey ends hiatus

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown has won six graded stakes in the filly and mare turf division this year and New Money Honey hasn’t made a start yet.

A two-time Grade 1 stakes winner and earner of $1.3 million, New Money Honey makes her 4-year-old debut Thursday in a multi-conditioned allowance race scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over Belmont Park’s inner turf course. New Money Honey is eligible under the “have not won a race in 2018” condition.

New Money Honey, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at 2 and the Belmont Oaks Invitational at 3 – both Grade 1 events – has not started since finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 American Oaks last Dec. 30 at Santa Anita.

“In hindsight, she was just over the top at that point,” Brown said. “She needed a break. I didn’t want to pass up a rare opportunity that late in the year to run against 3-year-old fillies on a surface and distance we know she likes. The timing of the race just didn’t work for her. … She probably should have been given a rest.”

Following the American Oaks, New Money Honey got a rest at Stonestreet Farm before returning to Brown’s care during the early part of 2018.

“Getting started just a tick later than we wanted to, but she seems to be training really well,” Brown said. “I don’t have her fully cranked, but she’s training well enough and I’d like to get her started and try to make the second half of the year with some of these important races for her.”

Though graded winners A Raving Beauty, Sistercharlie, and Fourstar Crook are among Brown’s candidates for the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga on July 21, Brown did not rule out pointing New Money Honey that way if her performance Thursday warrants.

“I have to give this filly the opportunity to get to races like that,” Brown said. “It doesn’t matter what else I have.”

Javier Castellano rides New Money Honey from post 2.

KEY CONTENDERS

New Money Honey, by Medaglia d’Oro Last 3 Beyers: 90-89-85

◗ Multiple Grade 1 winner lands in a cozy spot for her 4-year-old debut, returning to course over which she is 3 for 3.

◗ Appears to have picked up the pace in her workouts.

Arraign, by Blame Last 3 Beyers: 79-80-73

◗ Winless in three starts this year, but she did run second to next-out stakes winner Lift Up in a third-level allowance at Pimlico on May 12.

◗ Since that race she has fired two bullet works at Fair Hill.

Dynatail, by Hightail Last 3 Beyers: 85-72-61

◗ She tries to break a ninerace losing streak since she won the Penn Oaks at Penn National a year ago.

◗ She was third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by In the Lee, in similar spot on May 24.