Turf allowance is wide open

ELMONT, N.Y. – Bettors will have plenty of options in Thursday’s turf allowance feature for fillies and mares going 1 1/4 miles at Belmont Park. There are 4-year-olds Bengala and Silver Shaker, who each has more than once disappointed at short prices, or 3-year-olds Emmy Performance and Galileo’s Melody, who each is coming off a maiden win at a nice price.

Then there’s the wild card Smart Together, a regally bred 4-year-old who has not started in 13 months or in this country.

Bengala has finished second in both of her starts in the U.S., both for trainer Christophe Clement. In April, she finished second as the 2-1 favorite to Creative Thinking in a 1 1/2-mile race over soft ground at Keeneland. In June, she finished second at 3-5 behind Violet Blue in a 1 1/4-mile allowance here.

“She’s not the easiest to ride,” Clement said. “She’s a touch anxious.”

Bengala was ridden by Julien Leparoux in her first start and Joel Rosario in her second. She will have the meet’s leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard on Wednesday.

Rosario will ride Silver Shaker for trainer Chad Brown. Silver Shaker ended her 3-yearold season with two losses as the favorite. She came off a sevenmonth layoff to run second behind stablemate Complicit going 1 1/16 miles here on June 14. Her lone win from seven starts came at today’s distance and course.

Emmy Performance is a halfsister to graded stakes winners Oscar Performance and Oscar Nominated. She has made her first two starts at a mile and now stretches out to 1 1/4 miles for the first time. She is trained by Brian Lynch.

Galileo’s Melody, trained by Graham Motion, comes off a maiden win at Pimlico over an extremely boggy turf course on May 18. She is by Galileo out of a Grand Lodge mare, so 1 1/4 miles should be within her scope.

Smart Together, trained by Michael Matz, is by Smart Strike out of the multiple Grade 1-winning mare Forever Together. Smart Together was working at Palm Meadows this winter before Matz had to stop on her because of bone bruising.

“She was pretty close to running down in Florida,” Matz said. “Had to give her time. She’s come back good. We’ll see where she is.”

KEY CONTENDERS

Bengala, by Pivotal Beyers: 82-78

◗ Got shuffled back to last in both of her starts in the U.S. and may benefit from being allowed to run more freely early on.

Silver Shaker, by Lohnro Last 3 Beyers: 82-85-81

◗ Stretches out from 1 1/16 miles to to 1 1/4 miles. Won a maiden race last fall going 1 1/4 miles at Belmont.

◗ Starting June 23, trainer Chad Brown is 3-10-3 with his last 32 starters at Belmont.

Smart Together, by Smart Strike No Beyers

◗ Hasn’t run since finishing third in a minor stakes at Newbury 13 months ago. From that race, fourth-place finisher Indian Blessing won a Group 3 in Germany last week and seventhplace finisher Talayeeb won a Group 3 at York last summer.

“She does need the mile and a quarter,” Matz said.