Category : News
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Sun 05/06/2016 – 12:32 EDT
While the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) is the highlight of the day on Saturday, June 11, there will be no shortage of star quality in the undercard races. The track is scheduled to card a total of seven graded stakes races with over $6.6 million in purses.
The Belmont Stakes (G1) boasts the largest purse of the day but the $1.25 million Metropolitan Mile is not far behind. The one-mile event is for older horses and traditionally has attracted some of the best horses from coast to coast. This year, Frosted tops the competitive field of probable contenders for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. A gray son of Tapit, he has been freshened since finishing fifth behind California Chrome in the Dubai World Cup (G1).
Todd Pletcher saddling formidable duo
Also on the card is the $1 million Ogden Phipps, a Grade 1 event for fillies and mares. Scheduled to be run at a mile and a sixteenth, the race is shaping up to be a showdown between Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Stopchargingmaria and multiple Grade 1 winner Curalina. Both fillies are trained by Todd Pletcher. They will also have to contend with the in-form Cavorting and Carrumba, the 1-2 finishers in the recent Ruffian Stakes (G2).
Comeback effort for globe trotting Flintshire
The Belmont Stakes Day undercard will also feature the return of Flintshire (GB) who will be making his first start for trainer Chad Brown. A multiple Group 1 winner in Europe, the dark bay son of Dansili (GB) won the Sword Dancer Invitational (G1)in Saratoga last year before shipping back overseas and finishing second in both the l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) and the Hong Kong Vase (G1). He has been training steadily and will compete in the Manhattan (G1).
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