By Christie DeBernardis
'TDN Rising Star' Karak (Karakontie {Jpn}) earned her black-type badge last time in the Tyro S. and looks to add graded success to her resume Saturday in Belmont's GIII Matron S. An impressive three-length victress on debut over the local lawn May 25, the $365,000 OBSMAR buy failed to fire when making the trip across the pond for Royal Ascot's Windsor Castle S. June 19, finishing 15th. She returned to winning ways last time with a defeat of males in Monmouth Park's Tyro Aug. 3.
“She's been doing really good between races; her works at Keeneland have been great,” Wesley Ward told the NYRA notes team. “Her race at Ascot happened right after a downpour, the heavens opened up, and it was a soft, soft turf. I definitely think she's going to appreciate a firmer turf. We're ready.”
Godolphin homebred Alms (City Zip) jumps up in class here off a 3 3/4-length graduation over course-and-distance Sept. 19.
“We had liked her early on,” trainer Mike Stidham said. “She had shown a lot of talent in the mornings, which is the reason we shipped her to Belmont. We thought she was above average, so we took a shot and she ran really well. When you get horses like her, you have to get results, so we're happy.”
Mike Maker has a pair of runners in A Freud of Mama (Freud) and Time Limit (Bustin Stones), who is stakes-placed against fellow Empire-breds on dirt, but tries turf for the first time here. Off the board in a Saratoga turf sprint Aug. 23, the former earned her diploma next out in a six-panel turf event here Sept. 13.
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