Easy to Say ‘I Do’ to Beldame Favorite

Wedding Toast (Street Sense), freshened since her five-length tour-de-force victory over champion Untapable (Tapit) in the GI Ogden Phipps S. June 6, has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in Saturday’s GI Beldame S. at Belmont Park.

Boasting four wins from five attempts over Big Sandy–including a four-length decision in the GII Ruffian S. May 9–the ‘TDN Rising Star’ has been training smartly at Sheikh Mohammed’s Greentree Training Center in upstate New York since mid-August.

“She missed a few works there and we opted not to run her [in the GI Personal Ensign at Saratoga],” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin revealed. “We just wanted to get her right. She just wasn’t quite 100%. No big issues, but we wanted to skip that race and point for here because she loves the Belmont one turn.”

McLaughlin added, “She’s doing great and we’re looking forward to running her.”

Curalina (Curlin) takes on her elders here. An improbable winner after an eventful start in the GI Acorn S. at Belmont June 6, the sophomore was placed first via disqualification after falling a nose short to I’m a Chatterbox (Munnings) in Saratoga’s GI Coaching Club American Oaks July 26. She turns back in distance after a flat third as the 2-1 favorite in the GI Alabama S. Aug. 22.

New York-bred Hot Stones (Bustin Stones), winner of last term’s GIII Bed o’ Roses H., enters in career form. She defeated next out Summer Colony S. heroine Catch My Drift (Pioneerof the Nile) by three lengths in a local optional claimer in late June, then dominated state-breds at this distance in the Saratoga Dew S. Aug. 17.

“We have to beat Wedding Toast, but Hot Stones is doing good,” trainer Bruce Levine offered. “[Wedding Toast is] off a layup, so it’ll be the time to take her on. [Hot Stones] is doing good and she runs well at Belmont so we’re looking forward to it.”