By Christie DeBernardis
No European contender has managed to win the GI Belmont Derby since its inception in 2014, but three foreigners will give it their best shot as the top morning-line choices for Saturday's event. The always dangerous Aidan O'Brien will saddle two of those runners in Long Island Sound (War Front) and Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who will both receive Lasix for the first time. Owned by the Coolmore contingent, Long Island Sound opened his account with a trio of victories, breaking his maiden at Dundalk Apr. 1 and returning just three weeks later to score again there. Victorious in a Killarney heat May 17, the bay checked in third behind subsequent G1SW Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) last time in Royal Ascot's G3 Tercentenary S. June 16. Winner of last term's G3 Tyros S., Deauville missed by just a neck when making his seasonal bow in York's G2 Dante S. May 12 and was a non-factor 11th last time in Epsom's G1 Investec Derby June 4. Also making the trans-Atlantic is the Richard Hannon-trained Humphrey Bogart (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}), who will also be given Lasix for his Stateside bow. Winner of Lingfield's Betfred Derby Trial S. May 7, the bay finished fifth in the Investec Derby and was sixth last time in Royal Ascot's G2 King Edward VIII S. June 17.
Chad Brown leads the American contingent with a trio of runners signed on led by Camelot Kitten (Kitten's Joy), who is two-for-two since adding blinkers earlier this spring. The Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebred captured Churchill's GII American Turf S. May 7 by a head over reopposing stablemate Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid) and Surgical Strike (Red Giant) and followed suit with a win in Belmont's GIII Pennine Ridge S., the local prep for this test, June 4. Also exiting the Pennine Ridge is Camelot Kitten's stablemate Call Provision (Lemon Drop Kid), who finished third in that event after winning his career bow against state-breds at Aqueduct Apr. 16.
“It's a lot to ask of Call Provision,” Brown admitted to the NYRA notes team. “We think he's a true 1 1/4-mile horse. He ran well in his first career graded stakes. I think he's an improving horse, moving up.”
Another U.S.-based contender of interest is Joyce Young and Gerald McManis' Highland Sky (Sky Mesa). Second in Gulfstream's Cutler Bay S. Mar. 26, the Barclay Tagg pupil captured Aqueduct's Woodhaven S. Apr. 23 and missed by just a neck last time in the Pennine Ridge.
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