One day shy of the one-year anniversary of her GI Belmont Oaks victory, undefeated 4-year-old filly Lady Eli (Divine Park) continued her recovery from a bout with laminitis with a four-furlong breeze over the inner turf course at Belmont. Merely stretching her legs in her first breeze back after posting four workouts over the winter at Palm Meadows Training Center, the dark bay covered the distance in :52.22.
“It was her first breeze back,” Brown said. “I just wanted to get her out there and do something better than a gallop and she how she's moving. I was real pleased with that.”
Winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2014 to cap a three-for-three 2-year-old campaign, Lady Eli reeled off three more wins as sophomore in 2015, culminating in a much-the-best win in the Belmont Oaks. The Sheep Pond Partners colorbearer developed laminitis after stepping on a nail soon after that race, and has been on a steady path to recovery in recent months.
Brown also sent out a slew of runners to complete their final serious prep work ahead of next Saturday's Stars and Stripes Festival at Belmont. Camelot Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and Call Provision (Lemon Drop Kid), first and third, respectively, in the GIII Pennine Ridge S. June 4, each breezed five-furlongs over the inner turf in 1:02.85 in preparation for the GI Belmont Derby.
“Both of those horses went really well,” Brown said. “Hopefully [Camelot Kitten] has more continued good luck with his trips. The last two times, he's found rail spots early, saved a lot of ground and came with a good kick… [Call Provision] is a lightly raced horse and it's a lot to ask, but he acts like he'll run a mile-and-a-quarter.”
Camelot Kitten enters the Belmont Derby on a two-race winning streak, having also captured Churchill's GII American Turf S. May 7, while Call Provision has only raced twice, winning an Apr. 16 maiden heat prior to his Pennine Ridge effort.
Brown said he was also pleased with prospective GI Belmont Oaks entrant Last Waltz (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who breezed a grassy five furlongs in 1:02.55, as well as Economic Model (Flatter), who worked four furlongs on the main track in :48.91 ahead of Saturday's GIII Dwyer S. The colt has posted two consecutive wins of his own, having annexed a May 4 optional claimer and the June 11 Easy Goer S.
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