Leading the Charge
Repole Stable’s MGISW Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) will put a three-race winning streak on the line while facing older fillies and mares for the first time in Saturday’s GI Beldame Invitational at Belmont Park. Scratched from a showdown with division leader Untapable (Tapit) in last Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile GI Cotillion S. at Parx, Stopchargingmaria has been tabbed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite here after stringing together wins in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. May 16, GI TVG Coaching Club American Oaks July 20 and GI Alabama S. Aug. 16, respectively. Trainer Todd Pletcher saddled fellow sophomore Princess of Sylmar (Majestic Warrior) to a memorable win over champion Royal Delta (Empire Maker) in this race last year.
“They have pretty similar race records coming into it,” Pletcher said. “They seem like two fillies that are in the kind of form that you want them to be in trying older horses for the first time. Anytime you step up against older fillies for the first time, that’s the big question mark. It worked out well for Princess of Sylmar, so we’re hoping she can do the same.”
As for choosing this spot over the Cotillion for Stopchargingmaria, Pletcher added, “One thing we were looking at with the Beldame was the fact that she does run very well fresh. The extra week might have been a little bit of a difference, but also the mile-and-an-eighth suits her well. She has three wins at a mile-and-an-eighth and now a mile-and-a-quarter win. It seems like she appreciates a little time between races, but she also seems to like the added distance, as well.”
Belle Gallantey (After Market) could have things her own way on the front end with an aggressive ride by Jose Ortiz here. A respectable close fifth in a loaded renewal of the GI Ogden Phipps S. June 7, the chestnut upset Princess of Sylmar with a wire-to-wire score after coasting through easy fractions in the GI Delaware H. July 12. She never got involved when a distant sixth in the mud in Saratoga’s GI Personal Ensign S. last time Aug. 22.
“I don’t think she liked the track,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said. “The track was kind of hard that day and she was hitting the ground pretty hard. I’m just going to draw a line through it and hope that she comes back with another good race at Belmont. She likes Belmont, and hopefully she throws in another good race.”
Fiftyshadesofhay (Pulpit) makes another trip to the East Coast after completing the exacta behind Close Hatches (First Defence) in the Personal Ensign. She was previously an even fourth in Del Mar’s GI Clement L. Hirsch S. Aug. 2. Based in Southern California with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, the bay came on late to capture the GII Ruffian S. in her lone attempt at Belmont back in May.