With one of his familiar rivals looking to play spoiler, Lubash will try to win the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds and older a second straight year and third time overall Sept. 20 on the inner turf at Belmont Park.
A two-time grade III winner, Lubash carries a three-race win streak into Sunday’s 1 1/8-mile turf race, but one of his familiar rivals awaits in five-time stakes winner Kharafa, who finished third to Lubash in last year’s Ashley T. Cole after defeating him by a head in the race's 2013 edition.
Ben Aliyu Stables' Lubash enters off a one-length victory over King Kreesa, another frequent New York-bred rival who is sitting out Sunday’s race, in the Aug. 28 West Point Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Lubash started his three-race win streak with a one-length decision over Kharafa in the Kingston Stakes May 25 on the Belmont turf.
"He's a really, really, really fun horse," said Lubash's trainer Christophe Clement. "He's gotten into a rhythm now, which is probably the best he has ever been. He's sound, and he tries hard more than ever. He got loose on me right before Saratoga and I didn't think he was going to make it back to the races, but thank God I was wrong and he came back and ran a good race [in the West Point] at Saratoga.
"All the credit goes to the owner [Leonard Pivnick], who has been really patient," he added. "He was a good horse when I got him; it [just] takes me a while to get it right."
With more than $1.2 million in earnings and 10 total stakes wins, 8-year-old Lubash is the leading earner and stakes winner for his sire Freud . He has won four of his past five starts on the Belmont turf courses.
After his runner-up Kingston performance, Paul Braveman and Timothy Pinch’s Kharafa enters Sunday’s race off a pair of starts on the Monmouth Park turf course. The 6-year-old son of Kitalpha won the Elkwood Stakes July 4 at Monmouth and enters off a seventh in the Aug. 2 Oceanport Stakes (gr. IIIT), where the five-time stakes winner faltered as the 6-5 favorite.
Also Sunday at Belmont, New York-bred fillies and mares will try the inner course in the $125,000 John Hettinger Stakes, where Kendel Standlee’s The Tea Cups will try to replicate the late-running magic that carried her to victory in the Yaddo Stakes Aug. 28 on the Saratoga turf.
In the Yaddo, The Tea Cups rallied from 10th early to register a one-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile race. The 5-year-old daughter of Hard Spun will face some familiar rivals Sunday, as Yaddo runner-up Old Harbor, third-place finisher Selenite, and also-rans Chrysolite, Unbelievable Dream, and Invading Humor will try her again in Sunday’s 1 1/8-mile test.
The field also features Freudie Anne, who has won all three of her turf starts, including the Aug. 13 New York Stallion Series Stakes on the Saratoga turf.
Belmont Park, Sunday, September 20, 2015, Race 3Entries: Ashley T. Cole S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Iron Power (NY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Christophe Clement - 2 2Readthebyline (NY) UNKNOWN 123 Danny Gargan - 3 3More Zen Tea (NY) Joel Rosario 116 Joseph F. Orseno - 4 4Runaway Posse (NY) Jose Lezcano 116 William I. Mott - 5 5Ocala Jim (NY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 David G. Donk - 6 6Empire Dreams (NY) UNKNOWN 123 Thomas Albertrani - 7 7Lubash (NY) Junior Alvarado 123 Christophe Clement - 8 8Kharafa (NY) Javier Castellano 120 Timothy A. Hills -
Belmont Park, Sunday, September 20, 2015, Race 8Entries: John Hettinger S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Old Harbor (NY) Elvis Trujillo 120 Russell J. Cash - 2 2The Tea Cups (NY) Luis Saez 123 Jeremiah C. Englehart - 3 3Chrysolite (NY) John R. Velazquez 116 David G. Donk - 4 4Flipcup (NY) Junior Alvarado 123 William I. Mott - 5 5Saythreehailmary's (NY) Manuel Franco 116 John Morrison - 6 6Kate Is a Ten (NY) Fernando Jara 119 Joseph G. Parker - 7 7Carameaway (NY) Jose Lezcano 116 Mitchell E. Friedman - 8 8Freudie Anne (NY) Jose L. Ortiz 116 Eddie Kenneally - 9 9Unbelievable Dream (NY) Junior Alvarado 120 Barclay Tagg - 10 10Invading Humor (NY) Javier Castellano 123 Bruce N. Levine - 11 11Selenite (NY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 David G. Donk -
