English-bred Janet, a two-time grade I turf winner last year, faces seven rivals under top weight of 119 pounds in the $250,000 guaranteed New York Handicap (gr. IIT) at 1 1/4 miles over Belmont Park's inner turf course. The race, for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, gets underway at 5:16 p.m on July 4.
Janet, campaigned by Red Baron's Barn, is looking for her first grade I win of the year. Trained by Darrell Vienna, the 5-year-old mare captured the Brown Bess Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Golden Gate Fields in February and is twice graded stakes-placed from four races this year. The Emperor Bid mare goes into the race off a runner-up effort in the May 18 Yerba Buena Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Bay Meadows.
Three distaffers--Tweedside, Owsley and Mot Juste--are going into the race off efforts in the June 1 Sheepshead Bay Handicap (gr. IIT) at 1 3/8 miles at Belmont. Tweedside, owned by Eugene and Laura Melnyk and trained by Todd Pletcher, scored by nose, with Owsley fourth and Mot Juste seventh.
New York Handicap (gr. IIT), $250,000, 1 1/4 miles, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares
Post Horse Weight Jockey
1--Owsley 114 Edgar S. Prado, 5-1
2--Volga (IRE) 116 Jose A. Santos, 7-2
3--Unbridled Vice 112 Shaun Bridgmohan, 12-1
4--Five Fishes (FR) 114 Jorge F. Chavez, 12-1
5--Sunstone (GB) 111 Jerry D. Bailey, 10-1
6--Mot Juste (GB) 117 Javier Castellano, 9-2
7--Janet (GB) 119 David Romero Flores, 3-1
8--Tweedside 116 John R. Velazquez, 5-1
