Westchester Ushers in Belmont Meet

Belmont Park opens its admission gates for the 55-day Spring/Summer meet on Wednesday when 10 colts and geldings will take the gate for the $100,000 Westchester Handicap (gr. III) going a mile on the dirt.

Dogwood Stable's Windsor Castle is a candidate for a Westchester victory, as he enters the race off a good second-place finish to John Little in Aqueduct's Excelsior Breeders' Cup (gr. III).

Windsor Castle, who drew post 10 in the Westchester, closed from well off the pace in the Excelsior, took the lead in mid-stretch, but was out gamed by John Little in the last few strides to lose by a neck. Jockey Robbie Davis has the mount.

Looking to challenge Windsor Castle will be Barry Seinfeld's Country Be Gold, an overachieving son of Squall, won more than $239,000 last year, chasing the likes of two-time Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Tiznow, Aptitude, and Albert the Great in races like the Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I).
Country Be Gold, who drew post three and will be piloted by Richard Migliore, makes his second start of the year in the Westchester.

The field for Wednesday's grade III Westchester Handicap includes: Tempest Fugit (Shaun Bridgmohan, 113); King's Messenger (Norberto Arroyo Jr., 112); Country Be Gold (Migliore, 113); Comic Genius (Aaron Gryder, 112); Dayton Flyer (Jorge Chavez, 112); Free of Love (Jerry Bailey, 112); Seeking Daylight (Edgar Prado, 111); Open Sesame (John Velazquez, 112); Griffinite (Paul Toscano, 114); and Windsor Castle (Davis, 113).