While it may not be the premier field that will go to post in next weekend's Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), the field for the Bold Ruler Handicap (G3) Oct. 28 at Belmont Park is deep and wide.
The 124-pound highweight in the seven-furlong race is David Jacobson and Head of Plains Partners' Stallwalkin' Dude. The 7-year-old son of City Place won last year's Bold Ruler and most recently was a closing third in the six-furlong Vosburgh Stakes (G1) in late September.
G M B Racing's Tom's Ready (by More Than Ready ) seems poised to bounce back in his third start off a layoff for trainer Dallas Stewart. A winner of last year's Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs was third in Saratoga's Forego Stakes (G1) and third in Belmont's one-mile Kelso Handicap (G2) Sept. 23.
Grade 1 winner Green Gratto and grade 3 winner Tommy Macho help fill the cast, along with Seymourdini, a winner of his three 2017 starts by a combined 34 1/4 lengths. Iris Smith Stable's son of Bernardini -—Graeme Six, bred by Besilu Stables, is trained by Linda Rice. His last start, the July 3 State Dinner Stakes at Belmont saw the $900,000 sale 2-year-old run off to a 10 1/2-length romp going 11/16 miles in the mud at Belmont.
In the race prior to the Bold Ruler, four-time graded stakes winner Miss Sky Warrior makes her first start since the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) in the 1 1/16-mile Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3).
Al and Arlene London's homebred filly was eighth in the Oaks and was given time off by trainer Kelly Breen. Prior to her run at Churchill she rattled off wins in the Tempted Stakes (G3), Demoiselle Stakes (G2), Davona Dale Stakes (G2), and Gazelle Stakes (G1). By First Samurai , Miss Sky Warrior is out of the London's Sky Minister, by Conquistador Cielo.
"I'm happy to have the chance to saddle her again, it's very exciting," said Breen. "It's not the easiest of spots, but she's been training very well and I'm eager to see what she can do for her fall campaign. I just want her to have a good performance and come out of the race healthy."
The Turnback the Alarm, named for the grade 1 winner in the early 1990s trained by the late "Red" Terrill, drew a field of seven. Chief rivals include Charles Fipke's Verve's Tale, winner of the grade 3 Comely Stakes last fall and most recently fourth behind Elate in the Beldame Invitational Stakes (G1), and Beldame third Eskenformoney, along with the Tom Proctor-trained Birdatthewire. Forum Racing's Birdatthewire was most recently fourth in Saratoga's Ballerina Stakes (G1) behind three fillies pre-entered for Breeders' Cup events: By the Moon, Highway Star, and Carina Mia.
Belmont Park, Saturday, October 28, 2017, Race 9Entries: Bold Ruler H. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Tale of S'avall (KY) Manuel Franco 117 Barclay Tagg 12/1 2 2Awesome Banner (FL) Jose Lezcano 118 Kenneth Decker 15/1 3 3Ready for Rye (KY) Joe Bravo 115 Thomas Albertrani 20/1 4 4Green Gratto (NJ) Kendrick Carmouche 116 Gaston Grant 30/1 5 5Tommy Macho (KY) Javier Castellano 116 Todd A. Pletcher 10/1 6 6Tom's Ready (PA) Joel Rosario 116 Dallas Stewart 8/1 7 7Stallwalkin' Dude (FL) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 David Jacobson 4/1 8 8Beasley (KY) Junior Alvarado 114 Mark A. Hennig 20/1 9 9Seymourdini (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Linda Rice 3/1 10 10Mr. Crow (KY) Luis Saez 115 Todd A. Pletcher 5/1 11 11Divining Rod (KY) Daniel Centeno 118 Arnaud Delacour 7/2
Belmont Park, Saturday, October 28, 2017, Race 8Entries: Turnback the Alarm H. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1A Place to Shine (KY) Joe Bravo 113 Benjamin W. Perkins, Jr. 15/1 2 2Tejana (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 115 Claude R. McGaughey III 6/1 3 3Miss Sky Warrior (KY) Javier Castellano 118 Kelly J. Breen 8/5 4 4Verve's Tale (KY) Joel Rosario 117 Barclay Tagg 7/2 5 5Birdatthewire (KY) Manuel Franco 116 Thomas F. Proctor 8/1 6 6Indian Paint (KY) Nik Juarez 114 Kelly Rubley 20/1 7 7Eskenformoney (KY) John R. Velazquez 121 Todd A. Pletcher 3/1
