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Bribon seeks Westchester repeat

Bribon figures to enjoy cutting back to a mile on dirt (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com) One year ago, BRIBON (Fr) (Mark of Esteem [Ire]) captured the $100,000 Westchester S. (G3) on opening day at Belmont Park, and followed up with a victory the following month in the storied Metropolitan H. (G1) over the same track and one-mile trip. With Belmont kicking off its spring/summer meet on Friday, the veteran gelding returns to the scene of his two biggest victories and mounts a title defense in the 81st running of the Westchester. It's not all deja vu, however. Over the winter, Bribon was sold to Derrick Smith, who removed him from the Bobby Ribaudo barn and transferred him to Todd Pletcher. The seven-year-old was then shipped to Barbados for the island's premier event, the March 6 Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup. Making his first start since his close runner-up effort in the November 6 Cigar Mile H. (G1), Bribon just missed by a neck to the classy Canadian Sterwins (Runaway Groom) in the about 1 1/8-mile turf prize. Since returning from his Caribbean adventure, Bribon has been firing bullets in preparation for the Westchester, his first U.S. start for Pletcher. Javier Castellano picks up the mount aboard the chestnut.

Eight challengers are set to oppose the defending Westchester champion, including course-and-distance aficionado LE GRAND CRU (Dynaformer), who will try to rebound from a 10th-place finish in the Gulfstream Park H. (G2) for Allen Jerkens; the Jimmy Jerkens-trained CONVOCATION (Pulpit), the runner-up in last year's Dwyer S. (G2) and most recently an impressive allowance winner at Gulfstream; and a pair of Grade 3 heroes returning from year-long layoffs in HONEST MAN (Unbridled's Song) and GIANT MOON (Giant's Causeway). Both halves of the Darley Stable entry -- ELUSIVE WARNING (Elusive Quality) and PAST THE POINT (Indian Charlie) -- are cross-entered to Saturday's Vincent A. Moscarelli Memorial S. at Delaware Park.

The Westchester is the first of 25 graded stakes offered during the 59-day stand, which runs through July 18. The first Grade 1 event of the season will take place on Memorial Day, May 31, with the $500,000 Metropolitan H.

As ever, the spring/summer season is highlighted by the $1 million Belmont S. (G1), the final jewel in racing's elusive Triple Crown. The 142nd edition of the 1 1/2-mile classic is scheduled for June 5.

The Belmont S. undercard includes five other graded stakes races -- the $400,000 Manhattan H. (G1) for older horses on the turf, the $400,000 Just a Game (G1) for fillies and mares on the turf, the $300,000 Acorn (G1) for sophomore fillies and a pair of sprints, the $250,000 True North H. (G2) for older horses at six furlongs and the $250,000 Woody Stephens (G2) for three-year-olds going seven furlongs. The June 5 program will feature a $1 million guaranteed, all graded  stakes Pick 4 and a $1 million guaranteed, all gaded stakes Pick 6.

The other Grade 1 races on the stakes schedule are the $250,000 Ogden Phipps H. on June 12 sending distaffers 8 1/2 furlongs, the $250,000 Mother Goose for three-year-old fillies at its new distance of 1 1/16 miles on June 26, the $250,000 Prioress for sophomore fillies sprinting three-quarters and the $600,000 Man o' War at 1 3/8 miles on the turf on July 10.

A number of races will be on hiatus this year -- the First Flight (G2), Peter Pan (G2), Tom Fool (G2), Nassau County (G3), Poker (G3), all run during the 2009 Belmont spring/summer meet.

The Dwyer has been moved to May 8 to replace the Peter Pan, thereby becoming a key prep for the Belmont S. four weeks later. The Bed o' Roses (G3), run at Aqueduct in 2009, has been moved to July 5 to replace the First Flight.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced that it will offer a $300,000 guaranteed Late Pick 4 Saturdays at Belmont Park during the spring/summer meet, beginning on May 8.

Although NYRA offers daily Pick 4s on the 2ND through 5TH races and the final four races of the day, the $300,000 guarantee applies only to the Late Pick 4 on Saturdays. The Late Pick 4 is a $1 minimum wager in which the bettor must correctly pick the winners of the last four races on the card, usually beginning with the 7TH race. By guaranteeing the wager for $300,000, NYRA will supplement the difference if the total wagering pool for the Saturday Late Pick 4 is less than $300,000.

Live racing is scheduled Wednesday through Sunday. On most days, gates open at 11 a.m. (EDT) and first post is at 1 p.m. General parking is free, except on Belmont Stakes Day, June 5. There is no live racing on Mondays or Tuesdays, with the exception of Memorial Day, May 31 and Monday, July 5. Belmont Park will be dark on Sunday, June 6.

In addition to all the great racing, family activities abound throughout the meet, including the popular "Breakfast at Belmont" program weekend mornings from 7 to 9:30 a.m. (excluding Belmont Stakes weekend), Family Fun Days on Sundays, presented by Coca Cola, and the "World of Horses" on Sunday, May 30.

"Party at the Park" returns on June 18, with a special first race post time of 3 p.m. and a party that includes food and drink specials along with a great live concert from the Big Shot Tribute Band (the ultimate Billy Joel experience) beginning in the Festival Tent at the conclusion of live racing.

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