Belmont kicks off lucrative 59-day meet with Elusive Quality

Belmont kicks off lucrative 59-day meet with Elusive

Quality

That day, Belmont will offer a trio of prestigious stakes races: the $200,000

Sheepshead Bay (G2) and the $150,000 Fort Marcy (G3), both on the turf, and the

$150,000 Westchester (G3), the traditional prep for the $1.25 million

Metropolitan H. (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day.

The Met Mile is one of five other Grade 1 races on a 13-race card supporting

the Belmont: the $1 million Manhattan on the turf, the $1 million Ogden Phipps

for fillies and mares, the $750,000 Acorn for three-year-old fillies and the

$700,000 Just a Game for turf fillies and mares.

Also on track that day will be the $500,000 Woody Stephens , the $400,000

Brooklyn (G2), the $300,000 Jaipur (G3), and the $150,000 Easy Goer for

three-year-olds.

With the Belmont Stakes Draw scheduled on June 3 at Rockefeller Center in

Manhattan, the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will kick off on June 4 with the

$150,000 Intercontinental for turf fillies and mares and the $250,000 Astoria

for two-year-old fillies.

On June 5, the festival continues as Belmont Park will offer five stakes

races worth $1.2 million, including the $300,000 New York (G2) for turf fillies

and mares, the $250,000 True North (G2) for sprinters, the $250,000 Belmont Gold

Cup for turf marathoners, the $150,000 Jersey Girl for three-year-old filly

sprinters, and the Astoria's twin race, the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont for juveniles,

also with a purse of $250,000.

On Memorial Day, May 25, New York-breds take center stage on Big Apple

Showcase Day, with six stakes races worth $900,000 including a pair of one-mile

dirt races: the Commentator and the Critical Eye for fillies and mares, both

worth $200,000.

In July, the second "must-see" event of the meet is the second edition of the

internationally themed Stars & Stripes Racing Festival, highlighted by the $1.25

Belmont Derby (G1) and the $1 million Belmont Oaks (G1) for three-year-old

fillies, both at 1 1/4 miles on the turf. Also on the card are the $500,000

Suburban H. (G2), the $500,000 Dwyer (G3) for three-year-olds, the $400,000

Belmont Sprint Championship (G3) and the $150,000 Victory Ride (G3) for

three-year-old filly sprinters.

"Party at the Park" Twilight Fridays return with a special 3 p.m. (EDT) post

time on June 19, June 26 and July 3, and the "Breakfast at Belmont" program is

available every weekend and holiday during the meet, with the exception of

Belmont Stakes weekend.

First race post time at Belmont Park generally is 1:20 p.m., with racing

conducted Wednesday through Sunday.

Admission to Belmont Park is $5, excluding Belmont Stakes Day, when

Grandstand admission is $15 and Clubhouse admission is $40. Information on

special hospitality packages and seats for Belmont Stakes Day can be found at

belmontstakes.com.

A contentious group of older turf runners have lined up for Wednesday's

$100,000

Elusive Quality on opening day, led by New York-bred King Kreesa (King Cugat).

In 2014, King Kreesa won his seasonal debut in the West Point on August 24 at

Saratoga, and then finished second in the Ashley T. Cole at Belmont and third in

the Mohawk to close out an abridged campaign for trainer David Donk.

Plainview (Street Cry) is set to make his 2015 debut in the seven-furlong

dash on the Widener turf. Most recently a distant ninth in the Queens County

racing on dirt, Plainview previously finished fourth in the Knickerbocker (G3)

after setting the pace over a yielding course.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle a potent uncoupled entry of

Sinatra (Harlan's Holiday) and Mosler (War Front). Sinatra will be turning back

off a third-place finish in a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Gulfstream Park, while

Mosler will switch back to turf after finishing ninth in the one-mile Fred W.

Hooper (G3) on Gulfstream's main track. One start prior to the Fred Hooper,

Mosler was sixth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, in the Ft. Lauderdale (G2) on turf --

his first start over the surface.

Hard-knocking turf sprinters Mr. Online (Silent Name), Tightend Touchdown

(Pure Precision), Dimension (Medicean) and Spring to the Sky (Langfuhr) are also

among those entered for the Elusive Quality.

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