Constitution back in action at Belmont Sunday

Last updated: 10/9/14 6:56 PM

Constitution beat the likes of Tonalist and Wicked Strong before being sidelined by injury

(Bob Coglianese Photo)

Undefeated Florida Derby hero Constitution, who was knocked off the

Kentucky Derby trail

by injury, will make his eagerly awaited comeback in Sunday's

8TH race at Belmont

Park. The Todd Pletcher colt will face eight rivals in the 1 1/16-mile

allowance/optional claimer, including such older runners as Easter Gift and the

David Jacobson entry of Praetereo and Spa City Fever.

Constitution rocketed into prominence at Gulfstream Park last winter. After

overcoming a slow start to take his debut at seven furlongs January 11, the

well-bred son of Tapit went

wire to wire in an exceptional allowance race at this distance on February

22. The runner-up that day was Tonalist, who went on to land the Belmont Stakes

and Jockey Club Gold Cup. Fourth-placer Wicked Strong later captured the

Twinspires.com Wood Memorial and Jim Dandy, and missed by a nose in the Travers.

Next seen in the March 29 Florida Derby, Constitution

outdueled a scrappy foe in Wildcat Red, the Fountain of Youth winner, to

remain perfect in three starts. Holy Bull romper Cairo Prince was left back in

fourth, and fifth East Hall has since garnered the Ohio and Indiana Derbies.

Unfortunately, Constitution wouldn't be around to enhance his own resume. In

mid-April he was diagnosed with a hairline fracture to his right front cannon

bone, and headed to the sidelines as his rivals continued to duke it over the

course of the season.

Constitution was ready to resume training this summer, recording three

breezes in August at co-owner

WinStar Farm near

Versailles, Kentucky. The bay then rejoined Pletcher at Belmont Park, where he

has worked seven times in preparation for his return. He drilled a bullet five

furlongs in 1:00 1/5 on the training track September 29 and followed up with an

easy half in :50 2/5 on Monday.

Javier Castellano, aboard for all three of the colt's starts, will be back in

the saddle as he breaks from post 7 Sunday.

Grade 3 veteran Easter Gift is his most accomplished opponent, but the

five-year-old has been off form of late. A solid third to Will Take Charge and

Game on Dude in the Clark Handicap to conclude 2013, the Chad Brown charge has

been beaten about 20 lengths in both the July 27 Monmouth Cup and the August 17

Alydar at Saratoga.

Praetereo and Spa City Fever are both grizzled veterans who were claimed by

Jacobson last year. The six-year-old Praetereo, initially a Pletcher trainee,

comes off a photo-finish loss in the DTHA Governor's Day at Delaware.

Eight-year-old entrymate Spa City Fever exits a close fourth in a New York-bred

allowance over the track.

The Jason Servis-trained Don Dulce, fourth in the Salvator Mile two back, has

a similar career profile, as does Dawly, a starter allowance winner at Parx in

his latest for Rudy Rodriguez. Constitution's only sophomore rival is Griff, the

fourth-placer in the six-furlong Jersey Shore who most recently scored in a

one-mile allowance at Laurel.

Annecdote spearheads a Christophe Clement trio in the Athenia

(NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

One race later, trainer Christophe Clement is triple-handed with Annecdote,

Cushion and Maximova in the Grade 3, $200,000

Athenia

for turf distaffers.

Annecdote was a two-time stakes victress in England last year, in the

Sandringham at Royal Ascot and the Oak Tree at Glorious Goodwood. The import

made a successful U.S. debut in the September 13 Noble Damsel here, rallying

from last to win by an emphatic 2 3/4 lengths.

"She won very impressively and came out of the race in good shape," Clement

said. "I don't think she'll like it too soft, so we'll have to keep an eye on

the weather forecast. Of course, I'm not thrilled with (post 12), especially

going 1 1/16 miles."

Cushion, thrice stakes-placed in England in 2013, likewise opened her

American career on a winning note in a June 28 allowance on this inner turf. The

blueblood daughter of Galileo and dual classic-winning champion Attraction was

then sent off as the 3-1 favorite in the 1 1/2-mile Waya at Saratoga, but raced

too eagerly on the front end and faded to 10th.

"Cushion has been training well. It's a bit ambitious, but she deserves a

shot," Clement said.

Lightly raced Maximova prevailed in the Bit of Whimsy here last summer, and

ended her sophomore season with a near miss to Watsdachances in the Summer

Secretary at Aqueduct. The Danehill Dancer filly cleared her third-level

allowance condition at Saratoga last out.

"Maximova always runs better when the ground is soft. I had her entered in

the Flower Bowl anticipating a soft course, but the rain missed us," Clement

said. "She's been training well, so we'll give it a try."

Illinois shipper La Tia promises to play her trademark catch-me-if-you-can

game on the front end. Fourth in the 1 3/16-mile Beverly D. and third in the

about nine-furlong Canadian in her last pair, the Armando De La Cerda mare

should profit on the cutback in trip.

The admirably consistent Overheard has yet to finish off the board in 13

career starts. Trained by Malcolm Pierce, the Pin Oak Stable homebred sports

wins in last year's Valley View and the July 6 Dance Smartly, and she closed

well for runner-up honors in the August 23 Violet.

"There wasn't much pace in the race and we were a little farther back than

you would have liked," Pierce said. "We also had to go wide around the turn.

"She's a very nice filly; she gives you 110 percent every time."

Others to note include Byrama, Julie's Love and Baffle Me, the respective

second through fourth behind Annecdote in the Noble Damsel; multiple stakes

vixen Embarr, second in the 2012 Athenia; and recent Laurel allowance scorer

It's My Time.

Should the Athenia be rained off the turf, the main-track-only Teen Pauline

would rate as the prohibitive favorite. The Pletcher filly is three-for-three

this year, with dominating victories in the January 1 Affectionately, January 25

Ladies Handicap and the Top Flight when last seen on March 1.

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