Fort Marcy Stakes 2014 at Belmont Park
Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Fort Marcy Stakes comes our way this Saturday, May 3 from Belmont Park in Elmont, New York - Kentucky Derby Day. Horses four years old and upward will be featured in this 1 1/8 mile turf test as the entries chase down the winner's share of the $150,000 purse.
A field of 10 have been confirmed for the Fort Marcy - race 10 on Belmont Park's Saturday card. Post time is 5:48 PM. Here is a look into the past performance of all 10 combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.
2014 Fort Marcy Stakes Race Favorites
Summer Front - Seven time stakes winner and Christophe Clement trainee is coming off very disappointing seventh in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Turf February 9 after a terrific win over Tetradrachm and Nikki's Sandcastle in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes January 11 and a good second to Silentio in the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park November 29. But he had a disappointing seventh before that in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile October 5 after two terrific graded stakes wins - in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park August 25 and in the Grade 3 Miami Mile at Calder in April. Summer Front has three wins and a second in his last six graded stakes starts with two sevenths sandwiched in there - he will be looking for a strong bounce back effort after an ugly performance last time out. He leaves from post 3 as the 5-2 morning line favorite with Alex Solis aboard.
Ghurair - Chad Brown trained colt makes his North American debut after five starts in England yielded two wins and a third place finish. His biggest win to date came in October, 2012 at Newmarket - in the Tattersalls Millions 2yo Trophy Stakes. He raced only two times in 2013 and his last start came back in May - a fourth place finish at York. He is highly regarded and is expected to challenge Saturday. Jose Lezcano has the mount from gate 5 at 3-1 odds.
Fort Marcy Stakes 2014 | Remaining Field Entries
Tetradrachm - Bill Mott trained gelding had a $100,000 Allowance Optional Claiming score by three lengths at Saratoga August 3 in his first outing for his new trainer after a pair of seconds in Allowance races. He enters off consecutive fourth place finishes - the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes last time out March 29 and the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf in February after a very good second in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes behind Summer Front January 11, another second in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap at Calder December 7, a fourth in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker October 12 and a respectable third in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga August 31. He hasn't tasted victory since August and has failed to place in his last two starts but Teteradrachm hasn't finished outside the top 4 in over a year. He goes off at 9-2 odds with Christopher DeCarlo in the saddle from post 7.
Online Hosre Betting at Belmont Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Speaking of Which - Irish bred Christophe Clement trainee won the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap at Calder in December and followed that with a respectable third in his only 2014 start - the Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap at Fair Grounds January 18. Before those results he had failed to place in four of five starts - the lone good results being an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Monmouth Park in June. He has four wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 12 career starts and seems to be trending upward as we head into this weekend. Speaking of Which ran sixth in this race last year, is listed at 5-1 odds and will have Junior Alvarado guiding him from post 6.
Unbridled Ocean - Bill Mott trained gelding is coming off third in an Allowance at Keeneland April 5 after a fourth in his graded stakes debut - the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream and an Allowance Optional Claiming score February 2. Before that were a couple of OK results in Dubai - a win in February 2013 and a sixth in a Group 3 race in March. He has four wins and a second and a third place finish in 11 career starts and goes off at 10-1 odds this Saturday. Eddie Castro gets the call from gate 2.
Sky Blazer - trainer Barclay Tagg sends out multiple graded stakes placed Sky Blazer off a fourth, a win and a second respectively in Allowance races this past winter. His last graded stakes action came in November - a fifth in the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap. He has 25 career starts with just five wins, four seconds and three third place finishes and looks for his first graded stakes score Saturday. Kendrick Carmouche gets the call from the outside post at 12-1 odds.
Five Iron - Impressive Brian Lynch trained colt won two straight stakes races at Woodbine last summer - the Victoria Park Stakes and the Toronto Cup Stakes before a terrific, career defining win in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes September 1 at Saratoga. He has just two starts since - a good third in the Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby in October and an awful ninth in the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream March 29 after five months away. He looks to get back on track Saturday with Michael Luzzi in the reins from gate 8 at 15-1 odds
Manighar - well traveled Christophe Clement trained French bred gelding makes his North American debut Saturday but enters in sketchy form - off a pair of fifteenth place finishes at home. He has 41 career starts with 10 wins, seven seconds and five third place finishes and races for the first time since October. He is 15-1 on the morning line and leaves from post 9.
Swift Warrior - Had an incredible win last February in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes February 16 to follow a very nice win in the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston January 26 in wire-to-wire fashion and an OK fourth in the Grade 3 River City Handicap November 25 at Churchill Downs. He has largely been up and down since - a seventh in the Grade 2 Dixie followed his Tampa Bay win which was followed by an OK third in the Grade 2 Colonial Turf Cup Stakes June 22. He won the minor PTHA President's Cup Stakes at Parx September 14 after a sixth in the Grade 3 Oceanport and then posted a fifth in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker on this track in October. Last time out was a third in the minor Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at Laurel Park March 22. He leaves from the rail as the co-longest shot in the field - 20-1 odds.
Seal Cove - has 13 career starts with six wins. The wins include the minor If Winter Comes Stakes, the Gleaming Stakes in 2012 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score on July 24. He also had a pair of sevenths in a couple of graded stakes races - the Grade 3 Saranac September 2011 and the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park in October 2011. Seal Cove had a fourth in the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston last January 26 in one of only three starts he has last year and has placed off the board in his only two starts of 2014 - a fifth and an eighth respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races at Gulfstream. He is 20-1 on the morning line and departs from post 3.
