2016 Ogden Phipps Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes comes our way from an extremely busy Belmont Park in Elmont, New York on Saturday, June 11. A purse of $1 million will be up for grabs for fillies and mares four years old and upward willing to go 1 1/16 miles on Belmont Park's dirt track.

Seven star-studded older females have been confirmed for the Ogden Phipps Stakes - race 5 on Belmont Park's Belmont Stakes Saturday card. Post time is 1:52 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all seven entries for this intriguing and lucrative Grade 1 stakes - a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff this fall.

2016 Ogden Phipps Stakes Race Preview at Belmont Park

Curalina 3-1 - Todd Pletcher trained filly has been very good in her nine career starts - five wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. She debuted in July, 2014 and finished second and went on to four straight wins - the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks July 26 after wins in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park June 6, an Allowance Optional Claiming score by 8 1/4 lengths May 1 at Churchill Downs and a maiden score in March. Last time out was another win - in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes by 7 1/4 lengths at Churchill Downs May 6 after a respectable third behind Stopchargingmaria in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, a second in the Grade 1 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park September 26 and a third in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga August 22. Curalina has been in every race so far and hopes to be again Saturday. John Velazquez has been tabbed to ride the morning line favorite from post 5.

Stopchargingmaria 7-2 - multiple graded stakes winning - Todd Pletcher trained mare enters off a decent runner-up finish by just a half length in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland April 9 after a career best win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff in October. Before that was a fourth as favorite in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga August 29, a two-race Grade 3 winning streak - the Shuvee Handicap August 2 and the Distaff Stakes at Pimlico last May and consecutive runner-up finishes - the 2015 Madison Stakes in April and in the Grade 1 Beldame Stakes in her first start against older competition - at Belmont Park way back in September, 2014. She also holds wins in the 2014 Grade 1 Alabama Stakes in August, the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. Stopchargingmaria now has nine wins (eight graded stakes), four seconds and a third place finish in 17 career starts and has six wins and three seconds in her last 10 -competitive the last 24 months. Javier Castellano will be in the irons Saturday from gate 2 looking to keep up the good form as the second betting choice.

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Forever Unbridled 4-1 - Dallas Stewart trained filly has four wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 10 career starts . She enters on a three race win streak - the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Stakes at Oaklawn Park April 15, the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic January 30 and the Grade 3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct November 28. Before that was a fifth in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes in October, an ugly eleventh in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks May 1 and consecutive third place finishes - the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks March 28 and the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes in February. Forever Unbridled has been untouchable in her last three starts and is expected to be in the mix Saturday. Joel Rosario has the mount from gate 6.

Cavorting 9-2 - has 11 career starts with six wins, a second and a third place finish. She enters off a good win by five lengths in the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes here May 14 which followed a respectable runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct April 17, an OK third in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita back on December 26, a somewhat disappointing fourth as favorite in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (from an undesirable post 14) and a nice three race win streak - the Grade 2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga September 16, the Grade 1 Test Stakes August 8 and the minor Jersey Girl Stakes June 5 at Belmont Park. She also recorded a terrific win in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga August 10, 2014 and had an 11 length a maiden score in wire-to-wire fashion at Belmont Park July 3, 2014. Cavorting had been a tad up and down but has placed in six of her last seven starts overall ahead of this weekend. She looks for her second straight graded stakes score Saturday when she departs from gate 4 with Florent Geroux guiding her.

Sheer Drama 5-1 - won the minor Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park in September, 2014 and has been decent since. She won the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga August 29 and the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap July 18 and was last seen running an OK third in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs May 6. Before that was a terrific win over Stopchargingmaria in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland April 9 and an OK fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Other results include runner-up finishes in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap last June, and La Troienne Stakes in May, 2015. She also had a win in the Grade 2 Royal Delta Stakes at Gulfstream in March, 2015. Sheer Drama now has 22 career starts overall with seven wins, eight seconds and two third place finishes and enters this week having been in every race the last 16 months. Joe Bravo has been tabbed with keeping the string of impressive results going from the outside post 7.

Carrumba 6-1 - Shug McGaughey trained filly hasn't been worse than second in eight career starts with four wins so far. Last time out was a second in the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes on this track May 14 after a good win in the Grade 3 Top Flight Invitational at Aqueduct April 10, a respectable second behind Forever Unbridled in her stakes debut - the Grade 3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct November 28 and consecutive Allowance scores in the fall on this track. Carrumba has been competitive every time out and is expected to be again Saturday. Jose Ortiz will be in the irons from the rail Saturday hoping for her biggest win to date.

Desert Valley 50-1 - has 16 career starts for trainer Anthony Quartarolo with four wins, a second and four third place finishes. She won three races in 2015 - all Allowance races at Thistletown and has struggled since. Last time out was a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Thistletown May 27 after an eighth in the minor Fort Springs Stakes October 31 and a sixth in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America October 3 - both at Keeneland. Desert Valley looks for her first stakes win Saturday from post 3 Saturday with Ricardo Mejias in the reins.

2016 Ogden Phipps Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 5 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 1:52 PM.