Field of Seven in Flux for Kelso Handicap at Belmont

The 39th running of the $300,000 Kelso Handicap (G2) remains a work in progress.

Multiple grade 1 winner Catholic Boy was expected to be the headliner in the one-mile test Sept. 21 at Belmont Park, but a suspensory issue has sidelined the 4-year-old son of More Than Ready  for a bit.

Without him, seven horses were entered in the Kelso, but one of them is cross-entered in another stakes Saturday and another can top that by being in the entries for three races that day.

Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Gary Aisquith's Monongahela is entered in both the Kelso and the $150,000 Parx Dirt Mile. ABL Stable and partners' Golden Brown is a versatile enough runner that he has three possibilities on his plate: the Kelso, Parx Dirt Mile Stakes, and the $200,000 Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) at Laurel Park.

"We want to look at past performances and speed figures for all the races and see where he looks best. He does turf and dirt well, and Catholic Boy was the main reason we were staying away from New York. But without him, we entered in the Kelso as well," said Pat McBurney, who trains Golden Brown. "He's had a fantastic year and he's still training and acting great, so we're looking forward to racing him Saturday—somewhere."

Golden Brown, a 4-year-old Offlee Wild gelding, is one of fewer than 100 New Jersey-breds from his crop but has proven he can compete against stakes-quality open rivals. He won the Charles Hesse III Handicap over New Jersey-breds in his previous start and before that was third in the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. 

A year ago, he won the Kent Stakes (G3T) at Delaware Park and was fifth in the betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at his home base of Monmouth Park.

Bred by Esther de Jong out of the Chester House mare Suzee Sunrise, he was purchased in 2016 for $22,000 from the Brookdale Sales consignment at The October Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky fall yearling sale. With seven wins from 17 starts, he has already earned $472,000.

One of the starters eagerly awaiting the Kelso is Calumet Farm's True Timber, who will be making his first start in almost six months.

Second in the 2018 Cigar Mile Handicap Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack, the 5-year-old son of Mineshaft  has not raced since March 30 when he finished ninth in the Godolphin Mile Sponsored By Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City-District One (G2) at Meydan.

"Obviously, it's a tough spot coming off a bit of a layoff from Dubai, but he's doing well and we know he likes a mile distance," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. "It's hard to say how he'll run. He's ready to go and he runs well fresh, but the competition is very tough, so we'll have to see how he stacks up."

A winner of four of 19 starts with earnings of $800,550, True Timber was bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Marc Ferrell out of the Tiznow  mare Queen's Wood. He sold to Calumet for $170,000 from the St. George Sales consignment at the 2014 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

The Kelso was an easy choice for Daniel McConnell's Prince Lucky. The 4-year-old Corinthian gelding is a perfect fit for the one-turn mile at Belmont Park as he owns two wins in four starts at the Elmont. N.Y., track—including a 1 3/4-length score in the July 7 State Dinner Stakes at  1 1/16 miles in his most recent start—and earlier in the year he won both the Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2) and the Hal's Hope Stakes (G3) at a flat mile by a combined margin of 10 3/4 lengths for trainer Todd Pletcher.

"We'll see how the race turns out, but Prince Lucky's record at a one-turn mile is quite good. He came out of his last race in good order, and we're excited about getting him going again," Pletcher said. "He ran very well in the State Dinner last time at Belmont, so we thought we'd stick to our guns and stay in New York. We kicked around the idea of running at Saratoga, but it seemed like he needed a little more time and the last couple of breezes have been good. He's coming up to the race in good order."

A winner of seven of 13 starts, he was bred in Pennsylvania by Daniel McConnell Sr. out of the Great Notion  mare Lucky Notion.

The field also includes the New York state-bred Pat On the Back. The 5-year-old son of Congrats  won the Empire Classic for state-breds and was fifth in the Cigar Mile last year for owners Harold Lerner, AWC Stables, and Nehoc Stables and trainer Jeremiah Englehart. He was third against open company in the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Saratoga in his previous start.

Shortleaf Stable's Plainsman, making his second start since winning the Discovery Stakes (G3) in December, and Charles Fipke's grade 3 winner Tale of Silence are also entered.

Entries: Kelso H. (G2)

Belmont Park, Saturday, September 21, 2019, Race 10

• Grade II
• 1m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:57 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Monongahela (PA)	Luis R. Reyes	119	Jason Servis	6/1
2	2True Timber (KY)	Joe Bravo	117	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	9/2
3	3Pat On the Back (NY)	Dylan Davis	116	Jeremiah C. Englehart	3/1
4	4Golden Brown (NJ)	Kendrick Carmouche	116	Patrick B. McBurney	10/1
5	5Prince Lucky (PA)	John R. Velazquez	119	Todd A. Pletcher	2/1
6	6Plainsman (KY)	Jose Lezcano	117	Claude R. McGaughey III	4/1
7	7Tale of Silence (KY)	Javier Castellano	117	Barclay Tagg	12/1