Metropolitan Handicap to Provide July 4 Fireworks

When the field for the 2019 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) fell into place, it was billed as "The Race of the Year."

It featured six millionaires, including Thunder Snow, the two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), as well as the blazing fast sprinter Mitole  and multiple grade 1 winner McKinzie. The depth of the field could be found in the likes of Firenze Fire, a grade 1 winner at a mile distance over the track, and Coal Front , winner of the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile Sponsored By Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City - District One (G2) on the Dubai World Cup card.

It was a superb matchup for early June and the stars of the show did not disappoint as Mitole held on for a three-quarters-of-a-length victory in a performance that helped him become the year's champion sprinter and kept him in the Horse of the Year picture throughout the year. McKinzie, who had a troubled trip, was second by a neck over Thunder Snow.

Trying to match what happened a year ago seems a prodigious task for the 2020 Met Mile, yet the upcoming July 4 renewal at Belmont Park also promises to be one of the best matchups of the year.

Race of the Year?

Probably not, but for now, a $500,000 race with Code of Honor, Vekoma and McKinzie as the headliners and Mr Freeze and Warrior's Charge as major contenders in a field of eight seems destined to add to the Fourth of July fireworks in New York at the very least.

"There's some good horses in there," said Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who trains McKinzie.

Indeed.

The Met Mile, a "Win and You're In" race linked to a free spot in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), stands as the centerpiece of a quality holiday Saturday card at Belmont Park with four other graded stakes, including a double dose of grade 1 action with the 127th Met Mile and the 119th edition of the Manhattan Stakes (G1T).

For decades, the prestigious Met Mile was a Memorial Day fixture in New York before it was moved to the star-studded Belmont Stakes Day card in 2014. But with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down racing in New York for 80 days and condensing stakes schedules, the Met Mile was shifted back by a month and attracted a field that seems likely to produce memories of bygone holidays and victories by Ghostzapper , Holy Bull, Forego, Buckpasser and Kelso, just to name a few.

"It's always a feather in your cap to win the Met Mile," said George Weaver, who trains Vekoma.

Will Farish's Code of Honor will bring a rare measure of versatility into Saturday's race. Last year, as a 3-year-old, he registered a highly impressive double by winning both the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at 1 1/4 miles, the latter by disqualification. Yet the homebred Noble Mission  colt has also thrived at shorter distances at Belmont Park, winning the Dwyer Stakes (G3) last year and finishing second in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at 2, both at the same one-turn, one-mile conditions as the Met Mile.

Given some time off after traveling to the West Coast and finishing seventh in last year's Nov. 2 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), in his June 6 4-year-old debut Code of Honor won for the third time in four tries at Belmont Park by rallying with determination to take the Westchester Stakes (G3) by a half-length on a muddy track at a one-turn 1 1/16-mile distance.

"He's doing great," trainer Shug McGaughey said about the runner-up in the 2019 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) who will carry 124 pounds Saturday. "He's grown up a lot physically and mentally since last year and I'm pleased with the way he's doing. He ran good in the Champagne when he was second and I thought the Dwyer was one of his better races. There will be some speed in there but (jockey John Velazquez) knows how to ride him. If he gets a decent trip, we'll have a good chance."

McKinzie, owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman, had a nightmare trip in last year's Met Mile when he lacked room and checked twice in the stretch, but was still closing quickest of all at the wire.

"He ran great last year," Baffert said about the son of Street Sense , the 125-pound highweight with jockey Mike Smith. "I'll take that same effort this year."

After the Met Mile, the California-based McKinzie returned to New York in August and won the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Two starts later, he was second in the Classic. 

His first start at 5 was forgettable as he finished a dull 11th in the $20 million Saudi Cup, but when he returned to the U.S., he reverted to his customary form responsible for $3.4 million in earnings by winning the seven-furlong Triple Bend Stakes (G2) June 7 at Santa Anita Park.

"He ran a nice race," Baffert said about the Triple Bend, "and came out of it really well. I wish the pot (for the Met Mile) was $1.2 million like last year but we feel fortunate just to be able to run in a race like this."

Randy Hill and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma (123 pounds), winner of last year's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1), returned from a layoff of nearly 11 months since a 12th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby with a pair of dazzling performances. After winning the seven-furlong Sir Shackleford Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park, he returned home to New York and romped by 7 1/4 lengths in the June 6 Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1) over a sloppy surface at Belmont, covering the seven furlongs in a swift 1:21.02.

"People who look at the speed figures say he might be a candidate to bounce off the Carter, but the reality is that he's had four weeks between races and we're happy with him," Weaver said about the Candy Ride  colt. "We have to give him a shot. It's a marquee race and a race he deserves to have a chance in. Hopefully he can jump up and run big again."

Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's Mr Freeze (120 pounds) started the year for trainer Dale Romans with a second in the 1 1/8 mile Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1) then won the one-mile Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2). The 5-year-old To Honor and Serve horse was most recently third in the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap (G2).

Warrior's Charge (119 pounds) should play a big role in the early pace from the outside post. The son of Munnings  trained by Brad Cox was a front-running winner of the Razorback Handicap (G3) two starts ago. Owned by Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables, he was a game second in the May 2 Oaklawn Handicap, a half-length ahead of Mr Freeze, who raced evenly with a wide trip after shuffled back early.

The classy field also includes Godolphin's Endorsed, second to Code of Honor in the Westchester, Klaravich Stables' Network Effect, the runner-up in the Carter, and Something Special Racing's Hog Creek Hustle, winner of last year's seven-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

Entries: Runhappy Metropolitan H. (G1)

Belmont Park, Saturday, July 04, 2020, Race 9

• Grade I
• 1m
• Dirt
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:47 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Network Effect (FL)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Chad C. Brown	8/1
2	2Vekoma (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	George Weaver	5/2
3	3McKinzie (KY)	Mike E. Smith	125	Bob Baffert	2/1
4	4Hog Creek Hustle (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Vickie L. Foley	30/1
5	5Code of Honor (KY)	John R. Velazquez	124	Claude R. McGaughey III	3/1
6	6Endorsed (KY)	Joel Rosario	117	William I. Mott	10/1
7	7Mr Freeze (KY)	Manuel Franco	120	Dale L. Romans	8/1
8	8Warrior's Charge (FL)	Florent Geroux	119	Brad H. Cox	12/1