Antoinette Chases a Turf Double in Belmont Oaks

An old Meat Loaf song has taken shape as the theme song for top-level 3-year-old turfers in New York.

Yes, in a year ravaged by a pandemic, two out of three ain't bad at all.

After the New York Racing Association launched a pair of Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds in 2019, changes in its stakes schedule has pushed back those races, and according to NYRA senior vice president of racing operations Martin Panza, most likely the Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes and Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes—the final legs of the series—will be placed on hiatus for a year.

With the 2020 series kicking off at Saratoga Race Course last month with the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes and Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes for fillies, it left the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) and Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T), which ushered in the Turf Triple last year, as the second and final legs of the abbreviated series.

Normally run on the same day, the Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks will be contested at Belmont Park on different weekends with the $250,000 Oaks slated for Sept. 19 and the $250,000 Derby set for Oct. 3.

The Oaks only attracted a field of five 3-year-old fillies for the 1 1/4-mile renewal, but it features Godolphin's Antoinette bidding for a Turf double.

The homebred daughter of Hard Spun  out of the Elusive Quality mare Shuruq captured the series-opening Saratoga Oaks for trainer Bill Mott in frontrunning fashion, capitalizing on a lack of early speed in the field of seven. With only four other runners in Saturday's field, the same scenario could arise for jockey John Velazquez from the outside post. 

Versatile enough to be grade 1-placed on dirt, Antoinette has won three of eight starts with four thirds and earnings of $483,750.

Her main rival could turn out to be a foreign import in Lael Stables' Magic Attitude, who arrives in the United States after highly competitive efforts in two of France's premier stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

A daughter of Galileo, Magic Attitude was fifth in the July 5 Prix de Diane Longines (G1) at Chantilly in her most recent start, finishing just three lengths behind in a race commonly known as the French Oaks, and was second by five lengths before that in the Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint Alary (G1).

The champion turf female Sistercharlie was second in the French Oaks prior to finishing second in the 2017 Belmont Oaks in her U.S. debut.

"Her form is solid against some very nice fillies," trainer Arnaud Delacour said about Magic Attitude, a group 3 winner in France. "She's a tiny filly. She's not very big, so I don't think she will have a problem with the turns. Sometimes the biggest problem for foreign horses is the tighter turns here in the United States, but Belmont Park is one of the best tracks for European horses."

Delacour said there was an initial thought of running in the Aug. 22 Del Mar Oaks (G1T), but those plans were scrapped when Magic Attitude came down with a fever after landing on American shores in late July.

"She was a little sick when she arrived in the United States, so we gave her plenty of time and she seems to have bounced back very well," Delacour said. "We'll have to see how she adapts to tracks in America, but I've been very pleased with her."

Delacour said he spoke with former trainer Fabrice Chappet and was told that firm turf would be the best fit for Magic Attitude, a full sister to group 2 winner Mission Impassible out of the group 1-winning mare Margot Did.

Another of Saturday's main contenders ran in the Del Mar Oaks as Neige Blanche finished fourth in her U.S. debut. Trained by Leonard Powell and owned by Madaket Stables, Marsha Naify, and Laura De Seroux, the daughter of Anodin finished 2 1/2 lengths behind longshot Red Lark in the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes.

In her last race overseas, Neige Blanche won the 1 3/8-mile Prix Cleopatre (G3) at Lyon-Parilly.

Arindel's Key Biscayne, a daughter of Brethren  who was third in the Saratoga Oaks, and Paul Pompa Jr.'s Lea  filly Setting the Mood, a recent allowance winner at Saratoga, are also entered.

The Belmont Oaks will be the fifth of 10 races Saturday, with post time scheduled for 3:04 p.m. ET.

Entries: Belmont Oaks Invitational S. (G1T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, September 19, 2020, Race 5

• Grade I
• 1 1/4m
• Inner turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 3:04 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Setting the Mood (KY)	Luis Saez	121	Todd A. Pletcher	6/1
2	2Magic Attitude (GB)	Javier Castellano	121	Arnaud Delacour	1/1
3	3Key Biscayne (FL)	Manuel Franco	121	Juan Alvarado	8/1
4	4Neige Blanche (FR)	Jose Lezcano	121	Leonard Powell	5/1
5	5Antoinette (KY)	John R. Velazquez	121	William I. Mott	9/5