Eclipse Thoroughbred Parnters' Turf Runners Gear Up

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners owns several 3-year-old colts and fillies gearing up for the New York Racing Association's Turf Triple series.

The series begins at Belmont Park July 10 with the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T) and the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T) for fillies, both at 1 1/4 miles; then moves to Saratoga Race Course for the Aug. 7 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T) and Aug. 8 Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3T) for fillies, both at 1 3/16-miles; and will wrap up back at Belmont with the Sept. 18 Jockey Club Derby Invitational at 1 1/2 miles and Jockey Club Oaks for fillies at 1 3/8 miles.

Dual stakes winner Annex , owned in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods and trained by Bill Mott, will make his next start in the May 1 American Turf Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs en route to the Belmont Derby. The Constitution   colt is undefeated in three starts, all at Gulfstream Park, including the Feb. 27 Palm Beach Stakes and March 27 Cutler Bay Stakes. 

"He will run in the American Turf and from there hopefully go into the Turf Triple series," said Eclipse's Aron Wellman. "The pace was pretty fast in the Palm Beach but he made up all of that ground and deserves a lot of credit for making such a big run. The pace was against us in the Cutler Bay, so he had to show some versatility and overcome a slow pace, which he did.

"He's naturally talented, but still a bit green and not focused. As he matures and develops, I think you'll see him get even better."

Wellman said the ownership team has long considered the Turf Triple series a potential target for Annex.

"He's a high energy horse and we're hoping that he continues to progress to where we can still consider these races," said Wellman. "Our goal all along was to point for these races. He's certainly bred to handle the distance and everything points to him being able to excel going nine furlongs and beyond."

While Annex has yet to race past 1 1/16 miles, recent maiden winner Avenue , co-owned with Robert LaPenta, William Freeman, and Michael Valdes, graduated at nine furlongs April 8 at Keeneland by four lengths. 

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the Quality Road   colt finished second and fifth in his first two starts at Gulfstream before shipping to Kentucky for his first career win.

Wellman said the decisive victory will propel him to graded company in the May 29 Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T) at Belmont. The Pennine Ridge-Belmont Derby double has been completed recently by Oscar Performance   (2017) and Catholic Boy   (2018). 

"From day one we knew he would go two turns," Wellman said. "At Gulfstream, the turf course is tight and on the speed-favoring side, so a mile and a sixteenth plays more like a mile. We had a lot of confidence in him going into his win at Keeneland, a course that he would be better suited for. We'll likely point him for the Pennine Ridge and from there on to the Turf Triple series."

Eclipse also has Aviano  in partnership with Freeman and Valdes. The Medaglia d'Oro   colt trained by Pletcher was third in an off-the-turf allowance at Keeneland April 10. He broke his maiden at fourth asking going 1 1/16 miles Feb. 28 at Gulfstream.

"He's definitely a quality horse," Wellman said. "We tried facing winners and it got rained off the turf. He's one that we would like to think could get into the series, but how we get there we're still unsure."

LaPenta and Augustin Stable's Hard Love , winner of the April 17 Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, and Hayward Pressman, Diamond M Stable, and Donna Pressman's New York-bred Step Dancer could also run in the Pennine Ridge.

Hard Love, trained by Jonathan Thomas, is 2-for-3 after Saturday's win. 

"(The Turf Triple series) would be the ultimate goal at this point," Thomas said Sunday. "Obviously, there are very good steppingstones that NYRA has put in place to get there. It worked out perfect yesterday, so now the idea is to get to the Pennine Ridge and determine what to do next. Every once in a while, you get to think big."

Barclay Tagg trains Step Dancer, who last fall won the Awad Stakes on yielding turf at Belmont and returned March 27 to finish eighth in the Cutler Bay Stakes at Gulfstream.

"We freshened him up and got him started back," said Tagg. "We'll probably aim for the Pennine Ridge."

In the 3-year-old filly department, Eclipse's color-bearer Con Lima  is scheduled to return to grass after finishing fourth as the favorite in the March 27 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). 

Wellman said Con Lima, owned in partnership with Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Erik Nikolaus, and Troy Johnson, will remain in Florida and target the May 1 Honey Ryder Stakes at Gulfstream going 1 1/16 miles.

"We tried to see if she could be as effective on the dirt, but she proved that she is definitely superior on grass," Wellman said. "She'll stay in Florida for the time being and point for the first of May with the intention of possibly going to New York in the summer."

Con Lima, a Texas-bred daughter of Commissioner , is trained by Pletcher and won the Jan. 2 Ginger Brew Stakes and Feb. 27 Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream, finishing second in the Jan. 30 Sweetest Chant Stakes (G3T) in between.

Spanish Loveaffair , who was disqualified from victory in the Herecomesthebride, is owned by Eclipse, Michael Hernon, and Gary Barber. The Karakontie   filly trained by Mark Casse won the Sharp Susan Stakes last summer at Gulfstream as a 2-year-old and last out was sixth in the April 3 Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T) at Keeneland.

"She never lifted a hoof that day, but she was dealing with a sinus infection," Wellman said. "Thankfully we put that behind her and it explained her race at Keeneland. We'll see how she does in the near future."

Mia Martina , owned by Eclipse and Gianni Fittipaldi, was eased in her dirt debut in the April 3 Gazelle Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct. The Graham Motion-trained daughter of Not This Time   won her first two career starts and was a late-rallying fourth in the March 6 Florida Oaks (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs.

Wellman said Mia Martina will likely point for the June 3 Wonder Again Stakes (G3T) at Belmont, a key prep for the Belmont Oaks.

"The Gazelle was an experiment to see if she could be as potent on dirt as she is on turf, which didn't work out. She could potentially come back in the Wonder Again," Wellman said.