Annapolis Seeks Rebound in Manila After Soft-Turf Loss

Bass Racing's homebred Annapolis  will try for his first win of the year July 4 in the $100,000 Manila Stakes, a one-mile Widener turf test for sophomores at Belmont Park. 

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 3-year-old son of War Front   enters from a runner-up effort over soft going in the Penn Mile Stakes (G2T) June 3 at Penn National behind upsetter Wow Whata Summer . The Penn Mile was the first start off an eight-month layoff for Annapolis, who closed out his juvenile campaign in October with a gritty head victory in the Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) over firm Belmont turf going 1 1/16 miles. The win came on the heels of a runaway debut maiden score going the same distance at Saratoga Race Course that September. 

"Physically, he's done great. He looks super and he's always been a very professional horse to train," said Pletcher. "It was tough to gauge the race at Penn. It was bottomless ground and I thought despite that, he tried hard." 

Pletcher will also be represented by multiple stakes-placed Chanceux , third last-out in the Paradise Creek Stakes when sprinting seven furlongs at Belmont for owners Harrell Ventures. 

D. J. Stable and breeders Chester and Mary Broman will hope to see the New York-bred Coinage  return to winning ways after a disappointing trip to Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day when eighth in the American Turf Stakes Presented by BMW (G2T).

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said that Coinage was bothered by the commotion of the large crowd in attendance that day.

"I'm just throwing that race out. That was not any indication of his true ability. I don't know what got into him. He was terrible in the paddock and in the gate and people could hear him kicking on TV," Casse said. 

Graded stakes-winning Coinage has earned two graded-placings this year with a pair of thirds in the Kitten's Joy Stakes (G3T) in February at Gulfstream Park and in the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) in April at Keeneland. 

Impressive debut maiden winner Boston Tea Party  will make the step up to stakes company for trainer Tony Dutrow and owners Paul Braverman, Gold Square, Timothy Pinch, and Chevaux Racing. 

An Ontario-bred son of American Pharoah  , Boston Tea Party made it look easy when he took down a six-furlong maiden special weight when debuting May 29 over firm Belmont turf. He took some time to get to the races but has been worth the wait. 

"In dealing with this boy, I wouldn't have thought in the first month we had him that he would turn into a decent kind of horse," Dutrow said. "He was a handful to train and he was nervous and upset. He was really working against himself. But he just has been getting a little better in all those aspects. He's good and that's why we're going in this race. I don't see any downside to trying." 

Donegal Racing's Ready to Purrform  was beaten a neck last time out by Joe  in the James W. Murphy Stakes on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course.

Completing the field are dual stakes-placed Smokin' T , maiden winner Double Clutch , and stakes-placed Ohtwoohthreefive .

Entries: Manila S.

Belmont Park, Monday, July 04, 2022, Race 9

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo
• 5:12 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Chanceux (KY)	Flavien Prat	118	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
2	2Annapolis (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Todd A. Pletcher	6/5
3	3Ready to Purrform (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Brad H. Cox	6/1
4	4Coinage (NY)	Luis Saez	122	Mark E. Casse	8/1
5	5Boston Tea Party (ON)	Eric Cancel	118	Anthony W. Dutrow	9/2
6	6Smokin' T (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Claude R. McGaughey III	6/1
7	7Double Clutch (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	George R. Arnold, II	12/1
8	8Ohtwoohthreefive (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	George Weaver	20/1