Ostrolenka Appears Poised for Mike Lee Stakes
Image:
Description:
After cruising to victory in an allowance/optional claiming race May 2 at Belmont Park, stakes winner Ostrolenka appears ready to deliver a top effort in the $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds May 25 at Belmont.
The Mike Lee is the first leg of the Big Apple Triple for New York-bred 3-year-olds and it is one of six stakes for New York-breds on Monday's Belmont card. The six stakes will offer total purses of $900,000, including the $200,000 Commentator Handicap for 3-year-olds and older and the $200,000 Critical Eye Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and older.
Owned by Chris McKenna and breeder Eric Fein, Ostrolenka scored a clear victory in last year's Sleepy Hollow Stakes at Belmont, a mile test for 2-year-old New York-breds. Since that win, the son of Musket Man finished off the board in a pair of graded stakes, but given a class break by trainer Todd Pletcher, Ostrolenka appears to be heading in the right direction going into Monday's seven-furlong race.
Ostrolenka finished second in an allowance/optional claimer April 4, before turning in the impressive effort May 2 at 1 1/16 miles.
Other stakes winners in the Mike Lee include DATTT Stable's Regal Minister, who won last year's six-furlong Notebook Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-olds; and Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and The Elkstone Group's Good Luck Gus, who will be making his first start since a clear victory in the Damon Runyon Stakes, a one-mile, 70-yard test for New York-bred 2-year-olds Dec. 14 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Michael Henning's Wincoma enters the Mike Lee off back-to-back wins, including a front-running 3 1/4-length romp in a May 9 allowance race for New York-breds at Belmont.
In Monday's other five stakes:
• Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Readtheprospectus, who won the Commentator in 2013 before finishing off the board in last year's edition won by eventual grade II winner Zivo, will try for his second Commentator victory in three years.
• In the mile Critical Eye, Bran Jam Stable and David Clark's Miss Da Point will try to extend her win streak to three races, as the two-time stakes winner by Strong Contender enters off of allowance race victories at Aqueduct and Belmont.
• In the $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and older, Very Un Stable's Mah Jong Maddnes will try to win the mile turf race for a second straight year.
• Toby Sheets and ZBS Thoroughbreds' Take Issue, a daughter of Sir Whimsey, will try for a second straight stakes win and fourth straight victory overall in the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes at seven furlongs on the main track for 3-year-old fillies.
• The past two winners of the Kingston Stakes, for 3-year-olds and older at a mile on the turf, are entered this year in last year's winner Kharafa, who is owned by Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch's and enters off two straight wins; and 2013 winner King Kreesa, owned by Gerald and Susan Kresa. The field also features familiar rival Lubash, a two-time grade III winner.