Zandon Starts 4-Year-Old Season in Westchester

A year ago at this time, Zandon  was battling fiercely in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby (G1) before settling for third behind an 80-1 shot named Rich Strike .

On May 5, the son of Upstart   will be back at a Triple Crown venue but in a dramatically different situation. Zandon will be starting his 4-year-old season for owner Jeff Drown by running in the $175,000 Westchester Stakes (G3) for older horses at Belmont Park.

Zandon won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) as a 3-year-old and has not raced since finishing fourth in the Dec. 3 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) as a 3-5 favorite. Owner of a 2-3-3 mark through nine career starts for trainer Chad Brown, he was scheduled to run in an April 29 allowance race at Aqueduct Racetrack but was scratched due to a wet surface and entered in the one-turn mile Westchester.

Bred by Brereton C. Jones in Kentucky, the $1,485,000 earner was purchased for $170,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Brown will also send out Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb's Dr Ardito , a New York State-bred who has won six straight starts since finishing second in his debut. Bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, the 5-year-old Liam's Map   gelding is coming off a head victory in the Feb. 20 Haynesfield Stakes for state-breds and will be starting in an open stakes for the first time.

The 4-year-old White Abarrio  was entered in the Westchester but is expected to scratch and run May 6 in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs, according to the NYRA racing office.

The eight horses entered also includes Repo Rocks , who had a four-race win streak snapped by a second in the seven-furlong Carter Handicap (G1), and St. Elias Stable's Expressman , who was third in the Carter, a nose behind Repo Rocks.

The nine-race card also features the $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2T) for older fillies and mares on turf which will be a battle between the barns of Brown and fellow trainer Christophe Clement.

Brown will send out three of the five starters in the about 1 3/8-mile stakes, topped by Michaela Faust's Mylady , winner of the The Very One Stakes (G3T) in her second North American start. 

The four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer will also be represented by Virginia Joy , a 14 1/4-length winner of last year's Sheepshead Bay on a soaked, boggy course, and the grade 1-placed Higher Truth , who has been out of the money only once in her nine career starts.

Higher Truth was second in the The Very One, a little less than a length behind Mylady, and Virginia Joy rallied from ninth to finish fourth in the 1 3/8-mile test.

Rounding out the field are the Clement-trained Amazing Grace , who won Gulfstream Park's Orchid Stakes (G3T) while making her U.S. debut, and Atomic Blonde , who was third in the Orchid in her first U.S. start.