Owner Brant, Trainer Brown Loom Big in Just a Game

The Just a Game Stakes (G1T), one mile on the Belmont Park turf June 9, is named for owner Peter Brant's 1980 champion female turf horse and Brant brings things full circle with two of the top contenders in this $500,000 renewal.

Both of them, In Italian  and Speak of the Devil , are trained by Chad Brown, who has won five of the last six renewals of the Just a Game and sounds confident of his chances for more.

In Italian, a lightly raced, 5-year-old mare by Dubawi , has never been worse than third in 10 career starts. Her six wins include last year's Diana Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course and, in her most recent outing, the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) on the Keeneland green April 15.

She finished second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) in November, caught late by Tuesday  after leading most of the way. Tuesday and jockey Ryan Moore needed to put up a course record time of 1:51.88 to turn that trick.

"She looks good," Brown said. "She's at her best right now. We've been down this road before with a top horse like her."

Speak of the Devil was fourth in last year's Just a Game. The 6-year-old Wootton Bassett  mare then went to the sidelines for nearly 10 months, returning in the Honey Fox Stakes (G3T) March 4 at Gulfstream Park. She reported fifth, beaten just more than 2 lengths and was third in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2T) on Kentucky Derby (G1) Day, which looks like a key race in figuring this one out.

"She seems to be a little bit sensitive for her ground," Brown said of Speak of the Devil. "So if it comes up a little soft with a little more give, she'll be more effective. Most of my horses didn't handle the Churchill ground."

Spendarella, a 4-year-old daughter of Karakontie  , comes to the Just a Game off a second-place finish Distaff Turf Mile (G2T) in her first start of the year. Her 2022 campaign produced four wins, including the Del Mar Oaks (G1T) from five starts.

Motion said he was a bit disappointed in Spendarella's second place finish at Churchill Downs.

"But looking at it now, it was the best figure that she's run and she's done well since the race," he said. "Hopefully, having a race will help her moving forward."

The other two in the five-horse field are far from out of the picture.

Bill Mott saddles Wakanaka , a 5-year-old daughter of Power . She finished second in both the Honey Fox and in this race in 2022 and has graded stakes wins in Italy and at Woodbine on her resume.

Wakanaka needs to reverse course, though, after finishing fifth in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) at Gulfstream Park and fourth in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in her two most recent starts.

New Year's Eve  also seeks a breakthrough. The 4-year-old Kitten's Joy  filly, trained by Brendan Walsh, enjoyed her last photo session after the Edgewood Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs May 6 of last year. She has three thirds and a fourth since then at Belmont Park, Saratoga, Kentucky Downs and Churchill Downs.