Tonalist Looks to Continue Met Mile Trend

By Joe DePaolo

The Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) will take place on the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) undercard for the second year in a row at Belmont Park, following a move from its longtime traditional Memorial Day slot. With the 2014 edition won by Palace Malice, the previous year's Belmont Stakes winner, Christophe Clement is hoping that trend continues.

Clement is the trainer of Tonalist, last year's Belmont winner, who looks to duplicate the feat of Palace Malice by returning June 6 to win the $1.25 million Met Mile.

Though Clement has been asked to reminisce about last year's Belmont, the biggest win of his career to date, the trainer said he's focused on what's to come.

"I always think about the future—today or tomorrow—never about yesterday," Clement said. "The biggest thrill of the moment will be Tonalist in the Met Mile, and we're going to concentrate on that."

Tonalist is by far the most accomplished dirt runner the Clement barn has ever produced. The French expatriate is known for his success on the turf, most notably with champion Gio Ponti  , one of the best American grass runners in the past decade.

Clement believes Tonalist compares favorably with the turf star.

"When I trained Gio Ponti, and it sounds pretentious and I don't want to say it in a pretentious way, but when you train a really, really good horse I only worry about his well-being and soundness, and let the other guys worry about me," Clement said. "(Tonalist will) take care of it. He's a very good horse."

Tonalist, a 4-year-old son of Tapit  , won the Westchester Stakes (gr. III) May 2 in his 2015 debut.

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He is the co-highweight in the Met Mile, along with Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Bayern and multiple grade I winner Private Zone, having been assigned 123 pounds.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will ride last year's Belmont winner from post 4.

Following a disappointing comeback effort in the May 2 Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II), Bayern returns for the second start of his 2015 campaign. The reigning Breeders Cup Classic (gr. I) winner finished last in a field of six in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs, beaten 11 3/4 lengths.

Nevertheless, the Bob Baffert trainee was also assigned 123 pounds for the Met Mile, largely on the basis of his stellar 2014 campaign. Martin Garcia rides the 4-year-old son of Offlee Wild  , who will break from post 7.

"I think he got a bum rap after the Breeders' Cup," Baffert said. "He didn't run well off the layoff. He never has run well at Churchill. I think he really needed it. He came back and worked really strong. We know he likes this track. It's a really tough race, but he's doing really well, so I expect a big effort from him. When he came off the plane yesterday, he was breathing fire. When he's like that, he's really sharp. It's a tough race, but he's a tough horse. He can handle that."

Private Zone, winner of the Churchill Downs, returns in the Met Mile for trainer Jorge Navarro. The 6-year-old Macho Uno   gelding set the pace last time out, drawing off to win by 4 1/4 lengths.

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Though this will be his first start in the Met Mile, Private Zone has previously fared well in one-mile races on the New York Racing Association circuit. He finished second in the 2013 Cigar Mile (gr. I) at Aqueduct Racetrack, and came back to win that race a year later.

Martin Pedroza has the call on Private Zone, who drew the inside post in a field of 10.

Honor Code took the measure of Private Zone in winning the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) March 7, defeating that rival by a half-length. He followed that up, however, with a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Alysheba Stakes (gr. III) May 1.

The 4-year-old son of A.P. Indy will look to rebound Saturday for trainer Shug McGaughey. Honor Code was assigned 118 pounds and will depart from post 9 with Javier Castellano aboard.

"He's always trained well here and he seems to have an affinity for the New York tracks," McGaughey said. "He's run once at Saratoga and won. He ran twice at Aqueduct and won and once here and just got beat. We'll see what happens. It's a good race. There looks to be a lot of speed in there on paper, which will help us. The faster they go, the better it will be for us. It could set it up for us, because we'll be back there."

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Wicked Strong was fourth in the Gulfstream Park Handicap, closing solidly to finish only two lengths behind Honor Code. The 4-year-old son of Hard Spun  's next start for trainer Jimmy Jerkens was a third-place finish in the Excelsior Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct April 25.

Rajiv Maragh has the mount on Wicked Strong, who breaks from post 6.

"I thought his comeback race in Florida was good, but his last race was lackluster, no doubt about it," Jerkens said. "He had no excuse that I saw. It looked like he was the best horse in the race on paper. He only got beat three lengths, but he just basically galloped around there. He didn't have much to offer it didn't look like. He's bounced back and gotten kind of fresh, and looks good."

Tamarkuz brings some international flavor to the Met Mile. The 5-year-old son of Speightstown   enters the Met Mile off of four consecutive victories in Dubai, his most recent and notable victory coming March 28 in the Godolphin Mile (UAE gr. II).

He's being trained in the U.S. by Kiaran McLaughlin, who will also be represented in the Met Mile by Bay of Plenty. Tamarkuz will carry 119 pounds, and leave from post 5 with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons, while Bay of Plenty leaves from post 2 under Hall of Famer Mike Smith.

"This Met Mile is a serious, serious race," said McLaughlin, winner of the 2008 Met Mile with Divine Park. "It seems to be one of the toughest ones we've had, especially when you're in it. It's a very, very good race."

In addition to Bayern, West Coast runner Kobe's Back ships in to compete in one of the nation's premier handicap races. He won his lone start of the 2015 season, taking the Commonwealth Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland for trainer Peter Eurton. Another Hall of Fame jockey, Gary Stevens, has the mount from the outside as part of a 116-pound impost.

Noble Moon from post 3 under Jose Ortiz completes the Met Mile field along with Pants On Fire from post 8 with Paco Lopez aboard.

The Met Mile is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I).

"I've always loved that race," Clement said. "It's a great race, because the sprinters stretch out, the mile-and-a-quarter horses come back, and you get all the best older horses, plus it's at Belmont Park. I think the Met Mile and the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) are the best two older horse races, for me, through the year. It's exciting."