Five Aim for First Stakes Score in Easy Goer

A pair of colts best known to this point in their careers for strong runner-up finishes in graded stakes this spring, Stanford and Donworth, head a field of five 3-year-olds in the $150,000 WinStar Farm Easy Goer Stakes that will open the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) day of racing June 6 at Belmont Park.

Stonestreet Stables, M.V. Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Stanford will be making his first start since finishing a close second in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) March 28 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The son of Malibu Moon   led most of that 1 1/8-mile race before getting edged late by International Star.

Trainer Todd Pletcher had considered starting Stanford in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), but ultimately opted to skip the Derby and the Triple Crown races. 

Regis Racing's Donworth finished second to Divining Rod in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. III) April 11 at Keeneland and the son of Tiznow   enters Saturday's 1 1/16-mile test off a third-place finish to Fame and Power in the Sir Barton Stakes May 16 at Pimlico Race Course.

While the field doesn't feature a previous stakes winner, two other Easy Goer horses are stakes-placed in Wounded Warrior Stables' Combat Diver, who finished a close second in this year's Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park; and Repole Stable's Nonna's Boy, who enters off a runner-up finish in the May 1 Gold Fever Stakes at Belmont.

Rounding out the field is Barry Schwartz's Japan, who registered a seven-length maiden victory April 30 at Churchill Downs.