With 13 Runners, Jaipur Should be Exciting

A field of 13 turf sprinters will line up at Belmont Park June 6 in the $300,000 Jaipur Invitational Stakes (gr. IIIT), which, at six furlongs, should prove to be one of the most exciting races on the stakes-loaded card.



Co-highweights at 122 pounds are multiple stakes winners Something Extra and Spring to the Sky, who face a stiff challenge from the likes of recent course-record setter Power Alert and multiple graded stakes winner Unbridled's Note.



Owned by John Menary and Gail Cox, and trained by Cox, Something Extra was entered, but then scratched, from the May 30, $200,000 Connaught Cup (Can-IIT) at Woodbine, a race the 7-year-old gelding by Indian Charlie won in 2012 and 2013. With his connections opting for the Jaipur, Something Extra will break from the 6 post with Hall of Famer Mike Smith aboard, as he seeks to rebound from a third-place finish to Power Alert in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs May 1. Previous to the Twin Spires, Something Extra won the Shakertown Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland in his 2015 debut and he has won nine of 30 career starts, with earnings of $879,906



Australian-bred Power Alert has excelled since his arrival in the U.S. and impressed with his Twin Spires Turf victory in course-record final time of :55.17 on grass rated firm. A 5-year-old gelding owned by James Covello, AJ Suited Racing Stable, and trainer Brian Lynch, Power Alert has three wins and his Shakertown fourth in four starts since being imported late last year.



Power Alert will break from the rail under jockey John Velazquez after having the services of Julien Leparoux in his Churchill record performance. Leparoux will be aboard Canadian grade III winner Ageless Saturday.



Unbridled's Note, trained by Steve Asmussen for Mike McCarty, has won or placed in 16 of 26 starts, with earnings of $715,117. Included among the five wins for the 6-year-old Unbridled's Song horse are the Daytona and Eddie D. Stakes, both grade III turf stakes at Santa Anita Park.



Unbridled's Note, purchased by McCarty for $140,000 at the 2011 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March sale of 2-year-olds in training, went through the sales ring at Keeneland this past January and was bought back for $190,000.



Spring to the Sky, a 6-year-old Langfuhr   horse trained by Bruce Brown for Anthony P. McCarthy, has three turf stakes victories to his credit while posting a career ledger of 6-4-3 in 25 starts, with $427,200 earned.

Trainer Wesley Ward, who won the 2014 Jaipur with eventual Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) third-place finisher Undrafted, will send out Monrovia Stakes (gr. IIT) winner Shrinking Violet, who was third in The Very One Stakes May 16 at Pimlico Race Course on the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I) undercard.