Zhukova, Wake Forest Headline Well-Matched Man o' War

After taking down some of the best turf performers in Europe, Dermot Weld-trained Zhukova is now aiming to make her first stateside impression a winning one.

The 5-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock (AUS) is diving straight into deep waters for her North American debut, as she is scheduled to take on seven male rivals, including defending race winner Wake Forest, in the $400,000 Man o' War Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park May 13.

Saturday's card also features a loaded edition of the Beaugay Stakes (G3T) which saw grade 1 winners Time and Motion, Miss Temple City, and Dacita all pass the entry box. If one is judged on the company they keep, Zhukova could turn the Man o' War into another showcase of the global strength of the female turf ranks.

Zhukova already bested males in her most recent group score, when she toppled Aidan O'Brien-trained US Army Ranger in the KPMG Enterprise Kitterman Stakes (G3) at Leopardstown in September. The bay mare also owns a victory over 2015 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) winner and 2016 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) heroine Found, when she defeated that one in the Coral.ie Alleged Stakes at the Curragh in April of 2016, and looked very much on form when she notched a two-length triumph in the Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F. Noblesse Stakes at Cork during her seasonal bow April 15.

Owned by John Murrell, Zhukova will have Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the irons for her U.S. debut and has compiled a record of six wins from nine starts.

Wake Forest used his late kick to reign in last year's edition of the 1 3/8-mile Man o' War Stakes, but has only visited the winner's circle once in six starts since. The good news for the 7-year-old son of Sir Percy (GB) is that skid-busting win came last time out when he bested fellow Man o' War entrant Patterson Cross in the March 4 Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) by a head despite being fanned seven-wide leaving the far turn over the Gulfstream Park course.

NOVAK: Wake Forest Returns to Winning Ways in Mac Diarmida

"I thought maybe it would take a little starch out of him, those last few strides. But I will tell you this horse showed a lot of heart," trainer Chad Brown said of Wake Forest after that victory. "We're really proud of him."

Another who enters the Man o' War off success at Gulfstream is the Tom Albertrani-trained Sadler's Joy, winner of the April 1 Pan American Stakes (G2T). The 4-year-old son of Kitten's Joy   has won four of his last five starts, with his lone defeat during that span coming when he was beaten a head by Taghleeb in the Jan. 28 W. L. McKnight Handicap (G3T).

SHEA: Sadler’s Joy Wins Pan American at Wire

West Point Thoroughbreds' Twilight Eclipse, winner of the 2015 edition of the Man o' War, will make his first start since being transferred from Albertrani to the barn of Graham Motion and is seeking his first victory since taking an allowance test at Belmont Park in July. If the rain in the forecast comes to fruition and the resulting course is soft, the 8-year-old Purim gelding has proven he can handle himself admirably over such ground, as he ran third to Ectot and eventual champion Flintshire   over a yielding course in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) in October.

Man o' War S. (G1T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, May 13, 2017, Race 8

• 1 3/8m
• Turf
• $400,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sadler's Joy (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	117	Thomas Albertrani	3/1
2	2Charming Kitten (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	115	Michael J. Maker	15/1
3	3Wake Forest (GER)	Javier Castellano	121	Chad C. Brown	5/2
4	4Zhukova (IRE)	John R. Velazquez	112	Dermot K. Weld	5/1
5	5Highland Sky (KY)	Paco Lopez	117	Barclay Tagg	15/1
6	6Patterson Cross (KY)	Jose Lezcano	115	William I. Mott	4/1
7	7Twilight Eclipse (KY)	Edgar S. Prado	115	H. Graham Motion	10/1
8	8Taghleeb (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Michael J. Maker	6/1