Madefromlucky Gets Class Relief in Temperence Hill

Cheyenne Stables and Mac Nichol's Madefromlucky will look to capitalize on class relief as part of a field of six in the $200,000 Temperence Hill Invitational Stakes at 1 5/8 miles on Belmont Park's main track Oct. 1.

The 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky  registered a 12 1/4-length score in the Greenwood Cup Stakes (G3) last time out Sept. 4. That marked the first win for the Todd Pletcher trainee since the 2015 West Virginia Derby (G2), a span of 13 starts. 

Madefromlucky has consistently finished in the money, including third-place finishes this year in the State Dinner Stakes July 3 at Belmont, the Essex Handicap March 18 at Oaklawn Park, and the Poseidon Handicap Jan. 28.

DARRS' Scuba was the pacesetter in the Greenwood Cup before he faded to sixth. The 6-year-old Tapit  gelding will also be taking the step down in class and will look to recapture the form he showed during a second-place finish in the Birdstone Stakes Aug. 3 at Saratoga Race Course.

Scuba is the only entry in the race to have won at 1 5/8 miles. He won last year's edition of the Temperence Hill prior to a score in the Marathon Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park in November.

Trainer Brendan Walsh said that experience should be beneficial.

"He's been doing good since his last race and we're hoping we can repeat last year," Walsh said. "It's always nice that he's won on the course and distance before. Things haven't gone exactly as we'd like this year, but hopefully we can rectify it on Sunday.

"We'll see how the race comes up. He doesn't necessarily need to be on the lead. He just needs a good pace. Going long is the best for him, and I think he's as good as he ever was, so hopefully he can prove it on Sunday."

Testosterstone, who ran second in the Greenwood Cup, has one win in nine starts at Belmont, but is seeking his first stakes win.

Let Me Go First, who finished three-quarters of a length behind Testosterstone for third last time out, will make his first start over Big Sandy for trainer John Servis. 

Sunday's card will also feature the $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes (G3T), where nine 2-year-old fillies aim for their first graded score. 

The field is led by StarLadies Racing's Orbolution, the lone stakes winner in the field following her score in the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga for Pletcher. That victory followed her maiden-breaking score in her turf debut on the first Sunday of the Saratoga meet, where she showed her ability to rate early then pounce when asked by Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez. 

"She's doing well," Pletcher said. "Everything's been smooth since the P.G. Johnson. We've been targeting this race since then. It seems like she's maintained form and (is) doing well."