Stopchargingmaria Takes on Elders in Beldame

Repole Stable's Stopchargingmaria, winner of back-to-back grade I races against 3-year-old fillies, will attempt to expand her horizons Sept. 27 against older fillies and mares in the $400,000 Beldame Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park.



Part of a stakes-packed "Super Saturday" program at Belmont, the Beldame goes as race 5 with an approximate post of 3 p.m. EDT. Stopchargingmaria will break from post 3 and faces six foes in the nine-furlong event.



Stopchargingmaria was an impressive winner at Saratoga Race Course in the nine-furlong Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) and 1 1/4-mile Alabama Stakes (gr. I).



"Our biggest concern in the Alabama was running her back in four weeks off really a lifetime best effort in the Coaching Club," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "We were happy that she was able to do that, and with it being her first time at a mile and a quarter, she handled that well, too."



Stopchargingmaria was entered but scratched from last Saturday's $1 million Cotillion Stakes (gr. I) at Parx Racing, won by Untapable. She instead stayed in New York where she worked a half-mile in a bullet :48.24 Sept. 22.



"One thing we were looking at with the Beldame was the fact she does run very well fresh," Pletcher said. "The extra week might have been a little bit of a difference, but also the mile-and-an-eighth suits her well. She has three wins at a mile-and-an-eighth and now a mile-and-a-quarter win. It seems like she appreciates a little time between races, but she also seems to like the added distance, as well."



Stopchargingmaria, by Tale of the Cat   out of the Montbrook mare Exotic Bloom, was bred in Kentucky by Harvey Clarke and Brookdale Farm. Clarke has also bred grade I winner Havana and 2012 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Preakness Stakes (both gr. I) winner I'll Have Another  .



A six-time winner from 10 starts, Stopchargingmaria, despite being based in New York, will be making only her second start over the main track at Belmont. She ran third in last year's Frizettte Stakes (gr. I) behind Artemis Agrotera and Sweet Reason.



Stopchargingmaria was made the 5-2 morning line favorite for the Beldame. Five-year-old Belle Gallantey, the July 12 Delaware Handicap (gr. I) winner, is the 7-2 second choice. The daughter of After Market notched her victory between tries against Close Hatches, the leading older female in the country, with moderate success. At Belmont, Belle Gallantey got within 1 1/4 lengths of Close Hatches in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (gr. I) at 1 1/16 miles, but was beaten 25 1/4 lengths at Saratoga in the Aug. 22 Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I).



"I don't think she liked the track," trainer Rudy Rodriguez said of the Personal Ensign. "The track was kind of hard that day and she was hitting the ground pretty hard. I'm just going to draw a line through it and hope that she comes back with another good race at Belmont. She likes Belmont, and hopefully she throws in another good race."



Belle Gallantey topped favored Princess of Sylmar in the Del 'Cap—her fourth win in six starts this year since being claimed by Michael Dubb for $35,000 in the final race of her 4-year-old campaign.

 

"These kinds of races, they're not easy," Rodriguez said. "To win these kind of races, you have to be very, very lucky because they're tough to win, but she's coming up to the race very good. She's had a few nice works so she's coming up to it ready. She is doing good."



Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman's Fiftyshadesofhay was second in the Personal Ensign, five lengths behind Close Hatches. The West Coast-based 4-year-old daughter of Pulpit has since put in three works including a :59 2/5 five furlong drill Sept. 15 at Santa Anita Park. Her lone start over "Big Sandy" resulted in a three-quarter length victory in the May 11 Ruffian Stakes (gr. II). Bred by WinStar Farm, she is out of the Real Quiet mare Quiet Kim.



Endless Chatter and Toasting, winners of $100,000 stakes on the NYRA circuit in their last outings, will break from posts one and two, respectively. Rounding out the field is Stanwyck, who was third in the Personal Ensign, and Oasis at Midnight, a three-time winner from 18 starts and earner of $129,842.