Achnaha drops from stakes
Achnaha drops from stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – After 10 of 15 scheduled turf races were transferred to the dirt during the last three cards, weather conditions are favorable for a return to turf racing Wednesday at Belmont Park, where six of the nine races are scheduled for the turf.
That includes a solid second-level allowance feature at 1 1/4 miles that some trainers are hoping to use as a stepping-stone to the Long Island Stakes on Nov. 6 at Aqueduct. Achnaha, Bishop’s Pond, and Gotachancetodance head Wednesday’s contentious nine-horse field.
Achnaha, trained by George Weaver, is dropping into allowance company after competing in three consecutive stakes. Three starts back, she finished second to Suffused in the Belmont Coronation going 1 15/16 miles at Belmont. In a pair of Grade 3 stakes at Saratoga, Achnaha finished third in the Waya to Guapaza and fifth to Suffused again in the Glens Falls.
“I thought she ran her race in both races,” Weaver said of the Saratoga races. “I thought she might have been training better going into the Waya than the next one.”
Weaver’s biggest concern Wednesday is the seeming lack of pace in this field.
“Achnaha likes to run these distances, but she’s a closer, and sometimes we’re at the mercy of the pace,” Weaver said. “I should probably sign up for a rabbit.”
Bishop’s Pond and Gotachancetodance both have run well at Belmont Park and are coming out of fifth-place finishes at this condition in separate allowance races at Saratoga.
Daring Duchess is winless in three tries at Belmont, but she does loom as the potential speed of the field under John Velazquez.
Starting Wednesday, first post for most of the remaining 20 days of the meet is 12:55 p.m. Eastern.
Key Contenders
Achnaha, by Haatef
Last 3 Beyers: 92-93-86
◗ The last time she raced in allowance company, she cleared her first-level condition by 1 3/4 lengths going 1 3/8 miles at Belmont. She has participated in three consecutive stakes since.
Gotachancetodance, by English Channel
Last 3 Beyers: 86-85-97
◗ She is 2 for 3 at Belmont Park, including a two-length victory in a first-level allowance going 10 furlongs last Oct. 6 in which she beat, among others, Achnaha.
◗ She came off a nine-month layoff to run fifth at this condition, but that race was at 1 1/16 miles.
“I thought it was what I would expect her to do at that distance,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “She ran out of ground. She’s a filly that seems like she appreciates longer. This is a more favorable distance for her, but glancing over the [past performances], it came up a pretty salty two-other-than.”
Bishop’s Pond, by Curlin
Last 3 Beyers: 83-89-37
◗ Had to steady twice in the stretch when bottled up on the inside at this condition at Saratoga.
◗ Suffered a tough loss when beaten a nose here going 1 3/8 miles in July, outfinished by the late-running European import Desiree Cleary.
