As usual, European runners are all set to hit the turf at Belmont Park on Saturday (July 8) in a pair of lucrative Grade 1 stakes – the $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational and the $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational.
The Belmont Derby for 3-year-olds includes Ireland-bred The Foxes, and Great Britain-breds Silver Knott, Mondego, and Redistricting in a field of 11 with $412,500 going to the winner.
The Belmont Oaks for 3-year-old fillies drew a field of nine, including Ireland-breds Speirling Beag, Papilio, Be Your Best, and Aspen Grove, and France-bred Freydis the Red. The winner earns $275,500.
For those who like to bet on Europeans on American turf, hugely successful trainer Charlie Appleby’s Silver Knott cannot be discarded in the Derby, while a European bred has won the Oaks four of the last five years.
That said, U.S.-based horses will provide formidable challenges. Here’s a look at the big turf races at Belmont on Saturday, which also includes the Suburban (G2) and the Victory Ride (G3) on dirt.
$750,000 Belmont Derby (G1), 1 ¼ miles, 3-year-olds, race 10, post time: 5:49 p.m. ET
Belmont Park – Photo Courtesy of NYRA
Ken McPeek, who saddled the 2022 winner Classic Causeway – beating a pair of Ireland-bred at odds of 26-1 – is back again and sends out Mendelssohns March, who finished second to Webslinger in the Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 3.
Webslinger, one of two Mark Casse entries, has hit the board in all five starts this year with a 5-3-1-1 mark, including the American Turf Sprint (G3) at Churchill Downs on May 6 prior to his win in the Audubon. Casse also trains Boppy O, winner of the Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park on June 3.
Webslinger returned in 2023 as a gelding, and Casse said that’s made a difference in his behavior.
“We gelded him, and I think that really helped him. He started focusing more,” Casse said. “It takes a little while for that mentality to change and make them more focused, but I think that’s probably been the biggest part of his turnaround.”
Chad Brown has a pair of entries in Kalik and Redistricting (a winner in her only career start on June 3 at Belmont. Kalik, who brings a three-race winning streak into the Derby, most recently taking the Pennine Ridge (G2) at Belmont on June 3.
The picks: Kalik, Silver Knott, Webslinger
The field, from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds for the $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1):
1 Mendelssohns March (Dylan Davis, Ken McPeek), 30-1
2 Boppy O (Luis Saez, Mark Casse), 12-1
3 Cyber Ninja (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott), 30-1
4 Webslinger (Javier Castellano, Mark Casse), 9-2
5 Far Bridge (Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher), 4-1
6 Silver Knott (Richard Mullen, Charlie Appleby), 6-1
7 Wizard of Westwood (John Velazquez, Michael McCarthy), 15-1
8 Kalik (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Chad Brown), 5-1
9 Mondego (Joel Rosario, Christophe Clement), 20-1
10 Redistricting (Flavien Part, Chad Brown), 8-1
11 The Foxes (Oisin Murphy, Anthony Balding), 7-2
$500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1), 3-year-old fillies, 1 ¼ miles (turf), race 8, post time: 4:43 p.m. ET
This race is the first in the filly turf Triple Crown series, which is followed by the 1 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) on Aug. 4, and the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational at Belmont (at Aqueduct) on Sept. 16.
Trainer Graham Motion sends out a pair of fillies in this one, Mission of Joy and Speirling Beag.
Mission of Joy comes into the race off a 1½-length win in the Regret (G3) at Churchill Downs on June 3. The filly had been training at Keeneland, but recently worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.80 at Motion’s base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.
“She was unlucky at Churchill a couple starts back, but she sure made up for it last time,” said Motion, referring to the filly’s third-place finish in the Edgewood Stakes at Churchill on May 5 despite clipping heels with a rival. “She really had the worst of it when she stumbled that day. She came back well, and she shipped back from Kentucky in good order.”
Trainer Chad Brown is seeking his seventh win in the Oaks and saddles undefeated stakes winner Aspray and graded stakes winner Prerequisite.
Papilio, who arrived at Casse’s barn in December, has a win, two seconds and a fourth under the Hall of Fame trainer’s care. In her last start, she was second to Mission of Joy in the Regret.
“As soon as we started training her, we could tell she was special,” Casse said. “I’m a little worried about the distance, but I think if Javier (Castellano) can get her covered up that will help.”
The picks: Mission of Joy, Aspen Grove, Papilio
The field, from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds for the $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1):
1 Mission of Joy (Tyler Gaffalione, H. Graham Motion), 2-1
2 Strikingly Spun (Jose Ortiz, Joe Sharp), 15-1
3 Speirling Beag (John Velazquez, H. Graham Motion), 8-1
4 Papilio (Javier Castellano, Mark Casse), 4-1
5 Prerequisite (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Chad Brown), 5-1
6 Be Your Best (Luis Saez, Horacio De Paz), 10-1
7, Aspray (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown), 6-1
8 Freydis the Red (Junior Alvarado, Ken McPeek), 15-1
9 Aspen Grove (Oisin Murphy, James Stack), 8-1