SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Bellacose, who would have been a serious contender in last Sunday’s $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga, was scratched from that race in favor of running in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway Stakes.
A debut 10 3/4-length debut winner against New York-breds on July 17, Bellacose was purchased privately by John Stewart’s Resolute Racing, which now owns 75 percent of the daughter of Audible. The original partners stayed in for 25 percent. She remains with trainer Jeremiah Englehart.
“She’s doing really well,” Englehart said. “Watching the New York-bred race yesterday run with four horses was kind of disappointing but I completely understand if her numbers stack up and she has a chance to be graded-stakes placed.”
Bellacose drew post 10 in an 11-horse field for the Spinaway. She will be ridden by Junior Alvarado.
“I like being outside, she has enough natural speed where Junior will be able to navigate where he wants to go,” Englehart said.
Meanwhile, Englehart won Sunday’s $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes as Mo Plex got up by a nose in the final jump to beat Soontobeking. It was the third win in as many starts for Mo Plex who earlier this meet won the Grade 3 Sanford.
Englehart, who said he has to work on preventing the horse from bearing out during the running of his races, said he would look to give a horse a shot in another graded open stakes with the hopes of Mo Plex qualifying for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
“The goal when you have a colt like him is, let’s see if we can get him to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile,” Englehart said. “Do I try him around two turns and let him use his natural speed, that’ll help him because if he was eventually good enough to get to Del Mar that’ll be two turns. Lot to think about.”
Englehart said he might consider the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 5.
Meanwhile, Englehart entered Tricky Temper in Saturday’s Grade 3 Prioress Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Tricky Temper has already won twice at this meet from three starts, including a victory in the Union Avenue Stakes for New York-bred fillies on Aug. 16.
The race came up with nine horses, which is more than Englehart expected, but he will evaluate the race and how the filly is doing before deciding on whether to run.
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