OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Alice Bamford’s Kentucky homebred St Anthony worked a half-mile in 48.75 seconds over the Belmont Park inner turf Sunday in preparation for Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Hill Prince, a nine-furlong turf test for sophomores at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.
Trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, the Noble Mission gelding captured the one-mile Alcatraz in May at Golden Gate and the 1 1/16-mile Robert Dupret Derby in August at Santa Rosa.
“All reports are he went well this morning,” said Drysdale over the phone from California. “I like him. He’s an overachiever and I think he’s going to improve. I don’t know about the soft ground. We’ll see.”
A three-time winner from 10 starts, St Anthony was off-the-board two starts back on September 3 in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Del Mar Derby and enters from a rallying fourth just two weeks later in the one-mile Gun Runner on September 14 at Kentucky Downs.
St Anthony is out of the stakes-winning Invincible Spirit mare Amnesia, who was also conditioned by Drysdale.
Team Valor International’s Brazilian-bred Homer Screen (BRZ) worked a half-mile in 51.06 Sunday over the Belmont inner turf.
The 6-year-old Adriano chestnut, a multiple group-stakes winner in his native Brazil, has made five North American starts for Drysdale with his best result coming in a runner-up effort in the one-mile Grade 3 American in June at Santa Anita. He was last-of-11 last out on September 17 in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.
Drysdale said that Homer Screen “boiled over” in the buildup to the Woodbine Mile and will draw a line through that race. While initially under consideration for the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap at one mile over the Aqueduct main track on October 29, Drysdale said he will instead point Homer Screen to the $135,000 Artie Schiller on November 12 going one mile on turf.
“He’s improved a lot since he got to New York,” Drysdale said. “He’s got talent that horse. He’s another one I’ll be interested to see how he’ll go over ground with a bit of give in it.”
Al Shira’aa Farms’ stakes-placed Miss Dracarys worked a half-mile in 52.52 Sunday over Big Sandy. She is entered in Race 3 on Thursday, a nine-furlong optional-claiming tilt that drew a field of six fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, but could also come under consideration for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel, a one-mile turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Belmont at the Big A.
“I’ll look at the race and go from there, but I would think she’s in a good spot,” Drysdale said.
The 4-year-old Malibu Moon mare boasts a record of 10-2-2-1 for purse earnings of $147,520. She has made two previous starts over the Big A turf, posting a winning debut sprinting six furlongs in December 2020 and a close third to returning rival Plum Ali in November over good going in the 1 1/16-mile Winter Memories.
Miss Dracarys has made her most recent two outings in optional claimers over the Belmont turf, finishing a good second to eventual graded-stakes winner Love And Thunder going one mile in May and an even fourth last out on June 10 traveling seven furlongs.
Drysdale said he gave Miss Dracarys a break in order to wait for fall turf racing which often features courses with a bit of give in the ground.
“She ran well when she got to New York this spring on soft ground and then she came back on hard ground and I don’t think she cared for it that much,” Drysdale said.
The $525,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, out of the Speightstown mare Ask Me When, is a full-sister to graded stakes-place Aristocratic and a half-sibling to graded stakes placed Up the Ante.
NYRA Press Office
Main photo: St Anthony wins the Alcatraz at Golden Gate Fields (Vassar Photography)
For information on Past The Wire’s annual Breeders’ Cup Seminar, the very best in the game CLICK HERE
