Neecie Marie winning the Beaugay. (Chelsea Durand)
Presented by Rivers Casino
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Michael Milam’s Grade 3-winner Neecie Marie will test Grade 1 company for the first time in Friday’s $750,000 New York presented by Rivers Casino, a 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf test for older fillies and mares, at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., the Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Cross Traffic enters off a career-best performance on May 11 in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont at the Big A, where she defeated Grade 1-winner Whitebeam by a neck with a deep-closing trip under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario.
“We’re taking a big shot here, but she’s doing really well,” said Reid, Jr. “Her last race certainly earned her way into the big time. The distance is right up her alley, and I don’t think we’ve tried her long enough just yet. I think she’ll handle it very well.”
Neecie Marie flashed her talents last fall when coming within a respective neck and a half-length of Eternal Hope when second in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational and nine-furlong Grade 2 Sands Point, both at Belmont at the Big A.
Reid, Jr. said he has full faith in Rosario to work out a trip from post 7 [15-1 ML] in the hefty 13-horse field Friday.
“It’s a big, bulky field and that’s the biggest problem because she’s going to come from pretty far out of it,” said Reid, Jr. “But the way Joel rode her last time, he knows her even better this time. I’ll just leave it up to him and I’m sure he’ll have a plan in mind. There’s not a whole lot of instructions to give.”
The talented bay has worked once since the Beaugay, covering a half-mile in 49.90 seconds over Parx Racing’s main track Saturday.
“She’s been training good, and I didn’t do too much with her. The turf horses, you don’t have to do a ton with them,” said Reid, Jr. “She had a very nice half a mile the other day. It was just what we were looking for; finished up good and hasn’t missed a note. We’re looking forward to taking the shot.”
Neecie Marie, bred by Jon A. Marshall, has banked $361,950 in total purses through a 10-5-2-0 record.
Reid, Jr. could have a banner weekend at the Spa as he also sends out LC Racing’s Ninetyprcentmaddie [post 1, Jose Lezcano, 8-1 ML]in Saturday’s Grade 2 True North presented by F.W. Webb and Maximus Meridius [post 11, Joel Rosario, 15-1 ML], whom he co-owns with LC Racing and Cash is King, in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun.
Reid, Jr. also entered Cash is King and LC Racing’s Carmelina in Thursday’s Listed $150,000 Jersey Girl but said the multiple stakes-winner is likely to skip the six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies after she drew the rail.
“She’s more than likely going to pass. I think the race is coming up tough and I really don’t like her post position,” said Reid, Jr. “Unless I hear of some scratches, I’m going to pass on the Jersey Girl.”
The Maximus Mischief bay was last seen finishing eighth in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course. She boasts three stakes wins as part of a 9-4-1-0 record.
“We were coming back a little quick anyways from the Miss Preakness,” said Reid, Jr. “She’s a nice filly and has run at seven different racetracks and has handled them all, so maybe it’s time to be good to her and give her a few extra weeks before the next one.”
