Ottoman Fleet impressive under Richie Mullen in the Fort Marcy (G2) May 6 (Joe Labozzetta)
Warren Point Also Eyeing Manhattan Start
Silver Knott, One Nation Headed to New York for G2 Pennine Ridge
Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Sees Brigade of Appleby Runners
NYRA Press Office
ELMONT, N.Y.— Godolphin’s Ottoman Fleet, last-out winner of the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy here on May 6, covered five furlongs in 1:03 flat over the Belmont inner turf Friday in his first breeze back in preparation for the 10-furlong Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day June 10.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, the 4-year-old Sea the Stars gelding was guided to an impressive 1 3/4-length score in the nine-furlong Fort Marcy with Richie Mullen in the irons. He registered a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for the ground-saving effort in his North American debut.
Ottoman Fleet was piloted through Friday’s solo breeze by Mullen with Appleby’s traveling assistant Chris Connett in attendance.
“He built from the five-eighths pole through the wire and kept in hand,” Connett said. “He had a very quiet first week after the race and has been cantering very nicely the last 10 days. The plan is to point him towards the Grade 1 at a mile and a quarter. He’ll come back and do another piece of work next week.”
Bred in Great Britain by SCEA Marmion Vauville and Alain Jathiere, Ottoman Fleet entered the Fort Marcy from a last-to-first score in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton on April 18 at Newmarket, which came on the heels of a trio of third-place finishes in group races at Meydan Racecourse.
Warren Point, a 4-year-old British homebred by Dubawi, finished fifth in his North American debut in the Grade 1 Man o’ War here on May 13.
Piloted by Frankie Dettori, Warren Point was loaded into the gate with a blanket and blindfold but came away slowly from post 2 in the 11-furlong test over firm going and settled in seventh position. He advanced three-wide on the final turn and had a narrow lead at the stretch call, but was outkicked to the wire finishing fifth, less than two lengths back of the victorious Red Knight.
Connett said Warren Point is expected to breeze over the turf next week with an eye towards a start in the Manhattan.
“He’s come out of his race very well. Obviously, it wasn’t the ideal trip around for him that day, but he lost nothing in defeat,” Connett said. “It was his first race here in the states – in Grade 1 company – and he was only beaten a length and three-quarters. Things didn’t quite go to plan, so it gives you hope for a big run in his next start.”
Warren Point captured the HH Royal Crown Prince Cup on February 3 in Bahrain to kick off his current campaign and followed two weeks later with a close runner-up effort to Russian Emperor in the Group 1 HH The Amir Trophy in Doha.
Appleby is expected to send both multiple Group 3-winner Silver Knott and two-time winner One Nation to New York for the Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge, a nine-furlong turf test for sophomores on June 3.
Silver Knott captured a pair of Group 3 tests last year, taking the seven-furlong Solario at Sandown Park and the one-mile Autumn at Newmarket. The Lope de Vega colt closed to finish second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Keeneland, missing by a nose to Victoria Road. He was off-the-board in his seasonal debut in the Group 1 2000 Guineas on May 6 at Newmarket.
Silver Knott is out of the Nathaniel mare God Given, who is a half-sister to multiple Group 1-winner Postponed.
One Nation, by Dubawi, sports a ledger of 9-2-4-2 and is out of the Street Cry mare Lacey’s Lane, who is a half-sister to 2017 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Wuheida. One Nation was last seen finishing second in the 10-furlong Jumeirah Derby in February at Meydan Racecourse.
Appleby previously indicated he would have a number of runners for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, including Siskany [Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup], With The Moonlight [Grade 1 New York] and possibly Al Suhail and/or Mischief Magic [Grade 1 Jaipur].
