Weekend Stakes Races from Belmont Park: Grade I Frizette & Grade I Champagne Stakes

Weekend Stakes Races from Belmont Park: Grade I Frizette & Grade I Champagne Stakes

Race-day: 10/10/2009

Race-times:  Frizette at 4:43 pm EST and Champagne at 5:15 pm EST

Belmont Park showcases two year olds this Saturday with arguably the two biggest and most important Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Breeders’ Cup Fillies Juvenile prep races of the year, the Grade I Frizette and the Grade I Champagne Stakes.

Belmont Park – Race 8

Grade I Frizette Stakes

$400,000

For Fillies Two Years Old

1 mile on dirt

It’s tough to go into a graded race off of a maiden victory and win but that’s exactly what the Todd Pletcher trained Devil May Care will be attempting to do.  Devil May Care was sensational first time out when winning a $60,000 maiden special weight race at Saratoga by four lengths.  The daughter of Malibu Moon broke slow, rushed up and just kept going for the score.  She figures to be tough again having gotten experience in her maiden score.  Awesome Maria has been awesome in her last two races.  Her last, a score in the Grade II Matron, has set her up as the favorite in this.  She will lie behind the speed before making a run to the finish line, but two top efforts in a row could leave her short of for the victory in this.  Touching Beauty started awkwardly in the Matron, her first start against winners, but still managed to rally for second behind Awesome Maria.  Like Devil May Care, she has room to improve big time in this and should be able to lie behind a wickedly fast pace.  She’s got a shot.

1. Devil May Care
2. Awesome Maria
3. Touching Beauty

Belmont Park – Race 9

Grade I Champagne Stakes

$400,000

For Two Year Olds

1 mile on dirt

Because he won the Grade I Hopeful Stakes, Dublin no doubt will go off at lower odds than his 8 to 5 morning line.  Either way, the horse that finished second to him, Aspire, figures to run his way right into the winner’s circle in the Grade I Champagne Stakes.  Aspire is a seriously good horse.  He was 6 ½ lengths behind at the second call, 4 lengths behind at the top of the stretch, and rallied all the way to within 2 lengths of Dublin in the Hopeful. 

With the extra furlong, the Hopeful was at 7 furlongs, a mile is at 8 furlongs, Aspire figures to beat Dublin for top honors.  Then again, Dublin stumbled, went wide and drifted and still found a way to win the Hopeful with a fantastic time.  Dublin is a son of the brilliant Afleet Alex.  If he’s got a quarter of his daddy’s heart, he’ll be tough again in this. Homeboykris goes from Pablo Andrade to Richard Dutrow.  That in itself makes him a contender.  The fact that he’s out of Roman Ruler, a son of Fusaichi Pegasus and gets Edgar Prado only increases his chances at pulling off the upset.  Oh, yes, Dutrow is winning at a 38% clip at Belmont Park.

1. Aspire
2. Dublin
3. Homeboykris