Belmont Sunday Morning Stakes Round-Up

A number of conditioners were checking on their charges and plotting their next starts Sunday morning at Belmont following a strong card Saturday that included four graded stakes

• Last year's GI Runhappy Travers and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup hero Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) made a successful seasonal debut in the GIII Westchester S. and has Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey weighing either the GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. July 4 or waiting for the GI Whitney H. at Saratoga for the W.S. Farish homebred. “He seems to be fine,” McGaughey said. “He looked good [Saturday] after the race and he looked good this morning. I'll look at the Met Mile and see what the stakes schedule at Saratoga looks like. He had a very good winter and the time off really seemed to help him.”
• GI Runhappy Carter H. romper Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) could also contest the prestigious Met Mile. “He owned them, and it wasn't an easy race,” said co-owner Randy Hill of last year's GII Toyota Blue Grass winner. “We're thinking about the Met Mile but the ultimate goal is the Breeders' Cup. [Trainer] George [Weaver] has done such a great job with this horse and whatever he says is what we'll end up doing. I thought he was a stallion prospect after he won the race at Keeneland last year but [Saturday]'s race made him even more valuable.”
• MGISW Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), sixth in the Carter, will wait for the GI Alfred H. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga. “He didn't like the [sloppy] track,” said trainer Greg Sacco. “He just didn't grab a hold of it and [rider John Velazquez] said he was spinning his wheels. He broke sharp and Johnny said he was going to track Vekoma, but when the running started, he just wouldn't pick up his feet.”
• Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown had a typically productive Saturday, making up the superfecta in the GIII Intercontinental S. led by 'TDN Rising Star' Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}); the exacta in the GII Fort Marcy S. capped by Instilled Regard (Arch); and finished second in the Carter with Network Effect (Mark Valeski). Newspaperofrecord is likely for the June 27 GI Just a Game S.–where she could be joined by champion stablemate Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), while Instilled Regard could run back in the GI Manhattan S. July 4. Rushing Fall (More Than Ready), who annexed the GIII Beaugay S. on opening day Wednesday, will head to Keeneland for the GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. July 11.