A field of seven go in Saturday’s $250,000 Frizette (G1) at Belmont Park. (Photo credit: © George Zilberman | Dreamstime.com)
A talented group of two-year-old fillies will line up in Saturday’s $250,000 Frizette (G1) at Belmont Park with a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) up for grabs.
The Frizette is one of four Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on the 11-race card and the first of the afternoon, the fifth race on the card.
The Steve Asmussen trained Cantata is the 9-5 morning line favorite. The filly broke her maiden by 10 ¼ lengths at Saratoga going 6 ½ furlongs in her debut on Aug. 16. Joel Rosario has the call and will break from the two post.
“She’s come in and done everything correctly,” said Asmussen assistant Toby Sheets. “She’s quite the individual. We’re looking forward to seeing her step up her game a little bit. She’s a racehorse. She does her job and has it down.”
Her main rival is Vequist, who is stabled at Parx Racing for trainer Robert Reid. The filly broke her maiden by winning the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 6 in her stakes debut. Luis Saez has the return call and will break from the rail.
“Even when she made her debut, it seemed like there was no limit to how far she’ll go,” Reid said. “Her mother [Vero Amore] ran at a mile and an eighth and ran long, and so did Nyquist, so I think the further, the better with her.”
2020 Spinaway Replay
The other Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on the card are the $250,000 Flower Bowl for fillies and mares three-years-old and up on the turf that is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1), the $300,000 Champagne (G1), a Breeders’ Cup qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for three-year-olds and up with a ticket to the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) up for grabs.
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Let’s head out to Belmont Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Belmont Park Race 5 The Frizette G1 (2:30 ET)
1 Vequist 2-1
2 Cantata 9-5
5 Dayoutoftheoffice 3-1
4 Joy’s Rocket 5-1
Vequist
This Phlly based filly was beaten a nose in her debut and came to Saratoga for the Spinaway (G1) where she was sent off at 6-1. She launched at the break, pressed the early pace wile in the two path, edged clear and drew away smartly to win by 9 ½ lengths. She did it over a racing strip where the outer paths were best that day. The third-place finisher Lady Lilly came back to beat ALw-2L optional claimers at Keeneland in her next start while the fifth-place finisher Guana Cay graduated in her next outing on Oct. 3 at Keeneland. She should have no problem handling the extra ground. She is by Nyquist out of a stakes placed Mineshaft mare. The Reid barn is 11% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from sprint to route.
Cantata
The Asmussen trainee was a very impressive maiden winner in her debut. She tracked the early pace and pulled clear to win by 10 ¼ lengths going 6 ½ furlongs as the chalk. Two have come out of that race to run back, the fifth and sixth place finishers came back to run third and eighth respectively. The filly was a $950,000 Keeneland purchase, by Medaglia d’Oro out of the stakes winner Stowshoe ($51,210), a West Virginia bred that won a couple of state bred stakes at Charles Town. She looks as if she still has a ton of upside.
Dayoutoftheoffice
This filly makes her first starts since winning the Schuylerville (G3) at Saratoga on July 16 in her stakes debut. She was bumped coming out of the gate, prompted the early pace and got clear heading for home, geared down late in a six-length win. The racing strip was kind to outside stalkers and closers that day. The runner up in that race was Make Mischief, who was second in the state bred Seeking the Ante and then ran a well beaten fifth in the Chandelier (G1) at Del Mar. She broke her maiden going 4 ½ furlongs at Gulfstream Park two back and owns solid early and mid pace numbers. She shares top last out speed fig honors with our top pick.
