Eight European candidates representing three countries were quarantined on July 3 and ran the wrong way on Belmont Park training path. This is their first preparation for the Caesars Turf Triple Series kicks off Saturday, with the $1 million Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) and the 700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) dollars, both at 10 tiered floors.
The European horses, arriving in New York on Friday, visited the dirt track at 10:30 am. In the group were contestants Belmont Oaks Agartha , Hot queen , Know yourself and With The Moonlight . Training courses for the Belmont Derby include Perform , Machete , National pride and Royal patronage .
Daniela LaCroix, commuting assistant to French coach Pia Brandt, said Hot Queen and Perform has settled down since arriving in the United States from her training ground at Chantilly.
“Everything went well. The horses felt good. We were ready to go,” LaCroix said. “Hot Queen doesn’t mind the ground, maybe she likes a little bit of softness, but she can walk on any ground. The performance is a bit similar.”
Hot Queen, a two-time winner in her native France, will finish in sixth place after a mile in the Prix de Sandringham (G2) in Chantilly on June 5. Made, a half-American of Structure , broke her maiden height at a mile high on Chantilly grass. England finished third in two starts back to the Prix de Guiche (G3) on May 10 at Chantilly, a race won by French Derby winners (G1) and Coral-Eclipse (G1) then Vadeni .
Representing the stables of the globally acclaimed Charlie Appleby and Godolphin are With The Moonlight and Nations Pride, as well as Creative flair who can join the River Memory Stake on July 10 in Belmont and the Diana Stock (G1T) six days later at Racecourse Saratoga. Creative Flair raced in the final two stages of last year’s Turf Triple, the Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T) and the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes.
The trio are trained under the supervision of Appleby’s travel assistant Sophie Chretien.
“Everything went well. The horses are good and comfortable,” said Chretien. “We were just jogging to stretch our legs and show them the light of day after quarantine. Everyone was having fun. They were the right horses for our race. Creative Flair was here last year, so she knows America.”
With The Moonlight, a two-time winner by Frankel last released for the 11th time in Cazoo Oaks (G1) June 5. Nations Pride, by Teofilo , won the Jumeriah Derby at Meydan Racecourse in his 3-year-old debut before winning shares listed in Newmarket. He last raced when he finished eighth in the Derby Cazoo (G1).
Chretien said: “With The Moonlight is a big, full of scope movie. “I think Nations Pride should fit the American racetracks. He ran in Dubai and won there.”
Stone Age and Music room from coach Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle Training Center in Ireland, scheduled to be moved to New York on Wednesday.
