Honey Ryder tops Sheepshead Bay

E. P. Taylor S. (Can-G1) queen HONEY RYDER (Lasting Approval) ranks as the
121-pound highweight in a field of eight distaffers set to do battle in
Saturday’s $150,000 Sheepshead Bay H. (G2) over Belmont Park’s inner turf
course. The Todd Pletcher mare has enjoyed a brief freshening since successfully
defending her title in the April 1 Orchid H. (G2) by four dominating lengths.
Although she has scored seven stakes victories, five of them graded, in the
course of her career, the five-year-old gray is still winless on the Belmont
lawn. Her most recent attempt came in last year’s edition of this 1 3/8-mile
contest, in which she dueled for the lead for much of the race before backing up
to finish fifth.

“We think she’s better with a target in front of her,” Pletcher said. In
trying to account for Honey Ryder’s 0-for-5 record at Belmont, Pletcher opined,
“She might like three-turn races better than two-turn races (which she
encounters at Belmont). It might make her settle easier when she comes right up
on a turn after breaking from the gate.”

Honey Ryder will break from the rail with Garrett Gomez in the irons.

Angara (right) will try to improve on last year’s runner-up effort in the Sheepshead Bay  (Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) Like Honey Ryder, Beverly D. S. (G1) winner ANGARA (GB) (Alzao) is looking for revenge in the wake of the 2005 Sheepshead Bay. She had a terrible trip that day, shut off when rallying in the stretch and forced to steady. After finally getting a seam, Angara exploded late to grab second, beaten only a half-length. In her 2006 bow for new conditioner Bill Mott, the five-year-old mare checked in sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Beaugay H. (G3) at a distance short of her best. Angara will tote 119 pounds along with Edgar Prado. The 2004 Prix de Diane-Hermes (Fr-G1) (French Oaks) heroine LATICE (Ire) (Inchinor [GB]) chased Honey Ryder when coming in a half-length second in the E. P. Taylor last fall. The Jonathan Sheppard trainee returned to action with a smart allowance victory at Keeneland in April. Cornelio Velasquez picks up the mount on the former French highweight, who has been assigned 118 pounds. “I’m real happy with how she’s doing,” Sheppard said. “I would be even happier if the race were a mile and an eighth or a mile and a quarter. She’s kind of one-paced and in races at longer distances, there’s usually a false pace up front.” Another Honey Ryder victim, multiple Grade 3 winner NOBLE STELLA (Ger) (Monsun), was sixth in the E. P. Taylor but then a better third in the Orchid, and she showed the strength of the form by coming right back to score in Keeneland’s Bewitch S. (G3). Grade 3 victress ASI SIEMPRE (El Prado [Ire]) was also last seen at the Lexington, Kentucky, oval, closing for a solid second in the Jenny Wiley S. (G2) in her seasonal reappearance. The Patrick Biancone filly has been in the exacta in each of her four U.S. outings.

“I thought she ran very well in her last start after rearing up at the gate,”
Biancone said. “She’s a four-year-old filly, and it may take her a couple of
races to get to her best.”

Rounding out the field are two mares exiting the Christiecat S. over this
course, winner TISKET A TASKET (Broad Brush) and third-placer SERENDIPITOUS
(Pleasant Tap), as well as multiple stakes-placed HALF HEAVEN (Regal Classic).

Honey Ryder leads the post parade, followed by Half Heaven, Norberto Arroyo,
Jr., 112 pounds; Latice; Noble Stella, Mike Smith, 116; Asi Siempre, Julien
Leparoux, 116; Angara; Serendipitous, Mike Luzzi, 113; and Tisket a Tasket,
Eibar Coa, 114.