Champion SMUGGLER (Unbridled) made her four-year-old bow in the Bed o’ Roses
Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) on April 22, coming off a nine-month layoff to finish
fifth in that seven-furlong test. On Sunday, the Shug McGaughey-trained bay will
try to get back to her winning ways while taking on four rivals in the $150,000
Shuvee H. (G2) at Belmont Park. Smuggler recorded her biggest wins at Belmont
last year, taking the Mother Goose S. (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1)
prior to going on the shelf. She’ll carry the top weight of 120 pounds on
Sunday, most of which will be taken up by jockey Edgar Prado.
INDIAN VALE (A.P. Indy) will be in the same situation here as Smuggler was in
the Bed o’ Roses, returning off a long break. The Todd Pletcher charge was last
seen taking the Falls City H. (G2) by 6 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs in late
November, just 19 days after scoring a 9 1/2-length victory in the Turnback the
Alarm H. (G3) at Aqueduct. The chestnut miss has a 6-5-0-0 record, with
her only loss occurring when she finished fifth in the Cotillion H. (G2) in early October.
Garrett Gomez will be aboard for the first time on Sunday.
BALLETTO (UAE) (Timber Country) flirted with retirement for a time, but was
eventually brought back to the racetrack by trainer Thomas Albertrani on March
30, running fourth in an allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. Prior to
that one, the Grade 1-winning chestnut finished a game second in the 2004
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and she’ll carry the least weight of her
entire career on Sunday at 116 pounds.
GRECIAN LOVER (Friendly Lover) will break from the rail under Mike Smith
while carrying 115 pounds. To her outside will be Balletto, Javier Castellano;
Smuggler; TAKE D’TOUR (Tour d’Or), Cornelio Velasquez, 114; and Indian Vale,
117.