CAROLYN’S CAT (Forestry) and PORTE BONHEUR (Hennessy), the respective winner
and runner-up in the May 24 Vagrancy H. (G2), will face off for the second
straight time Sunday as part of a six-horse field entered in the $150,000
First Flight H. (G2) at Belmont Park. The seven-furlong feature also drew
TURN AWAY (Empire Maker), who is riding a two-race win streak, and last-out My
Juliet S. runner-up SUNDAY GEISHA (Sunday Break [Jpn]).
Porte Bonheur was never able to catch the front-running Carolyn’s Cat in the
Vagrancy last out, winding up 3 1/4 lengths adrift of the chestnut miss. The
Vagrancy winner earned her first victory of the year in that 6 1/2-furlong test,
following a fourth in the Missy’s Mirage S. and a second in the Elizabeth Bay
S., both times trailing behind By the Light (Malibu Moon). Carolyn’s Cat easily
captured the Cicada S. (G3) and T Storm S. last season, and will be looking for
another trip to the winner’s circle under Alan Garcia in the First Flight on
Sunday.
Porte Bonheur could disrupt those plans while making her second start off a
break in this one. She ended her sophomore campaign with a victory in the
Ontario Fashion S., and also won the Victory Ride S. (G3) at Saratoga last year.
The David Duggan-trained four-year-old will be stretching out to seven furlongs
under Ramon Dominguez for the first time in the First Flight, and the added
distance could be just what she needs to turn the tables on Carolyn’s Cat.
Sunday Geisha and Turn Away might also have a say in the finish on Sunday.
The former filly earned a whopping, field-best 113 BRIS Speed figure when
running second in the My Juliet last out, and also garnered a 106 Speed number
when taking an allowance by 7 1/4 lengths prior to that race. Sunday Geisha
appears to have found a place among the sprinting ranks and will keep Richard
Migliore aboard. Turn Away ended 2008 on a high note, taking an
allowance/optional claimer over the track, and returned off a near eight-month
break last out to score a 3 1/4-length victory against similar. The Bobby
Frankel charge has gone off favored in all five of her lifetime starts, and will
get a jockey switch to Kent Desormeaux here.
Finishing out the First Flight field are last-out Sugar Maple S. queen
SPRITELY (Touch Gold) and IRON BUTTERFLY (Forestry), who is nursing a three-race
winning skein.