3rd-BEL, $85K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, post time: 3:03 p.m. ET
A maiden befitting the start of the Belmont S. festival features a gaggle of well-bred firsters. Phipps homebred COVER STORY (War Front&log=">War Front) is a son of MGSW & GISP Daydreaming (A.P. Indy), making her a half to Grade I-winning turfer Imagining (Giant's Causeway), MSP Reflecting (Elusive Quality) and SP Browse (Medaglia d'Oro). Second dam Get Lucky (Mr. Prospector) was the dam of Daydreaming's Grade I-winning full-brother Girolamo, GSW & GISP Accelerator (A.P. Indy) as well as Supercharger (A.P. Indy), dam of GI Kentucky Derby Super Saver (Maria's Mon) and GSWs Cyrus Alexander (Medaglia d'Oro) and Brethren (Distorted Humor). Mybigitalianfriend (Union Rags&log=">Union Rags), a half-brother to GISW Currency Swap (High Cotton), has been training well at Momouth Park for her debut; Jay Em Ess homebred Acting Chipper (Street Sense&log=">Street Sense) is out of GSW & MGISP Acting Happy (Empire Maker), herself a daughter of GISW I Ain't Bluffing; and Cosita Mia (Distorted Humor) is out of an unraced daughter of champion Flanders (Seeking the Gold), the dam of fellow Eclipse Award winner Surfside (Seattle Slew). TJCIS PPs
1st-CD, $51K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 5:00 p.m. EDT
DREAM MAKER (Tapit&log=">Tapit) gets his career started for owner/breeder John Oxley and trainer Mark Casse and has pedigree power in his corner, as he is a full-brother to last year's GI Del Mar Oaks winner Dream Dancing and a half to GSP Sky Dreamer (Sky Mesa), the dam of UAE G3 winner Kimbear (Temple City). Second dam Beautiful Pleasure (Maudlin), a sister to MGISW Mecke, won the 1999 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff for Oxley and trainer John Ward. Fluminense (More Than Ready) was hammered down for $410K at KEESEP last year, the fifth most expensive of 52 yearlings by his sire to sell. He is out of a half-sister to five black-type winners, including MGSW & MGISP Out of Control (Brz) (Vettori {Ire}). TJCIS PPs
4th-SA, $59K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 5:08 p.m. EDT
GIZA GODDESS (Cairo Prince&log=">Cairo Prince) fetched $200K as a KEESEP yearling from West Point Thoroughbreds and Mercedes Stable and is out of a half-sister to MGSW The Pamplemousse (Kafwain) and SW American Lady (Stormy Atlantic), the latter of whom is the dam of a Pioneerof the Nile colt that fetched $850K at OBSMAR this year. TJCIS PPs
7th-SA, $61K, Alw/Opt. Clm., 3yo, f, 6f, post time: 6:47 p.m. EDT
Three Chimneys Farm homebred AMADA RAFAELA (Distorted Humor) got pounded into 7-10 favoritism for her track-and-trip debut May 5 and made that look like value when storming home to graduate by 8 1/4 lengths en route to the 'TDN Rising Star' badge. Same as he did with 'Rising Star' Justify (Scat Daddy) following his barnstorming debut success, trainer Bob Baffert elects to remove the blinkers for this first start against winners. TJCIS PPs
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