Zandon Starts 4-Year-Old Season in Westchester

A year ago at this time, Zandon was battling fiercely in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby (G1) before settling for third behind an 80-1 shot named Rich Strike. On May 5, the son of Upstart will be back at a Triple Crown venue but in a dramatically different situation. Zandon will be starting his 4-year-old season for owner Jeff Drown by running in the $175,000 Westchester Stakes (G3) for older horses at Belmont Park. Zandon won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) as a 3-year-old and has not raced since finishing fourth in the Dec. 3 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) as a 3-5 favorite. Owner of a 2-3-3 mark through nine career starts for trainer Chad Brown, he was scheduled to run in an April 29 allowance race at Aqueduct Racetrack but was scratched due to a wet surface and entered in the one-turn mile Westchester. Bred by Brereton C. Jones in Kentucky, the $1,485,000 earner was purchased for $170,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Brown will also send out Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb's Dr Ardito, a New York State-bred who has won six straight starts since finishing second in his debut. Bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, the 5-year-old Liam's Map gelding is coming off a head victory in the Feb. 20 Haynesfield Stakes for state-breds and will be starting in an open stakes for the first time. The 4-year-old White Abarrio was entered in the Westchester but is expected to scratch and run May 6 in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs, according to the NYRA racing office. The eight horses entered also includes Repo Rocks, who had a four-race win streak snapped by a second in the seven-furlong Carter Handicap (G1), and St. Elias Stable's Expressman, who was third in the Carter, a nose behind Repo Rocks. The nine-race card also features the $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2T) for older fillies and mares on turf which will be a battle between the barns of Brown and fellow trainer Christophe Clement. Brown will send out three of the five starters in the about 1 3/8-mile stakes, topped by Michaela Faust's Mylady (GER), winner of the The Very One Stakes (G3T) in her second North American start. The four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer will also be represented by Virginia Joy (GER), a 14 1/4-length winner of last year's Sheepshead Bay on a soaked, boggy course, and the grade 1-placed Higher Truth (IRE), who has been out of the money only once in her nine career starts. Higher Truth was second in the The Very One, a little less than a length behind Mylady, and Virginia Joy rallied from ninth to finish fourth in the 1 3/8-mile test. Rounding out the field are the Clement-trained Amazing Grace (GER), who won Gulfstream Park's Orchid Stakes (G3T) while making her U.S. debut, and Atomic Blonde (GER), who was third in the Orchid in her first U.S. start.