Belmont At The Big A Preview | Glen Cove Stakes 2023: Danse Macabre Faces Overflow Field

NBS Stable and Elements Racing’s graded stakes-winner Danse Macabre will face an overflow field when she returns to New York for Thursday’s $125,000 Glen Cove, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

The Glen Cove, which was originally scheduled for Sunday and re-scheduled due to forecasted inclement weather, is slated as Race 8 on Thursday’s nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Trained by Kelsey Danner, the Army Mule chestnut rallied to finish 1 3/4-lengths back in third here last year in the Grade 3 Matron won by American Apple, who got the jump and posted a neck score over Redifined.

Danse Macabre exited that effort to win her seasonal debut in March at Gulfstream Park in the one-mile Grade 3 Herecomesthebride, posting a head score over Papilio, who returned to win the Grade 2 Appalachian at Keeneland.

The talented chestnut has shortened up in distance in her most recent two outings, taking the 5 1/2-furlong Mamzelle by 2 1/4-lengths over American Apple in May at Churchill Downs and finishing a prominent second last out in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Music City on September 2 at Kentucky Downs.

Danse Macabre exited post 1-of-12 under regular rider Adam Beschizza in the Music City and prompted the pace from second position. She angled four-wide for the stretch run and landed one length back of the victorious Secret Money and three-quarter lengths in front of the multiple graded stakes-placed Bling, who exited that effort to register a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in an allowance score at Keeneland.

“I thought she ran a really big race,” Danner said. “I think the filly that beat her is a really nice filly and I know they thought a lot of that filly, as well. She ran a big race coming off the fence.”

Danner said the ultra-consistent Danse Macabre has plenty of heart.

“A lot of it,” agreed Danner. “She’s doing very good. Three-quarters is right up her alley. I’d like it better if it’s not soaking wet. Anywhere from five-eighths to a mile, she’s OK.”

The $55,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase has banked $858,340 through a record of 8-4-3-1. She is out of the Blame mare Sylphide, who is half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Cambodia.

“I picked her out at the sale. She’s got a nice build, a strong hind end and she looked quick,” Danner said.

Beschizza has the call from post 2.

Trainer Christophe Clement will hope to saddle a trio of top contenders in stakes-placed Love Appeals [post 8, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], three-time winner Dontlookbackatall [post 9, Jose Ortiz] and well-related allowance winner Plentitude [post 11, Dylan Davis], who is on the also-eligible list.

Moyglare Stud Farm’s Kentucky homebred Love Appeals closed to finish third two starts back in the 5 1/2-furlong Blue Sparkler on July 15 at Monmouth Park, landing a neck back of her victorious returning rival Beauty of the Sea. The Speightstown bay followed with a troubled fourth last out in the Galway traveling the same distance over good going on August 12 at Saratoga Race Course.

Love Appeals is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Gioia Stella, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Nereid and the Grade 1-placed Sea Queen.

West Point Thoroughbreds, Scarlet Oak Racing and Titletown Racing Stables’ Pennsylvania-bred Dontlookbackatall sports a ledger of 8-3-3-0 that includes a state-bred allowance score over the main track in July at Parx and a last-out frontrunning win in an open allowance on September 14 here, besting next-out allowance winner Play the Music.

The speedy dark bay, a $150,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is a half-sister to graded stakes-placed En Wye Cee.

CHC Inc.’s Kentucky homebred Plentitude, by Quality Road and out of the Grade 1-winning Gemologist mare Yellow Agate, is a full-sister to recent Grade 2 Pilgrim-winner Agate Road.

Plentitude graduated on debut over the main track in April at Tampa Bay Downs and followed by stalking and pouncing to victory against elders in a six-furlong turf allowance on June 16 at Belmont, besting a pair of next-out allowance winners in Z First and Shootoutthelights.

The lightly-raced bay was last seen finishing fourth in the aforementioned Blue Sparkler when three lengths back of Beauty of the Sea.

R. Larry Johnson’s Maryland-homebred Future Is Now [post 5, Victor Carrasco] will make her stakes debut following a frontrunning open-company allowance win traveling five furlongs over good going on September 16 at Pimlico Race Course.

Trained by Michael Trombetta, the Great Notion bay zipped through splits of 22.64 seconds and 45.95 under Victor Carrasco en route to a 4 3/4-length score in a final time of 58.39. The impressive effort garnered a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She ran really fast last time when she won the allowance, so it’s probably a good time to take a crack at stakes company with her,” Trombetta said.

Future Is Now graduated on debut sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs over firm turf in a restricted maiden special weight on August 5 at Colonial Downs. She returned 20 days later at Colonial to finish a distant fourth in her dirt debut ahead of her last-out score.

The speedy bay is out of the Bernardini mare Past as Prelude, who is a half-sister to Street Magician – winner of the 2007 Grade 3 Hirsch Jacobs over the Pimlico main track for Trombetta and Johnson.

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Richard Schermerhorn’s lightly-raced Lady Beth [post 4, Manny Franco] will look to secure her first stakes win for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

The Hard Spun bay graduated on debut in February over the Gulfstream Park synthetic and followed in May with a third-place finish in the aforementioned Grade 3 Soaring Softly. Last out, she set the pace when fifth in the one-mile Winter Memories on September 15, landing two lengths back of the victorious Sacred Wish.

Out of the Makfi mare Boreale, the third dam of the $390,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds-In-Training purchase produced multiple graded stakes-winner Interactif.

A talented field includes a strong pair from Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse in stakes-winner Ticker Tape Home [post 10, Junior Alvarado] and stakes-placed Personal Pursuit [post 7, Javier Castellano].

Also featured are Group 3-placed Zoinnocent [post 1, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Kevin Boniface; the Joe Orseno-trained stakes-winner Beauty of the Sea [post 6, Jairo Rendo]; and Determined Jester [post 3, Forest Boyce], who won the Rosie’s last September at Colonial Downs for trainer Phil Schoenthal.

The also-eligible list includes the stakes-placed Violet Gibson [post 12, Tyler Conner] for conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr.; and maiden winners Queen of the Mud [post 13, Trevor McCarthy] for trainer Graham Motion and the Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon-conditioned Gatita Suave [post 14, Katie Davis].

Tappin Josie is entered for the main-track only.