Memorial Day weekend promises to deliver some, well, memorable moments in the form of seven stakes over three days, highlighted by a Monday daily double of the Metropolitan Handicap and the Ogden Phipps Handicap.
The Met Mile and Phipps will be drawn Friday, but both Grade 1 stakes promises to offer sensational match-ups that should ratchet up the excitement level at Beautiful Belmont in advance of the June 9 Belmont Stakes.
The $750,000 Met Mile should be a dandy with 2011 Cigar Mile winner To Honor and Serve, who opened 2012 with a convincing win in the Westchester, facing the trio of Jackson Bend, Caleb's Posse and Shackleford, who ran 1-2-3 in that order in the Carter Handicap last month at Aqueduct.
As a sign of just how formidable that group can be, Shackleford, winner of last year's Preakness, rebounded from his third-place finish in the Carter to beat champion sprinter Amazombie in the Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby Day.
The $400,000 Phipps brings together two of the best older fillies in training, Awesome Maria, a winner of her last six starts, and It's Tricky, who has already reeled off a pair of Grade 2 wins this year. Juanita, who beat Plum Pretty in the La Troienne at Churchill Downs, is also expected to run.
Monday's card will also include a third Grade 1 stakes, the $300,000 Acorn for 3-year-old fillies, as well as the $200,000 Sands Point for 3-year-old fillies on the turf.
The weekend kicks off Saturday with the $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Handicap for fillies and mares on the turf. Aruna was pegged as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the 1 3/8-mile turf stakes, despite finishing sixth and last in her lone 2012 start, the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on turf at Keeneland. Apparently the Graham Motion-trained mare has some back class going for her as she captured last year's Spinster at Keeneland on an artificial surface and was second in the Diana on the grass at Saratoga.
The Sheepshead Bay also features Orchid winner Hit It Rich for trainer Shug McGaughey, Aqsaam, who suffered her first career loss when she was second in the Orchid, Principal Role and Distorted Legacy among a field of 10 scheduled to run on the turf. There are also four main track only entrants, just in case the race is washed off the sod.
Sunday's card is topped by a pair of New York State-bred stakes on the turf, the $125,000 Kingston for males and the $125,000 Mount Vernon for females.
Compliance Officer, who was so dominant against state-breds his connections tried him in the Breeders' Cup Mile, tops the Kingston. While the Breeders' Cup resulted in an 11th place finish, Compliance Officer rebounded to take the Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes at Fair Grounds last December in his most recent start.
Despite the layoff, Compliance Officer was listed as the 2-1 favorite in a field of eight on the grass that also includes Mr. Vegas and Street Game, who have won stakes against open company.
There are also two main track only entrants.
Gitchee Goomie and Hessonite stick out in the Mount Vernon among eight grass entrants and one MTO starter.
Speaking of the Triple Crown, memories of the last sweep will be resurrected Saturday when Hall of Fame riders Steve Cauthen and Jorge Velasquez will be at Belmont for an autograph session.
It was Cauthen on Affirmed who outdueled Velasquez and Alydar in all three legs of the 1978 Triple Crown, highlighted by their epic clash in the Belmont Stakes.
They will sign postcards for $5, with the money going to a highly worthy charity, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund.
As for the 2012 Belmont, I'll Have Another is already settled down at Belmont in preparation for his bid to become to the 12th Triple Crown winner.
If you're planning on being at Belmont for what may be a historic afternoon, seating sold out on Ticketmaster earlier this week like it was a rock concert. A recent check of Stub Hub found the lowest prices at $86 for a grandstand ticket and $300 for a clubhouse seat.
If you don't have a ticket and still want to spend the day with about 100,000 of your closest racing buddies, general admission ($10 grandstand, $20 clubhouse) will be available, providing access to areas like the backyard and apron.
