Bellamy Road to Get on Track

Bellamy Road, who hasn’t run since finishing seventh as the 5-2 favorite in the Kentucky Derby on May 7, returns today in the $1-million Travers at Saratoga.

The Grade I stakes race at 1 1/4 miles isn’t the return some people were hoping the son of Concerto would make. They would have rather seen Bellamy Road take on the unbeaten Lost In The Fog in the $250,000 King’s Bishop, a Grade I at seven furlongs that immediately precedes the Travers.

Nick Zito, who trains Bellamy Road for George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable, opted for the Travers and the dark bay is the 2-1 favorite on the morning line.

After exiting the Derby with a leg injury, Bellamy Road, who has won four of six, will break from the rail with Javier Castellano aboard. Of course, Zito is hoping to see the colt who won an allowance race by 15 3/4 lengths in his first start for the trainer, then won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct by 17 1/2 lengths and equaled the track record for 1 1/8 miles.

“The ideal wish list would be that he runs the same way as he did in the Wood,” said Zito, who won the Travers a year ago with Birdstone. “He’s a big horse, but he’s pretty good at the gate. He’s got to get away and then we’ll see what happens.”

Besides Bellamy Road, Zito will also start the late-running Andromeda’s Hero, who will be racing with blinkers for the first time, against Chekhov, Roman Ruler, Don’t Get Mad, Reverberate and Flower Alley.

Trained by Bob Baffert for Fog City Stable, Roman Ruler has won in New York and New Jersey since returning after a layoff of 3 1/2 months. He followed his victory in the Dwyer with another in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 7.

Chekhov was fourth in the Haskell and has yet to do much to justify his $3.3-million price tag. Flower Alley won the Jim Dandy four weeks ago, Reverberate was a distant second in that race, and Don’t Get Mad will be seeking his first win at a track other than Churchill Downs under new jockey Edgar Prado.

*

Perfect in eight races for owner Harry Aleo and trainer Greg Gilchrist, Lost In The Fog will be an overwhelming favorite against six opponents in the King’s Bishop.

This will be the first race at Saratoga for the 3-year-old Lost Soldier colt, but he has shown the ability to win anywhere. Lost In The Fog has victories at six tracks -- Golden Gate Fields, Turf Paradise, Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Calder.

*

There are two other graded stakes today on the Saratoga program.

Henny Hughes, a 2-year-old son of Hennessy, will try for his fourth victory in as many starts in the $250,000 Hopeful at seven furlongs and Leroidesanimaux aims for his seventh win in a row in the $200,000 Fourstardave at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

*

Shadow Cast, a 14-1 shot, rallied from well off the pace to win the $400,000 Personal Ensign Handicap on Friday at Saratoga.

Another 14-1 shot, Personal Legend, was second and pacesetter Two Trail Sioux faded to third in a Grade I where Ashado, the 2-5 favorite, ran fifth. It was only the second loss in five starts at Saratoga for the champion 3-year-old filly of 2004.

Owned by William Farish Jr. and trained by Neil Howard, Shadow Cast, a 4-year-old Smart Strike filly, won for the ninth time in 21 races. She was ridden by Robby Albarado and ran the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.07.

The day wasn’t a total stakes loss for Todd Pletcher, who trains Ashado. A race earlier, Adieu, a 7-1 shot, won the $250,000 Spinaway, a Grade II for 2-year-old fillies. John Velazquez rode the daughter of El Corredor to a third win in four starts.