ELMONT, N.Y. – Handicappers who subscribe to the horse-for-course angle figure to strongly back Karakorum Elektra in Wednesday’s third-level allowance turf feature going six furlongs at Belmont Park.
Karkorum Elektra is 6 for 14 over the Belmont turf, while the rest of the bulky field is 2 for 10. Though in her last start at Belmont, Karakorum Elektra finished fifth in a similar spot as this – one in which horses are entered for an optional claiming price of $75,000 – she took part in a hot early pace. In her 7 previous starts at Belmont, Karakorum Elektra had 4 wins and 3 seconds. The three losses came by a combined one length.
In her most recent start, Karakorum Elektra finished third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Rose Catherine, in the Lena Spencer Stakes at Saratoga. Last year, Karakorum Elektra finished fourth in a stakes at Saratoga, also beaten 1 1/4 lengths, before getting beat a neck in a New York-bred allowance at Belmont.
“She’s always run better at Belmont than Saratoga,” said trainer Linda Rice. ``She handles the big, sweeping turns of Belmont better than the tighter course at Saratoga. She doesn’t corner well.”
Rice also noted that Karakorum Elektra prefers the six-furlong distance of the races at Belmont compared with the 5 1/2 furlong races at Saratoga.
Karakorum Elektra prefers to come from a stalking position, and there should be ample speed for that kind of trip on Wednesday. Just Ben, trying grass for the first time, Affirmatif, and Drift King all figure to be part of the early pace.
Dubai Rainbow would also benefit from a lively pace. Purchased privately by owner Paul Saylor and transferred to Kiaran McLaughlin after several solid performances on dirt, Dubai Rainbow finished third in the Grade 3 Jaipur here in July going six furlongs on the turf. He finished fifth in a third-level allowance race at Saratoga going 1 1/16 miles on grass in what McLaughlin called a failed experiment to stretch him out.
McLaughlin noted that Dubai Rainbow, a gelded son of Essence Dubai, had finished third in a turf sprint as a 2-year-old when in Southern California, which is why he tried him on the turf.
“He likes the turf. He’s a hard-knocking horse on any surface,” McLaughlin said.
Tahoe Warrior won the Turf Sprint Handicap at Calder in his first start off the claim for Rudy Rodriguez before finishing last in the Pennsylvania Governors Cup at Penn National on July 31. He is a two-time winner at Belmont.
