ELMONT, N.Y. – Endless Circle will try to keep his and his trainer’s recent run of success going Friday when he tops a seven-horse field set to run in the $70,000 Easy N’ Dirty Stakes at Belmont Park.
Eight were entered in the 6 1/2-furlong stakes restricted to New York-breds, but Driven by Success is expected to scratch to run in Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh Invitational.
Endless Circle, a 6-year-old son of Precise End, was claimed by trainer Rudy Rodriguez on behalf of Vincent Scuderi and James Riccio for $14,000 in April. Since then, Endless Circle has won 3 of 4 starts and finished a troubled second in his lone loss. Most recently, he dueled Drive by Success into defeat en route to a four-length win in the John Morrissey Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 5.
Rodriguez said he has been trying to run Endless Circle back since that race, but said races have not filled either here or at Monmouth Park.
The forecast for the Metropolitan area called for heavy rains on Thursday, which could make for an off track on Friday. Endless Circle won the Morrissey in the slop.
“He ran a big race, but I think he’s a good horse on any surface,” said Rodriguez, who is the leading trainer at this meet with 9 wins from 22 starters. “I’m very happy with him.”
The 3-year-old General Maximus gets eight pounds from Endless Circle and Be Bullish, a recent stakes winner at Finger Lakes. General Maximus comes off a last-place finish in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga, a race from which he emerged with a respiratory infection, according to trainer John Terranova.
“He was very congested, had a lot of mucus,” Terranova said. “We cleared that and he’s been fantastic.”
General Maximus has shown a preference for racing on the lead, but Terranova believes he doesn’t have to be in front.
“He’ll be right there, but we don’t need to gun him away from there,” Terranova said.
Be Bullish has not finished worse than third in his last seven dirt starts. He came from just off the pace to win the Leon Reed Memorial Handicap at Finger Lakes last out. He is 0 for 10 on a wet track with 3 seconds and 2 thirds.
Good Card, Ezzy, and Dr. W complete the field.
