Jamaica Stakes highlighted by Dullahan

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Elmont, NY (Sports Network) - Pacific Classic winner Dullahan returns to the races Saturday in the $400,000 Jamaica Stakes for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park. Dullahan, trained by Dale Romans, will face seven rivals in the 1 1/8-mile race on Belmont's inner turf course.

"By sending Dullahan to the Jamaica, he still gets to try the turf while getting to stay against straight 3-year-olds," said Romans. The Jamaica is the colt's first start on grass since finishing second in the Palm Beach at Gulfstream Park in March.

Owned by Donegal Racing, Dullahan will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post three. Winless in three previous turf starts, the colt does have a pair of seconds and a third on the grass.

Dullahan comes into the Jamaica with three wins in 12 career starts for $1,702,091. All three wins have come on synthetic surfaces.

The 3-year-old began 2012 with a second on the turf in the Palm Beach Stakes behind Howe Great at Gulfstream Park. He won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland prior to the Kentucky Derby when he finished third. He was held out of the Preakness and came up seventh as the 5-2 favorite in the Belmont Stakes.

Four weeks prior to the Pacific Classic, Dullahan again disappointed when he was fifth in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

Jersey Derby champ Howe Great has drawn post seven with John Velazquez riding. Owned by Team Valor, the colt is trained by Graham Motion.

Howe Great is coming off a second-place finish to My Best Brother in the Del Mar Derby on the turf Sept. 2. He won the Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park as the 3-10 favorite on July 21 after finishing second to Summer Front in the Hill Prince at Belmont on June 16.

Along with the Jersey Derby and Palm Beach, the colt also won the Kitten's Joy at Gulfstream in January. He's banked $382,153 with wins in half of his 10 lifetime starts.

Summer Front, trained by Christophe Clement, will start from post five with Ramon Dominguez again in the saddle. The colt is owned by Waterford Stable.

In his last race, Summer Front was third in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 18 after taking the lead in the stretch.

"He seemed like he got a little tired in the final 3/16," Dominguez noted after the 1 1/4-mile turf race.

Summer Front was second in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on Polytrack and eighth on dirt in the Peter Pan at Belmont. He came back to post consecutive wins in the Hill Prince and Duluth Stakes, both on grass.

The 3-year-old has won five of eight career starts for $365,800.

Here is the field for the Jamaica in post position order: Unbridled Command, Cornelio Velasquez; King David, Rosie Napravnik; Dullahan, Joel Rosario; Cogito, Frankie Dettori; Summer Front, Ramon Dominguez; Shkspeare Shaliyah, Irad Ortiz Jr.; Howe Great, John Velazquez and King Kreesa, Eddie Castro.

Post-time for the Jamaica is approximately 5:06 p.m. (ET).