Belmont at Aqueduct: Deterministic will try turf in Manila

Deterministic, a Grade 3-winner on the dirt, will return to that level but this time on grass in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Manila, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the Liam’s Map dark bay won the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct in March, traveling a one-turn mile over the sloppy and sealed main track. The winning effort, made after a seven-month layoff dating to a debut score in August at Saratoga, kept the colt unbeaten at 2-for-2.

Deterministic subsequently finished off-the-board in a pair of nine-furlong events over the Big A dirt, including an eighth in the Wood Memorial (G2) on April 6 and a fifth last out in the Peter Pan (G3) on May 11.

“He is a very talented horse. We decided to go with the turf option for him,” said Miguel Clement, son and assistant of Christophe. “This race makes a lot of sense. The fact that it is one mile, it is a logical next step for an experiment on the turf. I think he is versatile. If the race was anywhere from seven furlongs to one mile and an eighth, there’d be no preference whatsoever.”

Deterministic worked five-eighths in 1:01.22 on June 14 over the Spa’s Oklahoma training turf and followed up with another five-eighths work in 1:03 flat over the Oklahoma dirt on June 21.

“He breezed at Saratoga (on turf), it was a very good work, moving rather effortlessly,” said Clement. “It is just a question whether he shows an affinity for the turf. We think he should, and he is a top-class horse who can overcome whatever adversity comes his way.”

Dylan Davis will ride for the first time from the outermost post 6.

Graded stakes-winner Neat enters from a pair of efforts traveling 1 1/16 miles over good footing, winning the Transylvania (G3) on April 5 at Keeneland ahead of an off-the-board finish in the American Turf (G2) on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Rob Atras, the Constitution chestnut won his lone other start this year in the Texas Turf Mile over yielding footing at Sam Houston Race Park.

Neat boasts a 7: 4-0-0 record that features a second-out graduation over next-out winner St James the Great in a 1 1/16-mile turf test in October at Laurel Park followed by a 3 1/2-length score over next-out winner Card Trick going the same distance against winners in November at Fair Grounds.

Drunk On Sake enters off a pacesetting 8 1/4-length victory traveling 1 1/16 miles versus maiden claiming company on June 6 over the Saratoga inner turf.

Trained by Mertkan Kantarmaci, the Yoshida dark bay rebounded from a distant last-of-eight finish on debut when sprinting six furlongs over the muddy and sealed main track at Aqueduct on May 6. The turf debut victory registered a much-improved 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We knew he had that power but didn’t know if he was going to like the turf that much, especially going longer,” said Kantarmaci. “He was totally different and with the big change, he showed us he really liked it. He needed that experience of the first race, but in the long term I’m not sure if we should try the dirt.”

Kantarmaci added that he was pleased Drunk On Sake wasn’t claimed for the $40,000 tag and now he can step up in class with some additional confidence.

“I knew no one would touch a horse that didn’t prove himself yet,” Kantarmaci said. “He hadn’t proved himself in the morning or in his first time in the afternoon. Of course, I was happy to keep him.”