BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Rated by Merit, who suffered his first career defeat in six starts last time in the Grade 2 Carter at Aqueduct, attempts to return to his winning form in the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester Stakes during the Belmont at Big A meet at Aqueduct Sunday. Owned and bred by Vincent and Teresa Viola of New York City in the name of their St Elias Stable, the 4-year-old Florida-bred colt has the outside post in the field of five older horses racing a mile.
An out-of-state victory at this level by Rated by Merit would also earn a $5,000 Export Incentive paid to the Viola’s as breeders by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
As a 2-year-old in 2024, Rated by Merit swept the three male divisions of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes then won his only race as a 3-year-old, a length-and-a-quarter victory in the $121,000 Discovery going a mile during the Belmont at Big A meet in October. In one start since, he was fourth behind winner Point Dumme in the seven-furlong Carter at Aqueduct on April 4.
Rated by Merit is trained by Chad Brown and has earned $486,750 from his five wins in six starts. He is by Battalion Runner our of Banner Waving, by Speightstown.
Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Rated by Merit for the first time and they are 7-2 on the morning line.
Antiquarian makes his first start of the year after finishing eighth of nine in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) in November for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Don Little’s Centennial Farms located in Beverly, Massachusetts.
He won two of five starts last year including a length-and-a-half victory in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Race Course in August.
Antiquarian has a career record of four wins with three seconds in 10 races with earnings of $1,014,100.
John Velazquez will guide him from post three and he is the 2-1 morning line favorite.
Rounding out the entries are Pentathalon and with Dylan Davis taking the reins, jockey Flavien Prat will guide Bishops Bay and Quint’s Brew will have Forest Boyce in the saddle.
Return to the May 2 issue of Wire to Wire
