Edict Set for Seasonal Debut in Sunday’s Beaugay Stakes at Belmont at the Big A

The Argentine mare has not raced since mid-October and will face a tough group of rivals; John Velazquez is set to ride

Edict will make her third U.S. start. / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

SOUTH OZONE PARK, New York (Special for Turf Diario).- There will be South American—specifically Argentine—representation Sunday at Belmont at the Big A., as Edict returns to action in the Beaugay Stakes (G3, 1 1/16 miles, turf, $175,000 purse), one of the card’s highlights. The daughter of Il Campione has been sidelined since finishing sixth in the Forever Together S. (L) over this same course in mid-October 2024.

A dual G1 winner in her native country with victories in the Gran Premio Enrique Acebal and Gran Premio Copa de Plata in 2023, Edict is trained by David Donk and will once again have John Velazquez aboard. She drew post 3 and is listed at 20-1 on the morning line, one of the outsiders in a competitive field.

Though she’s recorded several breezes in preparation for her return, none have gone beyond a half-mile, and her best time—a modest :48.51—came over a month ago, suggesting she may need this race to regain top form.

She faces a formidable pair from Chad Brown, starting with Grayosh (Yoshida), winner of the G2 Lake Placid S. at Saratoga and fifth in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland. Brown also sends out Dynamic Pricing(Night of Thunder {Ire}), who captured the G2 Edgewood S. last spring at Churchill Downs and recently finished third in both the Lake Placid and Winter Memories S. (L).

Todd Pletcher will be represented by Raqiya (Blue Point {Ire}), the mount of Frankie Dettori, who brings strong European and U.S. credentials. After landing the G3 Oak Tree S. at Goodwood last summer, she added the G3 Goldikova S. at Del Mar and was most recently fifth in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2).