Replacing a legendary trainer like D. Wayne Lukas is a highly formidable task for an owner.
Just ask John Bellinger.
Introduced to ownership by Lukas in 2021, Bellinger was deeply saddened when the Hall of Famer died at the age of 89 last summer, but he needed someone to take over his stable.
He cast a wide net and came away with a gem.
Swapping one of the all-time greats for another of the all-time greats, Bellinger and his friend and partner in BC Stables, Brian Coelho, turned to Steve Asmussen, the sport's all-time winningest trainer.
"We interviewed multiple trainers and Steve blew it out of the park," Bellinger said.
That decision turned golden Sept. 5 when Asmussen sent out debut winner Summer Starlet to a decisive 4 3/4-length victory in the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) for 2-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course.
"We can't help but thank Wayne for getting us here and Steve for getting us here," Bellinger said. "I am so happy to be with Steve."
The Spinaway is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race and the lopsided victory earned the daughter of City of Light bred by Newstead Corp a guaranteed spot in the Oct. 30 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) for the ownership group of BC, Wattswood Stables, Bob Albritton, Jay Graham, and David Baggett.
The Juvenile Fillies is a two-turn, 1 1/16-mile test at Keeneland that should be within Summer Starlet's scope based on the way she rated off fast fractions and closed powerfully in the stretch of the 7-furlong Spinaway to draw away.
"I'm unbelievably comfortable with who she is and I don't think her (distance) window is small," Asmussen said after his fourth Spinaway win. "I think in time she will fill out that beautiful frame of hers."
Bellinger also has faith in the filly's abilities at two turns.
"She's a two-turn horse," he said. "She's so calm and athletic and made that look so easy today. She's special."
Charles Biggs' Schuylerville Stakes winner Harper's Corner set the fractions of :22.35 and :44.96 with Greenwell Thoroughbreds' Angel of Kirk chasing, and Ricardo Santana Jr. and Summer Starlet about two lengths back in third.
Turning into the stretch, Angel of Kirk weakened and Summer Starlet ($5.24), the 8-5 favorite, rocketed to the front. Ahead before the eighth pole, she covered the 7 furlongs in 1:22.72.
"The only thing I can say is that I was a good passenger," Santana said. "She broke sharp. I didn't get panicked. I sat behind the speed and she was much the best today."
Asmussen said the Oct. 2 Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland would be next for his fleet filly.
"Obviously, we are hoping to come out of this in good shape and proceed to the Breeders' Cup," he said. "With the Breeders' Cup being right at Keeneland, (the Alcibiades) would be the choice."
Harper's Corner, a Speaker's Corner filly trained by Cathal Lynch, was second by a distant 7 1/4 lengths over Angel of Kirk, a daughter of Yaupon trained by Brad Cox.
"She ran great. She's grade 1-placed, so you can't be mad," Lynch said about the runner-up. "I was delighted. We just ran into a better filly."
Bred in Kentucky, Summer Starlet is out of the Street Sense mare Act Now. A half sister to grade 2-placed Coach Prime, she is the fourth of five foals from her dam and the first graded stakes winner. Act Now also has a 2026 Practical Joke filly. In addition, Summer Starlet's granddam Always Trouble is a half sister to multiple grade 2 winner and grade 1-placed Fed Biz.
Summer Starlet was bought for $335,000 out of the Paramount Sales consignment at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Dress rehearsals for Belmont Park
Two days of trial works will be held at Belmont Park Sept. 13 and 15 in preparation for the track's Sept. 18 reopening.
The trials, geared to test the track's new timing system, will feature four works per day, one apiece over the track's four surfaces: the main track, two turf courses, and the new, innermost Tapeta, all-weather course.
Each of the trials will basically be timed works from the starting gate with four-horse fields.
The opening-day stakes at Belmont Park will be the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at a mile and a quarter, which is expected to serve as 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Forever Young's return to the United States.
