Photo:

Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire

Raging Sea is in top form heading into Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame, a nine-furlong test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, the 4-year-old Curlin chestnut won the Personal Ensign (G1) by a head over reigning champion older dirt female Idiomatic last out on Aug. 23 at Saratoga. In the early stages of the nine-furlong test, Raging Sea traveled in fourth of five, 11 lengths off a pace duel between dual Grade 1-winning stablemate Randomized and Idiomatic, before surging to get up in a final time of 1:49.14.

Jon Clay, of owner-breeder Alpha Delta Stables, said he was pleased with Raging Sea’s top-level triumph in her fourth attempt and 11th overall race. The performance earned a career-best and field-high 97 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.

“I thought it was great. We were very fortunate with the race setup and she closed. She has continued to improve as the year has gone by,” Clay said. “We are hoping everything goes well in the Beldame.”

Raging Sea has won five of her last six races, tallying graded scores in the Shuvee (G2) in July at the Spa, the Doubledogdare (G3) in April at Keeneland and the Comely (G3) in November at Aqueduct.

“It all goes back to Chad’s training and the way he has taken care of her. She has just grown a lot since her 3-year-old year, put on a lot more girth,” Clay said of her strong run of form. “She has been able to carry that strength and compete against the best of the division.”

“I thought she’d carry her form and continue to improve. That is what happens with these Curlins, they continue to improve with time,” Clay said. “She has A.P. Indy under her third dam and Summer Squall, so there’s a lot of great pedigree down deep.”

Raging Sea boasts a record of 11-6-1-1 with over $1 million in earnings. She will exit post 4 in rein to Flavien Prat.

Brown also will saddle stakes-placed Signal From Noise. The 5-year-old Arrogate gray stretches out from a pair of seven-furlong optional claiming sprints at the Spa. At a route distance, she finished second going 1 1/16 miles in the listed Lady’s Secret last June at Monmouth Park.

Graded-stakes-placed Frosty O Toole looks for her first win since January off a seventh in the 1 1/16-mile Obeah on Sept. 18 at Delaware Park.

Trained by Michael Dini, the 4-year-old Frosted dark bay has contested five stakes this year, with her best results including a third in the Molly Pitcher (G3) in July at Monmouth and a second in the Nellie Morse in February at Laurel Park.

Last year, Frosty O Toole made a pair of graded-stakes appearances on the New York Racing Association circuit for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, finishing off-the-board in the local Gazelle (G3) and the Acorn (G1) at Belmont Park. She soon returned to the Dini stable, where she graduated in her third start last February before the New York graded attempts.

Post	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last Start / Next Start	HRN
1		Signal From Noise Arrogate	0.00	Chad C. Brown Dylan Davis	5th, Sar AlwOC (9/1/24-R9) 2024 Beldame G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		5th, Sar AlwOC (9/1/24-R9) 2024 Beldame G2
2		Batucada Union Rags	4.79	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. Ricardo Santana, Jr.	7th, Ontario Matron S. 2024 Beldame G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		7th, Ontario Matron S. 2024 Beldame G2
3		Libban Laoban	6.05	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. Irad Ortiz, Jr.	5th, Ontario Matron S. 2024 Beldame G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		5th, Ontario Matron S. 2024 Beldame G2
4		Raging Sea Curlin	7.71	Chad C. Brown Flavien Prat	1st, 2024 Personal Ensign G1 2024 Beldame G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		1st, 2024 Personal Ensign G1 2024 Beldame G2
5		Frosty O Toole Frosted	5.34	Michael Dini Manuel Franco	7th, Obeah S. 2024 Beldame G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		7th, Obeah S. 2024 Beldame G2
6		Majestic Creed Jimmy Creed	4.12	Jamie Ness Ruben Silvera	1st, PRX AOC (09/10/2024-R9) 2024 Beldame G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		1st, PRX AOC (09/10/2024-R9) 2024 Beldame G2