A field of 11 three-year-old fillies will line up in the $500,000 Garden City over the Belmont Park turf.
The ladies take to the turf at Belmont Park on Saturday with the three-year-old fillies going in the $500,000 Garden City (G1) and older fillies and mares lining up in the $200,000 Noble Damsel (G3).
The Garden City drew a solid field of 11including the Bill Mott trained Emollient (3-1) who is coming off a win at Betfair Hollywood Park in the American Oaks (G1), which was her first trip over turf.
The Christophe Clement trained Discreet Marq (7-2) also made her last start in Southern California, taking the Del Mar Oaks (G1) in a sharp effort for her fifth win in nine career starts on the turf.
In the race preceding the Garden City a field of six fillies and mares will head to the gate in the Noble Damsel led by Better Lucky, who makes her first start since running second in the Just a Game (G1) behind Stephanie’s Kitten. She earned a career top speed figure over the yielding Belmont Park turf in that outing.
Her main rivals figure to be the Shug McGaughey trained Hungry Island (2-1) who was fourth in the Ballston Spa (G2) and Laugh Out Loud, who makes her third start since coming to the U.S. and landing in the Chad Brown barn.
There are four Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races this weekend, all at Woodbine. On Saturday we have the $200,000 Natalma (G2) and the $200,000 Summer (G2).
On Sunday we have the $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1), where Wise Dan will seek to defend his title, and the $300,000 Canadian Stakes (G2).
My selections and analysis for all four races will be included in my Road to the Breeders’ Cup Package. Get selections for all of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races from Sept. 14 to Oct. 13 (33 races) and my Breeders’ Cup Report in one package.
My two-day Breeders’ Cup Report includes my selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations for every race on the two-day championship event from Santa Anita Park on Nov. 1-2.
Let’s head out to Belmont Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Belmont Park Race 9 The Garden City G1 (5:17 ET)
6 Summer of Fun 8-1
1 Emollient 3-1
2 Discreet Marq 7-2
4 Alterite 4-1
Analysis: Summer of Fun gets a class test here coming off a victory in the restricted Auntie Mame at Saratoga and she just may be up for it. Two back she was beaten just a nose in the Hilltop at Pimlico by Emotional Kitten, who went on to run a game second in the American Oaks (G1) behind our second choice Emollient and then she ran third in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) behind Discreet Marq. This filly showed plenty of promise last year as a juvenile, beaten just a head in the Jessamine (G3) at Keeneland and then a solid third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). Our second and third choices are going to get most of the attention here and this gal should be competitive here at a decent price. The George Weaver barn is coming off a solid Spa meeting where he won nine races with 41 starters.
Emollient returns off a two month break after winning the American Oaks (G1) last out at Hollywood Park in her turf debut. The third place finisher Topic came back to win the CTT&TOCH in her next outing on Aug. 23 at Del Mar and the fourth place finisher Sarach won the Sandy Blue Handicap in her next start on Aug. 16. She has shown she can win on any surface, taking the Ashland (G1) on poly and she has won on dirt and in the slop. She runs well off short breaks and is in good hands with the Bill Mott barn. She is the logical one to beat in this spot but her price seems likely to go south from her 3-1 morning line.
Discreet Marq also shipped to the west coast for his last win, taking the Del Mar Oaks (G1) at 9-2 in a field of 10. The Christophe Clement trainee has now won five of her nine career starts on turf and has a pair of wins over the Belmont Park turf, winning the restricted Eventail two back and the Sand’s Point (G2) three back. She was the pacesetter in five straight starts until last out with Julian Leparoux took over. She gets Garrett Gomez here and there is some other early speed in here and she likely will get a good trip sitting just off the pace.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 9-2 or better.
EX: 1,6 / 1,2,4,6
TRI: 1,6 / 1,2,4,6 / 1,2,3,4,6,10
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