AMERICAN
GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS
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MOTHER GOOSE S. (G1), 8TH-BEL, $250,000, 3YO, F, 1 1/8M, 4:43 P.M. EDT, 6-28 |
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| 1 |
HAMSA, 3, f, by Fusaichi PegasusLivealifeoflove, by Hennessy O-Lael Stable; B-Liberation Farm & Oratis Thoroughbreds (Ky) |
| 2 |
PROUD SPELL, 3, f, by Proud CitizenPacific Spell, by Langfuhr O-Jones Brereton C; B-Brereton C Jones (Ky) |
| 3 |
NEVER RETREAT, 3, f, by Smart StrikeLisieux, by Steady Growth O-Singer Jeff; B-Gerry O’Meara & Stanley Inman (Ky) |
| 4 |
MUSIC NOTE, 3, f, by A.P. IndyNote Musicale (GB), by Sadler’s Wells O-Godolphin Stable; B-Gainsborough Farm LLC (Ky) |
If PROUD SPELL (Proud Citizen) gets upset in Saturday’s $250,000 Mother Goose
S. (G1) at Belmont Park, it will have to be one of the biggest shockers of that
race’s history. The 1 1/8-mile test has drawn only four entrants, and Kentucky
Oaks (G1) queen Proud Spell is in another zip code compared to her rivals. The
Larry Jones-trained lass has taken on the best in her division this season,
emerging victorious in the Kentucky Oaks and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) while
placing in the Ashland S. (G1) over Keeneland’s Polytrack. Last season, the bay
miss captured the Matron S. (G2) over this same track prior to a game runner-up
effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Proud Spell looks unbeatable
in the Mother Goose with Gabriel Saez returning to the saddle.
The only challenge that Proud Spell may face will likely come from MUSIC NOTE
(A.P. Indy). The bay filly began her career under the tutelage of Tom
Albertrani, missing in her maiden debut in October before breaking through with
a 7 1/4-length victory while stretching out to a mile. Following that one, she
was transferred from Darley to Godolphin, and thus from Albertrani to Saeed bin
Suroor. Making her 2008 bow in new silks, Music Note dominated a field of seven
in an allowance at Belmont on May 22, scoring by seven lengths while earnings a
101 BRIS Speed rating. The three-year-old will be tough if she continues to
improve, but this might be too big of a class hike and we’re just tabbing as
best of the rest under Javier Castellano.
HAMSA (Fusaichi Pegasus) also dropped her first career try at Belmont, but
has scored in her two since. The Barclay Tagg charge broke her maiden at
Gulfstream Park, then returned to Belmont to take an allowance by a half-length
while going a mile on the good dirt. The dark bay has earned some good numbers
and could be a threat against normal stakes rivals, but our top two will
probably be too much to handle in this black-type debut. Hamsa could easily fill
out the top three with Cornelio Velasquez aboard.
NEVER RETREAT (Smart Strike) is the only runner besides Proud Spell in this
field with stakes experience. The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee was an easy winner
of her first two starts, but couldn’t keep up when stretching out to 1 1/16
miles in the Susan’s Girl S. at Delaware Park last out, finishing third. Never
Retreat has a nice late turn of hoof, but we can’t see her making up any ground
against these.