Proud Spell faces only three in Mother Goose

Proud Spell was last seen splashing to an impressive score in the Kentucky Oaks (Charles Pravata/Horsephotos.com) Last out Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner and current division leader PROUD SPELL (Proud Citizen) will make her return to the track on Saturday against only three rivals in the Mother Goose S. (G1) at Belmont Park. The bay filly will be staying at the 1 1/8-mile distance over which she captured the Kentucky Oaks and appears ready to add a second straight Grade 1 to her line. “She’s just been ultra-consistent, ever since we got her,” trainer Larry Jones said. “In her training, she always found ways to keep up, and she’d win every work by a head or neck. In her races, whenever (jockey) Gabriel (Saez) sets her down, she gets to work.” The three-year-old miss has yet to finish off-the-board during her career and, besides the Kentucky Oaks, also captured the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) earlier in the season. She has been working up a storm since her last one, and though the 1 1/2-month layoff doesn’t concern Larry Jones, he does have a few misgivings about the small field. “A short field is capable of taking a lot of horses out of their game plan,” he admitted. “Proud Spell is plenty fast enough and is capable of handling whatever pace scenario comes up.”

Saez, aboard for every one of Proud Spell’s starts so far, will be in the
saddle once again.

Proud Spell’s biggest challenge in the Mother Goose will likely come from
MUSIC NOTE (A.P. Indy). The lass broke her maiden
in November at Aqueduct, scoring by 7 1/4 lengths, then made her sophomore debut
for Saeed bin Suroor on May 22 at Belmont. In that mile allowance, Music Note rallied four wide to
win by seven lengths under a hand ride, and will keep Javier Castellano aboard.

The other two members of the field are HAMSA (Fusaichi Pegasus) and NEVER
RETREAT (Smart Strike). The former miss, trained by Barclay Tagg, has captured
both of her starts this year, including a half-length score in an allowance
over the main track. Cornelio Velasquez was in the irons for both of those
victories and has the call here. Never Retreat is the only runner besides Proud
Spell with stakes experience, running third in the Susan’s Girl S. last out.
That was her first loss after taking her initial two starts, and she’ll get a
rider switch to Alan Garcia for this one.

Hamsa drew the rail and will have Proud Spell, Never Retreat and Music Note
to her outside. Each starter will carry 121 pounds.

Earlier on Saturday’s card at Belmont, a much fuller field of eight New
York-bred sophomore fillies will line up in the $75,000
Elmont S.
going a mile on the Widener turf. STUDY ABROAD (Wheelaway) was a 5
1/2-length winner of the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion S. last
out but will be taking on the likes of last out Sands
Point S. (G2) third I LOST MY CHOO (Western Expression) and stakes winner
REMARKABLE REMY (Hennessy) this time around.