The main event at Belmont Park on Saturday is the G3 Soaring Softly, in which the last three winning trainers – Christophe Clement (Breeze Easy, Derrynane, Anador), Chad Brown (Haughty) and Wesley Ward (Chardy Party) – are all represented by leading contenders as they attempt to repeat their earlier successes.
Soaring Softly
Grade 3, $100,000, 7f turf, 3yo fillies
An intriguing field of sophomore fillies fills the gate for the Soaring Softly, the feature at Belmont Park on Saturday, with Christophe Clement coming mob-handed as he bids to follow up his victory with Bye Bye 12 months ago.
Clement has three representatives, with Breeze Easy making her debut Stateside after showing decent form in Britain. She was stakes-placed at this distance at Newbury despite being a little weak in the finish and has shown her best in the mud, but she’ll be stronger now and cost current connections roughly $300,000 at the sales.
Her stamina is proven, unlike that of barnmate Derrynane, who has never been beyond five and a half furlongs. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint fourth was a battling runner-up at that trip in a Keeneland stakes last month, beaten just a neck with longshot Lost My Sock a length back in fourth, and may appreciate stretching out now. Clement’s third-string is Anador, a maiden winner here at a mile but cutting back now after defeats at a mile and a mile-sixteenth.
This is class relief for Haughty, a Keeneland maiden winner before running a strong third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, beaten three-quarters of a length in a frantic finish. The form is rock-solid, as winner Pizza Bianca won a stakes last time, runner-up Malavath won a G3 in France last month, and fourth-placed Cachet won the G1 1,000 Guineas mile classic in Britain and was pipped by a head in the French G1 equivalent. It turned into a sprint at Del Mar and the drop in distance shouldn’t be an issue.
Graded-stakes winners Ouraika and Sail By spot weight all round and need to rebound from defeat. G3 Sweet Life winner Ouraika was well beaten in the G2 Appalachian over a mile at Keeneland and could perk up for the cutback, while G2 Miss Grillo winner Sail By sank without trace in that BC Juvenile Fillies Turf and was comfortably beaten in an Aqueduct stakes over a mile-sixteenth, and may also be happier over shorter.
There are some interesting maiden winners stepping up, notably Chardy Party who got the job done first time over five and a half at Keeneland. She started slowly and did well to recover the situation, and improvement is certain. Going the other way is Wonka, who tries sprinting after a dominant win at Gulfstream Park over a mile-sixteenth and has the scope to move up if coping with the speed test. Snow Loves A Fight lost her maiden tag over course and distance on her fourth start and, unlike many of her rivals today, is clearly suited by this distance.
| Horse | Jockey | Horse Racing Odds by JazzSports |
| Champagne Poetry | Luis Saez | +3000 |
| Breeze Easy (GB) | Javier Castellano | +1000 |
| Lost My Sock | Dylan Davis | +1500 |
| Wish You Well | John R. Velazquez | +1200 |
| Anador (FR) | Eric Cancel | +2000 |
| Snow Loves a Fight | Trevor McCarthy | +2000 |
| Wonka | Jose L. Ortiz | +800 |
| Haughty | Flavien Prat | +250 |
| Derrynane | Joel Rosario | +350 |
| Sail By | Jose Lezcano | +1500 |
| Ouraika (FR) | Manuel Franco | +1500 |
| Chardy Party (IRE) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | +450 |
| Baby Man | Rider TBA | +400 |
Soaring Softly Betting Prediction
The Clement trio have strong and varied claims, but Breeders’ Cup third HAUGHTY is the choice as the form of that G1 has been boosted by recent wins for winner, runner-up and fourth.
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