3-Year-Old Fillies Eye Graded Stakes Win in Sands Point

While the arrival of fall generally sparks heightened interest in the Breeders' Cup, it also signals how a certain clock is winding down for a particular category of horses.

That loud ticking will serve as the backdrop Oct. 12 when a field of seven 3-year-old fillies square off in the $200,000 Sands Point Stakes (G2T), a 1 1/8-mile turf test at Belmont Park that presents a fleeting opportunity.

For starters like Godolphin's Romantic Pursuit, Saturday's test offers a chance to add graded stakes laurels to her résumé before stakes restricted to 3-year-olds disappear from the scene and she and others in the field will have to battle their elders in added-money tests.

"There are not too many more opportunities for straight 3-year-old fillies at this time of year, so she's doing well and we're looking forward to running her," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. "We're happy she's doing well, so we can give it a try and hope we can get a big piece of it."

After taking six starts to break her maiden, Romantic Pursuit made her stakes debut last month in the $752,500 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes, the final leg of New York's Turf Tiara series for 3-year-old fillies. The homebred daughter of Medaglia d'Oro  set the early pace in the 1 3/8-mile turf stakes and led by a length at the eighth pole but weakened in the final furlong and settled for fourth behind the late-running European shipper Edisa.

Video: Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. (BT)

"She ran really well. We were proud of her," McLaughlin said. "I wish she would have hung on for third, but it is what it is. She did try hard."

Though she has keen early speed, Romantic Pursuit has thrived at long distances, notching back-to-back maiden and allowance wins at 1 1/4 miles and then 1 3/8 miles on turf in her two starts before the Jockey Club Oaks. She should be well suited for the nine-furlong test on Belmont Park's inner turf course.

"I think a mile and a quarter is her best distance, but a mile and an eighth is the next best thing," McLaughlin said. 

A Kentucky-bred out of the grade 1-winning Hard Spun  mare Questing, Romantic Pursuit will have plenty of company in the quest for graded stakes laurels.

Woodslane Farm's Dyna Passer finished third in the Jockey Club Oaks behind the travelers from Europe, Edisa and Wonderment, and edged past Romantic Pursuit by a head.

The 3-year-old homebred daughter of Lemon Drop Kid  out of the Dynaformer mare Dynaire also ran in the first leg of the Turf Tiara for fillies, checking in fifth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T). 

Trainer Chad Brown has won two of the past five editions of the Sands Point and will once again cast a big shadow with two starters.

Olendon was group 1-placed in France this spring and then was purchased by Wonder Stables, Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Chris Mara, and Rob Masiello to run in the first two Turf Tiara races, winding up eighth in the Belmont Oaks and then fifth in the Aug. 2 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes in her most recent start.

Klaravich Stables' New and Improved also has stakes experience, rallying to finish fourth in the Riskaverse Stakes at Saratoga Race Course after hitting the side of the gate at the break. Making her third start, the daughter of Cairo Prince  was a one-length winner of her July 28 debut for Brown.

She was purchased by agent Mike Ryan for $320,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Eaton Sales consignment.

Feel Glorious is the most experienced entrant with 11 starts, including a win in the April 19 Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in her second U.S. start for trainer Christophe Clement and owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Tango Uniform Racing.

She was second in the Soaring Softly Stakes (G3T) in her subsequent start, but the daughter of Bated Breath's best finish in her past three starts was a third most recently in the Pebbles Stakes.

LNJ Foxwoods' Ledecka returns to turf for trainer Arnaud Delacour after winning the Malvern Rose Stakes over a synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs. Before that win at one mile, the Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Tiznow raced exclusively on turf, breaking her maiden in her fourth try, an Aug. 24 maiden special weight at Colonial Downs.

Live Oak Plantation's homebred Souper Escape rates as the most versatile starter, having won the Christiana Stakes on dirt at Delaware Park and the La Lorgnette Stakes over the all-weather surface at Woodbine. Between those stakes wins, she was third in Monmouth Park's Just Jenda Stakes at a mile on turf for trainer Michael Trombetta.

The Sands Point is scheduled as the ninth of 10 races on a card that begins at 12:45 p.m. ET. Post time is set for 5:13 p.m.

The card also includes the $100,000 Floral Park Stakes, a six-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares.

Entries: Sands Point S. (G2T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 12, 2019, Race 9

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Inner turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dyna Passer (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Thomas Albertrani	7/2
2	2Olendon (FR)	Manuel Franco	118	Chad C. Brown	5/1
3	3Ledecka (PA)	Daniel Centeno	118	Arnaud Delacour	12/1
4	4Feel Glorious (GB)	Junior Alvarado	118	Christophe Clement	4/1
5	5New and Improved (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Chad C. Brown	5/2
6	6Romantic Pursuit (KY)	Dylan Davis	118	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	7/2
7	7Souper Escape (FL)	Julian Pimentel	118	Michael J. Trombetta	8/1