Undefeated Australasia Tops Victory Ride

Trainer Brad Cox will send out a pair of contenders entering off last-out stakes wins, as Australasia  and Inject  will compete as part of an eight-horse field of sophomore fillies in the July 10 $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes (G3) at 6 1/2 furlongs on the Belmont Park main track.

Magnifico Stable and Hubert Guy's Australasia brings an undefeated record through six starts into her graded stakes debut. The Sky Kingdom   filly took to Belmont's Big Sandy in her first appearance over the track, besting fellow Victory Ride-rival Bella Sofia  by one length in the six-furlong Jersey Girl Stakes June 6.

The Louisiana-bred won her only start of her juvenile year in November at Fair Grounds Racecourse & Slots and is 5-for-5 this year at four tracks, racking up restricted stakes scores in the Louisiana Jewel Stakes and the LA Bred Premier Starlet Stakes at Delta Downs before winning the Crescent City Oaks at Fair Grounds. A win against open allowance optional claiming company in April at Churchill Downs set up her successful effort at Belmont.

Joel Rosario will have the call from post 7.

Her stablemate, Louis Wright's Inject, has won her last two starts, including her first stakes triumph with a 5 1/4-length blowout in the May 15 Goldfinch Stakes at Prairie Meadows. The daughter of Frosted   was a $390,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and has started her career with a 3-2-1 ledger through her first eight starts.

Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 2.

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational  will be competing against graded stakes company for a fourth consecutive race. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Souper Sensational went 2-for-2 as a juvenile at Woodbine, including a four-length score in the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes on the all-weather track.

Since then, Souper Sensational earned black type twice as a sophomore, finishing second in the Silverbulletday Stakes in January at Fair Grounds and third in the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in March.

Last out, Souper Sensational, with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez aboard, ran fourth in the April 30 Eight Belles Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2) going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs.

"She's doing very well and Johnny rode her last time for us and kind of got hung up a little bit, but she hung in and ran well," Casse said. "She's coming into the race well and should run well. I don't think the distance this time will be a problem."

Flavien Prat will pick up the mount from post 5.

The runner up in the Jersey Girl, Bella Sofia, will be making her third career start. The Rudy Rodriguez trainee coasted to an 11 1/4-length debut win May 6 and was moved up in class exactly one month later where she finished one length behind Australasia and edged Miss Brazil by a head for second.

Owned by Michael Imperio, Vincent Scuderi, Sofia Soares, Gabrielle Farm, Mazel Stable Partners, and Matthew Mercurio Bella Sofia is a daughter of Awesome Patriot . After working four furlongs in :49.43 July 4 over Belmont's training track, she will now break from the inside post with Manny Franco set to ride.

"She breezed Sunday on the training track and it was nice and solid," Rodriguez said. "The horses in the field are already seasoned, but she did good against them last time. The last race was very good for her. She has decent ability, so hopefully we can get lucky."

Rounding out the field is Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) winner Red Ghost , Ruthless Stakes victress Miss Brazil , Kinsman Stable's Shop Girl , second in the Any Limit Stakes in March last out for trainer Christophe Clement at Gulfstream Park, and Brittlyn Stable's Ova Charged , making her first stakes appearance after starting 2-for-2 for trainer Jose Camejo.