Elate Faces Older in Beldame Stakes

As the lone top-level winner in the $400,000 Beldame Stakes (G1) field, Elate appears to be poised for success in her initial try against older horses Sept. 30 at Belmont Park.

The Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider homebred enters Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race, which has attracted seven fillies and mares, off the two strongest efforts of her career. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro  finished a head behind multiple grade 1 winner Abel Tasman in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) July 23 at Saratoga Race Course before she secured her first top-level win with a 5 1/2-length rout of eight other 3-year-old fillies in the Alabama Stakes (G1) Aug. 19 at Saratoga.

NOVAK: Elate Dominates Alabama Stakes

Those efforts followed Elate's 5 1/2-length score in the Light Hearted Stakes at Delaware Park, an appropriately named initial stakes win for Elate, who is out of Cheery, by Distorted Humor . In the Coaching Club American Oaks, Abel Tasman withstood a long stewards' inquiry for interference or else Elate could be entering Saturday's test on a three-race win streak.

Either way, Elate certainly has progressed since a four-race stretch at the beginning of the year, when she failed to win any of those races, even though she was favored in each. That favoritism was earned off an impressive 12-length victory in her maiden debut in November at Aqueduct Racetrack for trainer Bill Mott.

"She's doing good, we're real happy with her," Mott said. "If she puts in a great performance (Saturday), we'll go to the Breeders' Cup, but we have to wait and see. We're optimistic, but we'll wait to see what happens." 

The field includes three grade 3 winners—all 4 or older—aiming for their initial top-level score, in Charles Fipke homebred Verve's Tale, George Hall's Money'soncharlotte, and StarLadies Racing and Lisa Troutt's Eskenformoney.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, 4-year-old Verve's Tale enters off a narrow victory in the Summer Colony Stakes Aug. 20 at Saratoga. Fipke won last year's Beldame with Forever Unbridled.

Money'soncharlotte, a 5-year-old trained by Kelly Breen, carries a three-race win streak—including a victory in the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park two races back. Trainer Todd Pletcher will send out 5-year-old Eskenformoney, who last out earned her first grade 1-placing in the Personal Ensign Stakes Aug. 25 at Saratoga.

"She ran well that day (in the Personal Ensign)," Pletcher said. "She gave us a little excitement turning for home. It looked like she was still in it with a chance. She finished third behind two top quality mares, but she's doing well. We're looking forward to trying it again."

Entries: Beldame S. (G1)

Belmont Park, Saturday, September 30, 2017, Race 9

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:11 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Elate (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	William I. Mott	3/5
2	2Verve's Tale (KY)	Joel Rosario	123	Barclay Tagg	6/1
3	3Bishop's Pond (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Jason Servis	15/1
4	4Presumptuous (KY)	Rajiv Maragh	123	H. James Bond	30/1
5	5Money'soncharlotte (KY)	John R. Velazquez	123	Kelly J. Breen	8/1
6	6Bombshell (KY)	Luis Saez	123	James A. Jerkens	20/1
7	7Eskenformoney (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	Todd A. Pletcher	5/1