Xcellence Heads 10 in Deep Sands Point

Following in the footsteps of Zagora and Alterite comes Xcellence, as owner Martin Schwartz seeks to win the $500,000 Sands Point Stakes (gr. IIT) Sept. 13 for 3-year-old fillies with a European import entrusted to trainer Chad Brown.

Nine are entered in the 1 1/8-mile inner turf test, with one additional filly, Aqua Regia, entered for the main track only. It is the eighth race on Saturday's Belmont card with a 4:45 p.m. EDT tentative post, immediately following the $200,000 Noble Damsel Stakes (gr. IIIT) for fillies and mares.

Xcellence, good enough to win a group III in her native France, will be making her third stateside start, having run fourth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (gr. IT) and third, by just a half length, in the Lake Placid Stakes (gr. IIT).  A strong showing in the 1 1/8-mile Sands Point will set Xcellence up for a run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), a race Schwartz won two years ago with Zagora and ran third in last year with Alterite.

To win the Sands Point, Xcellence will have to turn the tables on Duff One, second in the Lake Placid, and Sea Queen, second in the Belmont Oaks Invitational. Sea Queen likes to do her running on or just off the lead, a style that won her the Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont in May. She will be returning to New York after a journey west where she finished fourth in the Del Mark Oaks (gr. IT).

Duff One, a confirmed closer, changed her style in the Lake Placid and led every step of the way until succumbing late by a half length. However, the front end could be crowded here, as A Little Bit Sassy has displayed plenty of early lick in winning the Regret Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs in June and the Edgewood Stakes there in May. She just missed by a head after stalking and taking the lead late in the Lake George (gr. IIT) to Daring Dancer, who also shows up here.

Daring Dancer won the Appalachian Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland last April and then rallied from mid-pack to score in the Lake George.

Miss Besilu returns to the turf after four main track efforts that included a last-out third in the grade I Alabama Stakes. She owns a couple of wins over the Gulfstream Park lawn from last winter.

Trainer Christophe Clement, who conditions Sea Queen, also sends out Wild Applause Stakes winner Walk Close, while Brown also has Ball Dancing, a minor stakes winner in France making her first U.S. start.