Emollient tries for third top-level score in Garden City

Emollient took an immediate liking to turf when capturing the American Oaks at Hollywood Park (Benoit Photos) Emollient goes in search of a Grade 1 trifecta Saturday in the $500,000 Garden City at Belmont Park, a 1 1/8-mile inner turf test for three-year-old fillies. While fellow Juddmonte Farms color bearer Close Hatches has developed into trainer Bill Mott stable’s leading sophomore filly on dirt this season, Emollient has taken care of business on the grass and synthetic front. Although tested without success in such dirt fixtures as the Black-Eyed Susan and the Gulfstream Park Oaks, the daughter of Empire Maker looked powerful when taking the Ashland at Keeneland over Polytrack by nine lengths, and later adding the American Oaks at Hollywood Park on turf by a half-lengths. The July 13 American Oaks, Emollient’s first start on grass, occurred off a two-month break, and the bay enters the Garden City off a break of similar length. If successful here, Emollient may have multiple options to seek a fourth Grade 1 win sometime during the Keeneland meet in either the Spinster on Polytrack or the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on turf.

Standing in Emollient’s way Saturday are 10 rivals, several of whom with
legitimate credentials. Discreet Marq rides a three-race win streak into the
Garden City, including a a three-quarters of a length decision in the Del Mar
Oaks last month. The Christophe Clement charge won twice at the Belmont spring
meet, most notably in the 1 1/16-mile Sands Point.

Owner Martin Schwartz and trainer Chad Brown, who captured last year’s Garden
City with Irish classic winner Samitar, are represented here by Alterite. A
multiple listed winner in France, the daughter of Literato was beaten a nose in
the May 26 Prix Saint-Alary, a leading prep for the Prix de Diane (French Oaks).
In the actual Chantilly classic, Alterite finished sixth, beaten 11 lengths. The
filly race’s with Lasix for the first time on Saturday.

Discreet Marq also cleaned up in California by winning the Del Mar Oaks (Benoit Photos) Brown also saddles Watsachances, who captured the Miss Grillo at Belmont last season but is winless in four outings this term. The Irish-bred has not lost her competitiveness this year, finishing a narrowly beaten second in both the Lake George and the Lake Placid at the recent Saratoga meet. Caroline Thomas, elevated to first via disqualification in the Lake Placid, faces a stronger field this time and has been defeated by Discreet Marq on two prior occasions. Also exiting the Lake Placid is Concise, a close fourth in her second U.S. appearance for trainer Graham Motion. The field is rounded out by Summer of Fun, Effie Trinket and Praia, respectively first, second, and fifth in the $100,000 Auntie Mame at Saratoga last month; With Sugar On Top, an August 22 allowance winner upstate; and longshot maiden winner Precarious.

Get Lucky, last year’s Matriarch and Sands Point winner, returns to action in
the Grade 3, $200,000
Noble
Damsel earlier in the card. The Godolphin homebred has raced just twice this
year, most recently finishing a close second to Stephanie’s Kitten in the June 8
Just a Game over the same Widener turf mile as the Noble Damsel.

“She’s kind of limited in her distance. She’s really effective going a mile,”
trainer Tom Albertrani said. “After a mile and a sixteenth, she kind of gets
there, and then after that it’s hard to place her in races.

“We just waited for the right opportunity to come along, the right distance,
and this looks like a good spot to come back with her,” he said. “We’ll see what
happens. Everything’s been really good with her. She’s been training great
coming up to this weekend.”

Naples Bay, seeking her first win since the 2012 Noble Damsel, enters off a
runner-up finish in the Matchmaker at Monmouth Park. Multiple Grade 2 heroine
Hungry Island, meanwhile, exits a fourth-place effort in the August 24 Ballston
Spa.

Group 2 winner Laugh Out Loud, 2012 Pebbles winner Peace Preserver, and
$100,000 De La Rose vixen Assateague complete the lineup.

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