Mother Goose Stakes
Only six are entered in Saturday’s Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont. Trainer Steve Asmussen is expecting his filly, Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly, to turn in a strong performance, the kind that will make her a contender for an Eclipse award: “Summerly has every right to improve [in the coming months], even more than Ashado did last year,” he said. Asmussen admits Summerly isn’t quite where she was condition-wise before the Oaks because of missed training time due to the equine herpes quarantine at Churchill Downs,
Summerly will face Spun Sugar (winner of the Black-Eyed Susan), Smuggler, Seeking the Ante, Winning Season, and Lady Pegasus (who may be scratched).
The $300,000 Grade 1 Mother Goose is supposed to be a divisional test, but its field is less than it could be owing to purse competition with Delaware Park, writes Dave Litfin. Sis City and Round Pond are skipping the race and being pointed to the Delaware Oaks with its $500,000 purse. (Daily Racing Form — sub. req.)
