The Grade 3 Soaring Softly
A full field of 12 is set to go to post Saturday at Belmont on the turf. That can’t be a bad thing for us players can it? Fresh off a major wager win with Early Voting in The Preakness last week, we’ll rundown the field in The Soaring Softly and see what we come up with.
Champagne Party will be a big price from the rail but is not without a chance to pick up some pieces here. She has only had one start on the turf, her debut and it was a troubled third. I think she likes turf and is better now than she was then despite getting drilled on the synthetic at Turfway Park. She can sneak into the gimmicks at a price under Luis Saez who doesn’t ride many no shot horses at this stage of his career.
Breeze Easy makes her US debut for Christophe Clement. Her replays are decent, somewhat one paced but she does make a run. I don’t think she is as good as some of the better ones in here. Not yet anyway.
Lost My Sock is another who can make noise at a price in here. She gets a little more distance in here and I think that helps her cause.
Wish You Well was bet like a good thing in her dirt debut which she won. She flopped in the slop next out and now moves to turf. She’s bred for the grass and has speed.
Anador is another from Christophe Clement. I think she has been a little disappointing since arriving here. She’ll have to take a nice step forward here to contend and I don’t see it.
Snow Loves a Fight looks like she is in deep waters.
Wonka looks like a runner to me. She is being thrown to the wolves here, and I don’t think she can beat the horse to her outside, but she’s one to watch if not Saturday down the road for sure.
Haughty is a lawn mower. If she is as good at three as she was at two, she will likely win. If she’s better the race is likely for second and she should mow these down. She ran huge in the Breeders’ Cup from a wide post, and you must assume Chad has her ready. I think seven furlongs is an odd place to start her, but she should handle it.
Derrynane is the main threat or competition. She comes with a nice late turn of foot and gets some extra ground here to help the cause. She is high quality and can make Haughty work at this distance.
Sail By turns back in distance and is second off the lay-off. Two decent angles but I don’t think she is this good.
Ouraika if nothing else is well traveled. France, Belmont, Aqueduct, California, and Lexington. She looks a cut below the top ones, but can get involved and make her presence felt on the cut back in distance.
Chardy Party is one for one for Wesley Ward. She’d need to be a serious runner to win this off that one race and drawn in the 12 hole.
Haughty is going to take a lot of money and likely be an underlay. I’ll eat the price and use her as the single in the multi race sequences. That is not the way I prefer to play it but we play the hand we are dealt. At least I do.
