These are the dog days of summer. The premier events at the Belmont spring-summer meet are in the books, and with Saratoga just 12 days away most racing fans already are looking ahead to opening day at the Spa.
But there are still a pair of 11/4-mile turf stakes to be run this weekend at the Big B: the Grade 2, $250,000 New York Handicap for fillies and mares tomorrow and the Grade 3, $150,000 Lexington for 3-year-olds Sunday.
A field of seven is entered for the New York Handicap, topped by one of the nation’s rising grass stars, Soaring Softly.
The 4-year-old daughter of Kris S. was bred for stardom. Her dam, Wings of Grace, won the Boiling Springs Handicap on grass, and she is a half-sister to Plenty of Grace, winner of the New York Handicap in 1992.
A useful runner on dirt earlier in her career, the stretch-running Soaring Softly turned into a tigress this spring when trainer James Toner sent her to the lawn for the first time.
In March she won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, her first victory in almost a year. She took another allowance at Keeneland in April, followed by back-to-back stakes victories in the Vineland at Garden State and the Sheepshead Bay Handicap here May 31, running her record to 4-for-4 on turf.
“We always had grass in the back of our mind for her,” Toner said. “If she didn’t improve then, I would have been disappointed.”
To keep her streak intact, Soaring Softly, who’ll be ridden by Mike Smith at 117 pounds, must get past 119-pound highweight Anguilla, trained by Tom Skiffington and ridden by Pat Day.
A 4-year-old Seattle Slew filly, Anguilla is coming off a pair of stakes victories, in the Black Helen at Hialeah in April and the Nassau at Woodbine June 5. In her last eight starts, all on turf, she has six wins and two seconds.
A field of at least nine is awaiting the Lexington, a race that’s been won in the past by future grass champions Mongo, Johnny D., Mac Diarmida, Manila and Sunshine Forever.
None of this year’s Lexington hopefuls looks to be in that league, and the horse to beat could be a California invader with just four starts under his belt, Major Hero.
Trained by Neil Drysdale, Major Hero won two of his first three starts on grass, then rallied for third last out in the Cinema Handicap at Hollywood Park June 5, beaten just 1 lengths at 15-1 despite the rider losing his whip in deep stretch.
Special Coach is another dangerous shipper in the Lexington, having won three in a row on turf, including the Jefferson Cup at Churchill Downs June 13.