Lael Stable's grade I winner Stormy Kiss is the 118-pound high weight in a field of nine entered for the $100,000-added Floral Park Handicap (gr. III) for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs at Belmont Park Saturday.
The Argentine-bred Stormy Kiss won the Honorable Miss (gr. I) at Saratoga Aug. 4 in front-running style, outlasting Malibu Mint by a neck. The 4-year-old daughter of
Bernstein returned to run third behind the dominating Dubai Escapade in the Ballerina Breeders' Cup (gr. I) Aug. 27. Barclay Tagg trains Stormy Kiss, who has won seven of 11 lifetime starts. Javier Castellano rides.
The race could suit the closers For All We Know and Swap Fliparoo since Stormy Kiss figures to have company on the front end.
John Oxley's 4-year-old filly For All We Know makes her second start of the year after a seven-month layoff. Winner of the 2005 Raven Run (gr. II), she has been working steadily for trainer John Ward toward her first race since finishing ninth in the Hurricane Bertie Handicap (gr. I) at Gulstream Park in February.
A fast pace helped the Allen Jerkens-trained Swap Fliparoo win the Darley Test (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies on Aug. 5 at Saratoga. She raillied along the inside to catch the tiring pacesetter Original Spin, who carved a :44 3/5 half-mile in the seven-furlong event.
Jerkens also starts Grecian Lover, who has fared poorly in two stakes tries, but adds blinkers Saturday.
$100,000-added Floral Park Handicap (gr. III, Race 8, 4:40 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, Six FurlongsPP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Grecian Lover (FL), 115, Mike E. Smith
2. Pretty Imposing (KY), 114, Channing Hill
3. Great Intentions (KY), 115, Edgar S. Prado
4. For All We Know (KY), 116, Kent J. Desormeaux
5. Ever Elusive (KY), 114, John R. Velazquez
6. Win McCool (KY) , 112, Garrett K. Gomez
7. Stormy Kiss (ARG), 118, Javier Castellano
8. Swap Fliparoo (FL), 116, Eibar Coa
9. Indian Flare (KY), 114, Fernando Jara
