John Gunther's homebred Bending Strings will top a field of seven in Saturday's Safely Kept Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the 122-pound starting highweight will break from post seven. A rider has yet to be assigned. Jockey Pat Day has been aboard the daughter of
American Chance in three of her last four outings, including her runner-up finish to Society Selection in the Test Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga in July.
The Kentucky-bred filly's sole stakes win came at seven furlongs, in the May 8 Nassau County Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont. She had two other runner-up efforts earlier this year in the Golden State Mile Stakes and the Comely Stakes (gr. III).
Bending Strings will be making her first start at Pimlico after finishing a disappointing sixth in the Gazelle (gr. I) behind Stellar Jayne.
Bending Strings will faces off against John and Susan Moore's Smokey Glacken for the first time Saturday. Carrying 119 pounds, Smokey Glacken will break from the rail with jockey Joe Bravo aboard. Bravo has been atop the Jimmy Jerkens-trained filly in her last two trips to winners' circle.
Smokey Glacken has won five of seven career starts; four of those victories were in stakes company at no longer than six furlongs. Her added-money victories include the Aug. 28 Victory Ride Stakes at Saratoga, and Trenton Stakes and Forward Gal Stakes at Monmouth. She made only two starts last year before placing third in the Astarita (gr. II).
Jayeff "B" Stables bred Smokey Glacken, the daughter of
Forestry in Kentucky. She is a half-sister to champion sprinter
Smoke Glacken.
Vincent Papandrea's Then She Laughs (by Distorted Humor) is the only New York-bred in the field. Starting from post 5 under jockey Stewart Elliot, the Martin Ciresa-trained filly will carry 117 pounds. Bred by Edition Farm, Then She Laughs makes her Pimlico debut coming off her first stakes victory in the six-furlong Miss Woodford Stakes at Monmouth Aug. 22.
Bobby Flay, Robert Masterson, and Barry Weisbord's Gilded Gold will seek her first stakes victory as she starts from post three under jockey Ryan Fogelsonger. Conditioned by Thomas Amoss, the daughter of
Gilded Time won a six-furlong allowance race at Arlington Park in her last outing Sept. 3. She was runner-up in the Polly's Jet Stakes at Delaware before that. Gilded Gold was bred by Roger Davenport. She will carry 117.
Brilliant Peaks, Ambition Unbridled, and Liz On Polk Street will round out the field of 3-year-old fillies.
Safely Kept Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III), $150,000, six furlongs, 3-year-old fillies, Pimlico, Saturday, Oct. 2, approximate post time: 4:55 p.m. (EDT)PP -- Horse, Weight, Jockey
1 – Smokey Glacken, 119, Joe Bravo
2 – Brilliant Peaks, 115, Steve D. Hamilton
3 – Gilded Gold, 117, Ryan Fogelsonger
4 – Ambition Unbridled, 115, Abel Castellano Jr.
5 – Then She Laughs, 117, Steward Elliot
6 – Liz On Polk Street, 115, Shane Laviolette
7 – Bending Strings, 122, no rider
