Stellar Jayne, whose biggest win came in the Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park in June, returns to the track of her greatest triumph for Saturday's Gazelle Handicap (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies at the Mother Goose distance of 1 1/8 miles. She will carry top weight of 122 pounds and will be ridden by Robbie Albarado. Stellar Jayne, who is coming off a runner-up effort to Society Selection in the Aug. 21 Alabama Stakes (gr. I) at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga, registered a half-mile workout of :47.21 at Belmont on Monday. Second in the Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) in July, Stellar Jayne leads all contestants by earnings, with $696,551.
Capeside Lady figures to receive support by virtue of winning her last two starts by a combined 20 lengths at Monmouth Park. She won the Aug. 15 Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks (gr. II) by 6 1/2 lengths and was a 13 1/2-length winner in the Little Silver Stakes in July. Both races were at 1 1/16 miles. Capeside Lady won two restricted stakes at Belmont last year.
Like Stellar Jayne, Bending Strings is coming off a runner-up effort in a grade I stakes at Saratoga and likewise sports an earlier graded stakes win at Belmont. She ran second in the July 31 Test Stakes to Society Selection, and captured the Nassau County Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. II) in May.
He Loves Me will be trying for her fourth consecutive stakes win at her fourth different track. Her chief win in the streak came in the Iowa Oaks (gr. III) in July.
Rounding out the Gazelle field are Daydreaming, Mambo Bell, and Shadow Cast, each of whom won at Saratoga; Woodbine stakes winner My Lordship; and Magical Illusion, last seen when third in the Coaching Club American Oaks.
Gazelle Handicap (gr. I), 1 1/8 miles, $250,000, Race 8, Post Time 4:42
Post Horse Weight Jockey
1 Daydreaming 115 John Velazquez
2 Stellar Jayne 122 Robby Albarado
3 Capeside Lady 119 Christopher DeCarlo
4 Shadow Cast 119 Richard Migliore
5 Mambo Bell 115 Javier Castellano
6 He Loves Me 117 Jozbin Santana
7 Bending Strings 117 Pat Day
8 Magical Illusion 115 Edgar Prado
9 My Lordship 117 Cornelio Velasquez
