Emollient headlines Spinster

Emollient showed her affinity for Keeneland's Polytrack in the Ashland Stakes

last spring, leading throughout in a dazzling nine-length victory, and the

three-year-old filly returns to the Lexington, Kentucky, oval for Sunday's Grade

1, $500,000

Spinster. She will make her first start against elder rivals in the 1

1/8-mile event.

Trained by Bill Mott, the Juddmonte Farms' homebred notched her first stakes

victory in the Grade 1 Ashland, registering a field-best 105 BRIS Speed rating,

and went on to add the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on turf to her resume two starts

later. Emollient never threatened in her most recent outing, finishing eighth in

the September 14 Garden City at Belmont Park, but the bay daughter of Empire

Maker entered the Ashland off of a disappointing effort in the Gulfstream Park

Oaks earlier this year.

She'll make her second start over an all-weather track in the Spinster and is

the probable favorite among 11 rivals with regular rider Mike Smith.

On Fire Baby captured the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap this spring and

followed with a head second in the La Troienne on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

After being sidelined nearly four months, the four-year-old speedster returned

in a difficult spot, recording a non-threatening fourth behind Royal Delta in

the August 25 Personal Ensign, and she's eligible to move forward off the

tightener if she takes to the Polytrack. The Gary Hartlage trainee finished

fifth when making her lone start on an all-weather track in the 2011 Alcibiades

at Keeneland.

Hard Not to Like ran well over the local oval in the 2012 Ashland, finishing

a close second, but has not been back on an all-weather surface since. The Mike

Matz-trained filly exits a decent third to Laughing in the August 24 Ballston

Spa on turf and will attempt to make an impact in the Spinster from just off the

pace. Summer Applause is another possible challenger. A maiden winner on

Woodbine's Polytrack in 2011, the four-year-old posted a Grade 2 victory earlier

this year and has kept good company in most of her starts. Trainer Chad Brown

dropped her down into the August 25 Lady's Secret at Monmouth Park last time and

Summer Applause responded with a confidence-building score.

One race earlier on the program, stakes winners Bashart and Boji Moon are the

top draws in the Grade 3, $150,000

Bourbon.

The 1 1/16-mile turf test for two-year-olds drew 13 runners, but only 12 will be

allowed to start.

A maiden winner in a turf route two back, Bashart led wire to wire when

making his stakes bow in the August 29, posting a 1 1/4-length tally in the

Grade 2 event at Saratoga. John Velazquez has the call on the Todd

Pletcher-trained son of War Front.

Boji Moon enters with an unbeaten mark from three starts. The Iowa-bred

defeated state-bred rivals in his first two outings, breaking his maiden by 11

lengths before a 12-length win in the Iowa Cradle, and had no difficulty

transitioning to open company in the lucrative Kentucky Downs Juvenile on

September 14, rolling home by an easy 5 1/4-length margin. Brian Hernandez rides

the gelded son of Cactus Ridge for Chris Richard.

Arlington-Washington Futurity runner-up Whyruawesome will make his turf debut

for trainer Anne Smith, and School on a Hill will be looking to rebound from a

disappointing seventh as the favorite in the Summer Stakes at Woodbine. Calder

Dash upsetter Bon Accord and Laurel Futurity runner-up Tiger Bourbon also own

stakes experience.