Mother Goose J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro) looks unbeatable in Saturday's $300,000

Mother Goose S. (G1) at Belmont Park, as she'll face only four rivals in the 1

1/8-mile test. The Steve Asmussen-trained bay has racked up triple-digit BRIS

Speed ratings in her past six races, all of which were wins, and the

three-year-old beat some of the best boys in her age group last out in the

Preakness S. (G1). Calvin Borel, aboard since Rachel Alexandra began her winning

streak in the Golden Rod S. (G2) last year, should have another easy ride on the

star filly.

FLASHING (A.P. Indy) appears to be the only one with any shot at upsetting

the future champion. The Godolphin runner has won her last three races,

including a 5 3/4-length victory against allowance/optional claiming rivals for

which she earned a 102 Speed number. The chestnut miss made her graded debut

last out and posted a score in the Nassau County S. (G3), garnering a 111 BRIS

E2 Pace rating. The chances of the sophomore lass actually beating Rachel

Alexandra are extremely slim, but she might be worth taking a flier on and does

seem the best of the rest.

DON'T FORGET GIL (Kafwain) is seeking to return to the form that saw her

taking the Florida Oaks (G3) by four lengths in mid-March. The Mark Hennig

charge was a well-beaten eighth and last in the Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2), but

her conditioner revealed that a few days after that race the dark bay came down

sick. She's been working well of late at Belmont, the track over which she

captured her maiden debut in October, and will challenge for the runner-up spot

under Alan Garcia.

MALIBU PRAYER (Malibu Moon) has taken her past two races by a combined 20 1/4

lengths, the same margin by which Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the bay filly will be making her stakes bow in this

spot and the best she can hope for is a placing against these at this time.

HOPEFUL IMAGE (Gulch) has been well-beaten by lesser in the not-too-distant

past, but will still earn a check if she finishes last.